ARTURO Sandoval's bold and brassy Latin train steamrolled its way into the hearts and minds of its Hong Kong audience.
They were given the ride of a lifetime with dazzling displays of trumpet playing and high-note acrobatics, as well as stunning performances from all ensemble members.
Sandoval's roots are in his native Cuba and he was a member of the Grammy award-winning group, Irakere. After leaving the group he toured extensively in Cuba. Sandoval met his idol the great jazz legend, Dizzy Gillespie, and he went on to play with him in Cuba, the US, Puerto Rico and England.
He defected from Cuba to the US in the 1980s where he continued his music career, fusing jazz, rock, and Latin sounds into his unique version of Latin jazz.
The six-piece band effortlessly blended jazz, rock and blues with Latin music and rhythms, at times switching expertly from a sombre, jazz-inspired sound to a compelling Latin one, throwing their audience into a frenzy.
In Tanga, a composition by Gillespie, Willie Jones displayed amazing stamina in a drum solo of startling momentum. Suavito, a celebration of the 'son', was the showcase of the group's talents.
