Arturo Sandoval, Latin Jazz Night @ Hollywood Bowl 7/12

There’s more to the Caribbean than sexy pirates -– its sensual musical rhythms are just as high-volume and action-packed. Yo ho ho and a bottle of wine! Yes, I’m talking about Latin Jazz Night at the Hollywood Bowl. Wednesday’s lineup was a comfortably mixed collection of the old and mostly familiar, the typical formula intended to please the broad-sweeping tastes of regular Bowl-ers. Still, this triple-header had a lot to offer musically. The legendary and larger-than-life (though small in stature) Cuban bassist Cachao kicked off the evening with his famous jam/descarga (como mi ritmo no hay dos). Accompanying the charming 80-something musician was an assemblage of youthful (in comparison) musicians, most of whom recorded on his last Grammy award-winning CD, Ahora Sí, including Jimmy Bosch, who will perform a salsa interpretation of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with the LA Phil in late August.

Thanks to the Bowl’s nifty swivel stage feature, one Cuban was quickly exchanged for another, taking us from smooth to savvy. Arturo Sandoval rapidly shifted musical gears with original Latin jazz compositions that increased in rhythmic intrigue with each number. Arturo, not wanting to limit himself to his signature trumpet, migrated from horn to timbales to piano throughout. More striking than his musical versatility however was his fashion sensibility – for if you closed your eyes, you would never guess that the funky and ultra hip groove you were listening to was coming out of a middle-aged man in a pin-striped suit.

Arturo’s infusion of Latin jazz with soulful salsa and Afro-Cuban funk was also due in large part to his mostly Miami ensemble featuring percussionist Tomasito Cruz, Ed Calle on sax and bassist Oskar Cartaya (who is based in LA and heads his own alternative Latin jazz band, Enclave).

The final act was India, Nuyorican salsa diva extraordinaire, who onstage was both commanding and comfortable with herself, her body, her roots, her music and her high heels, just like Mimi and her latest emancipation. She convincingly waxed bilingual-poetic about femininity and ethnicity and the universality of la música. Though salsa is by far her strength, she could easily masquerade as a gospel or R&B singer any day. As the last act, her vibrant onstage presence and interactions with the crowd were welcome and refreshing, and her music a close runner-up.

All in all, it was a memorable evening worthy of missing out on the Bravo season premiere of Project Runway.

by Katherine Bonalos