Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band to headline Purdue festival
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The band's performance will headline the festival, which is Purdue Convocations' contribution to the annual Purdue event. The festival, which runs Jan. 18-21, brings more than 2,000 middle and high school students to campus for clinics and concerts with noted jazz artists and clinicians.
The Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band is made up of eight members: Sanchez on congas, George Ortiz on timbales, Tony Banda on bass, Ron Blake on trumpet, Javier Vergara on alto and tenor sax, Francisco Torres on trombone, Joseph DeLeon on bongo and percussion, and David Torres on piano.
Sanchez honed his skills as a percussionist and broke into the limelight at age 23 when he joined vibraphonist Cal Tjader's Latin jazz ensemble in 1975. Sanchez performed with the group until Tjader died in 1982. A year later, he began his relationship with Concord Records, which has led to two dozen recordings, a Grammy Award and several Grammy nominations.
"Do It!" is the latest release from the group and includes two tracks that feature the nine-member Tower of Power, an iconic group that became a symbol of the funk era of the 1970s. Two other tracks feature South African musician Hugh Masekela.
Tickets are $32 for adults and $22 for children 18 and under, Purdue students and Ivy Tech Lafayette students. Tickets are available at the Elliott Hall and Stewart Center box offices at (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW, as well as through Ticketmaster outlets.
Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu
Source: Kerry Schutt Nason, Purdue Convocations director of marketing, (765) 494-5045, knason@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Related Web sites:
Purdue Convocations: http://www.convocations.org
Poncho Sanchez: http://www.ponchosanchez.com/flashed.html
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