Poncho Sanchez:
Out of Sight (Multi-Channel SACD)
Music: B+ PCM
CD Sound: B DSD Stereo: B+ DSD Multi-Channel: A-
When it comes to Latin Jazz the name Poncho Sanchez
becomes almost as synonymous as Elvis Presley and the King of Rock N’ Roll. He has been around over two decades now as
the leader of a unique group of individuals that break down so many barriers
when it comes to genre music making.
The songs range from your core Latin Jazz to blues to funk and then to
more meringue and even Cuban/Afro-Cuban Jazz due to his ability on congas to
interpret his music in that way, also his roots as a soul junkie from the day
of Stax and Motown influence, despite his more current flame in the more Jazz
vein.
Out of
Sight almost seems like a tribute to all of the influences as
well, with certain numbers that seem to be a straight send up to James
Brown. He even adds artists like Sam
Moore and Ray Charles to his list as they play on this album giving it even more
flare and grace. There is no doubt that
this 2003 release is a very unique recording and despite only being 10 tracks
long, remains a fun listen with lots of energy and zest for any fans of the
Poncho as well as those looking for something a tad different and a genuine
blending of soul, funk, blues, all wrapped in Latin authenticity.
This SACD from Concord captures probably what a normal CD
would not for this particular release, and would be the best way to become
exposed to such a thing, aside from the obvious reasons, which is the better quality
of the SACD compared to the normal CD.
What this multi-channel SACD offers is a playfulness that does not come
across in just stereo, whether it be the CD layer stereo or even the DSD stereo
on the disc. Only the multi-channel
will take the listener even one step further into a new world of
possibility. You can hear a more solid
style come across as well, with instruments dancing in and out from various
channels and always exciting the listener with different depth and dimension
from certain instrumentations and their placement among the sound design.
The two stereo options are decent too, but as mentioned
they do not give the listener quite the same experience and will seem limited
in comparison. The two DSD options are
very well recorded and transferred for this SACD with a nice amount of fullness
and punch. The surrounds become very
actively engaged and there is a tightness in the sound as well as spatialness
that gives a very laid back feel to the music, which is helpful because
something like this pertains to an older generation of Latin music lovers. Most of the songs stay around one mode or
dynamic, but they continue to surprise as they bounce in and out stylistically.
Track Listing:
One Mint
Julep
El
Shing-A-Ling
Hitch It
to the Horse
Saints
& Sinners
Mary Ann
(with Ray Charles)
Not
Necessarily
Conmigo
JB’s
Strut
Out of
Sight
El
Tambor del Mongo
If you are looking for a more Latin Dance type of sound
you will probably be disappointed with this in particular as it’s much more
laid back and general, even the tracks that kick it up a notch in the groove
department. This is the perfect SACD to
throw on every now and again just to chill out to and full emerge into with all
the nuances that can be heard via multi-channel, or even show off to people
that only think that cool surround mixes come from certain styles of
music.
There is no doubt that Concord carries a very respectable
catalog of artists and we look forward to covering more of them in the future
as SACD breaks through and is beginning to become more popular than other
formats like DVD-Audio nowadays.
- Nate Goss
