Obsesión

For this effort, David Sanchez (who doubles on tenor and soprano) sought to combine the music of two countries that have usually stayed quite separate: Cuba and Brazil. Sanchez performs one song from Cuba, two from Brazil, four from his native Puerto Rico, and one ("Cuban Fantasy") from the U.S. The results, which utilize a medium-size band augmented by woodwinds and a few strings, have heated Cuban rhythms intermingling with Brazilian-type melodies and American jazz solos. Most of the spotlight is on the leader, whose tenor solos on "Los Arestes de la Luna" and "Soñando con Puerto Rico" sound heavily influenced by Dexter Gordon, although his work on the other numbers is more original. Several of the melodies are quite catchy, and the rhythms are both exuberant and soothing; overall, this is a well-paced set that stays in one's memory long after the CD has ended.