Bobby Sanabria tribute to Tito Puente
“Bobby Sanabria is equally adept at the swinging big band sounds of drummers Buddy Rich and Louis Bellson along with another boyhood hero, fusion pioneer Billy Cobham and timbale titan Tito Puente.” — Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times
Drummer, percussionist, composer, arranger, recording artist, producer, filmmaker, conductor, educator, activist, multi-cultural warrior and multiple Grammy nominee, Bobby Sanabria has performed with a veritable Who’s Who in the world of jazz and Latin music, as well as with his own critically acclaimed ensembles. His diverse recording and performing experience includes work with such legendary figures as Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Paquito D’Rivera, Charles McPherson, Mongo Santamaría, Ray Barretto, Marco Rizo, Arturo Sandoval, Roswell Rudd, Chico O’Farrill, Candido, Yomo Toro, Francisco Aguabella, Larry Harlow, Henry Threadgill, and the Godfather of Afro-Cuban Jazz, Mario Bauzá.
Bobby, the son of Puerto Rican parents, was born and raised in the “Fort Apache” section of New York City’s South Bronx. Inspired and encouraged by maestro Tito Puente, another fellow New York-born Puerto Rican, Bobby “got serious” and attended Boston’s Berklee College of Music from 1975 to 1979, obtaining a Bachelor of Music degree and receiving their prestigious Faculty Association Award for his work as an instrumentalist. Since his graduation, Bobby has become a leader in the Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and jazz fields as both a drummer and percussionist, and is recognized as one of the most articulate musician-scholars of la tradición living today.
Bobby says about himself: “I’m proud of the fact than I’m an SOB – a Son of the Bronx. When your hometown recognizes your contributions to the world, that’s a good feeling. People still have the image of Howard Cosell saying ‘the Bronx is burning’. But it was also the only borough with people from [such]disparate communities. It’s the most ethnically tolerant borough; everybody comes together in the Bronx. That’s why hip-hop, doo-wop, R&B, funk, salsa, disco and jazz co-exist there.”
“Bobby Sanabria expands the possibilities, moving the sound of bands like that of (Puente, Machito), with all the heft and intricacy and clave-based dance rhythm, into the harmonically oriented sophistication of current New York jazz players. It’s New York up and down, and back and forth across the last century, from the street to the mambo palaces to the conservatories.”
– Ben Ratliff, The NY Times
PJS is thrilled to welcome Bobby Sanabria to our stage, with a Tribute to Tito Puente!
Event Location and Ticket Information
PJS Jazz Society at First Presbyterian Church
199 North Columbus Ave
Mount Vernon, NY 10553
Handicap Accessible? Yes
Date: Sunday, April 12, 2015
Times: 5:15 pm - 9:00 pm
Ticket pricing:
- $22.00 General Admission
Presenter: PJS Jazz Society, Inc.
Presenter Phone: 914-667-0823
Presenter Website: www.pjsjazz.org