The Jazz Standard wasnt nearly full for the tenor saxophonist David Sanchez's early show on Thursday night, so it's important to get the word out that his current band--new as of two years ago--has settled into its music, swapped out a drummer and become quite great.
At the moment there's no new album to illustrate or adhere to. A year and a half's worth of performances since the last one (Cultural Survival, on Concord) have chased away tentative playing. Theres nothing physical to promote, which is perhaps why the room wasn't full. And thats a shame, because now we get the heart of the artichoke: saxophone, guitar, bass and drums, swarming around themes with force, then quickly opening them up to let soloists have their say. What sounded worked out but a little muted at the Village Vanguard last year is now full of raw crackle.
At the moment there's no new album to illustrate or adhere to. A year and a half's worth of performances since the last one (Cultural Survival, on Concord) have chased away tentative playing. Theres nothing physical to promote, which is perhaps why the room wasn't full. And thats a shame, because now we get the heart of the artichoke: saxophone, guitar, bass and drums, swarming around themes with force, then quickly opening them up to let soloists have their say. What sounded worked out but a little muted at the Village Vanguard last year is now full of raw crackle.
