Out Of Sight
Conguero Poncho Sanchez is one of the movers and shakers in Latin jazz. But while growing up in the 1960s, he was obsessed with the classic Stax and Motown sounds, and this influence peeks out from time to time in his music. Never more so than onOut Of Sight!, which actually functions as a tribute to his hero James Brown. Here Sanchez makes it funky with such soulful luminaries as Billy Preston, Ray Charles (who sings his classic "Mary Ann"), Sam Moore (of Sam And Dave fame), and Brown alumni Fred Wesley and Pee Wee Ellis. Suffice it to say, Sanchez's band and guests dig a groove deep enough to make the Godfather proud. They don't rely on the hits either; instead, choosing some lesser-known 1960s boogaloo gems and Brown jams, as well as some groovy new originals. Sanchez is surprisingly impressive on vocals here, but it's the tight and funky Latin arrangements that make this so super bad.--Tad Hendrickson