We are very happy to have had the opportunity to interview legendary bandleader and conguero Poncho Sanchez. In this interview he talks with us about his latest release, Psychedelic Blues (Concord), giving us insight on the members of the group and their inspiration for the selections on this album.

In addition, he also discusses the advent of Latin Jazz and its importance in our society today. Finally, he gives his perspective on the popularity of jazz and how he views its impact in the music scene.

Enjoy!

Interview Questions

1. Is this new album you released in September of this year – Psychedelic Blues – more or less a tribute to Latin Jazz?

2. Why did you guys decide to go in this directions for Psychedelic Blues?

3. I really enjoyed Francisco Torres’ arrangement of “Silver Serenade” on this album.

4. And you also feature a Latin version of the classic “Cantaloupe Island”.

5. Can you talk a little bit about the last track on the album, “Con Sabor Latino”?

6. Are you going to stay primarily with Latin Jazz for a while or go back to including other styles in your upcoming albums?

7. So, would you say that the band is “at home” with Latin Jazz and it still plays a very dominant role with your fan base?

8. I’ve noticed an increase in awareness, especially in the few years, of Latin Jazz from fans. What is your experience with trends in Latin Jazz?

9. And, of course, being based out of L.A., we have the opportunity to listen to KJazz’s D.J., Jose Rizo, talk about Latin Jazz on his daily show “Jazz On The Latin Side”. He really does a great job of promoting it.

10. Since you have been in the scene, I wanted to ask you for a little bit of your wisdom. There is a lot of talk – especially on forums and blogs – about how jazz is continuing to lose its popularity with today’s listeners. Do we have reason for concern, or has jazz always had this type of peak and fall in popularity?

11. It also doesn’t seem like the mainstream gives jazz a chance. We recently received an email from a reader, pointing out that jazz would have more of a following if people didn’t always approach it like a math equation – maybe implying that the role or function of jazz is something different than other types of music that are more popular in today’s society. Why is that people’s approach toward jazz sometimes leans more toward the analytical and people forget that you can just listen and enjoy it, like other styles of music?

12. What is your approach toward promoting jazz and getting others to “give it a try”?

Special Thanks

Our thanks to Poncho Sanchez for setting aside time to speak with us. Also, thanks to Concord Jazz and On Target Media Group for arranging and coordinating the interview.

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