BOBBY SANABRIA
MULTIVERSE BIG BAND
“ARSENIO AND BEYOND
Live at the BRONX MUSIC HALL”
Coming April 10th
BOBBY SANABRIA’S musical lineage reaches back to every major figure in the history of Latin Jazz. As a master drummer/percussionist, he has performed and recorded with luminaries like Mongo Santamaria, Ray Barretto, Chico O’Farrill, Candido, Marco Rizo, Francisco Aguabella, Patato, Paquito D’Rivera and more including the genres founder, the legendary Mario Bauzá where he was the drummer for Maestro Bauza’s critically acclaimed orchestra. His visionary concept of his own “Multiverse Big Band,” inspired by the writings of Mexican Octavio Paz and futurist Don Ellis, has brought forth an orchestra that can switch from a concert jazz band to an electrifying dance band at a moment’s notice and has achieved critical acclaim for its electrifying performances. It has yielded Grammy nominations for all the Multiverse Big Band’s recordings: Afro-Cuban Dream: Live & In Clave!!!, Big Band Urban Folktales, Multiverse, West Side Story Reimagined (Live), and Vox Humana (Live).
LISTEN to Samples of the New Project HERE!
ARSENIO AND BEYOND pays tribute to a musician who holds the same position in Cuban based dance music (what is today called salsa), that Louis Armstrong holds in jazz – both were transformative. ARSENIO RODRIGUEZ – El Ciego Maravilloso/The Blind Marvel – (born, Matanzas, Cuba in 1911– died, Los Angeles, CA 1970) was a virtuoso of the mandolin-like sounding Cuban tres (a guitar with 3 sets of double stings) whose innovations completely changed the course of musical history. He was the first to add the conga drum to band performance in Cuba, thus acknowledging the music’s West, Central African rhythmic roots creating what became known as son montuno. Rodriguez was the first to add a pianist (Lili Martinez) to a band that played son, the musical root of today’s salsa. Arsenio then would add multiple trumpets playing horns lines that intersected in layers at the music’s central rhythmic keystone, the clave. Thus, creating the mambo horn concept. And he would explore adding exciting stop time rhythmic breaks (cierres) to challenge the dancers and musicians, a device that has become part and parcel in modern day Afro-Cuban/Latin jazz and salsa arranging. As Maestro Mario Bauzá once stated, “Without Arsenio, there is no salsa!”
Arsenio’s music is finally framed by contemporary forward-thinking big band Latin jazz-oriented arrangements.
Classic Arsenio compositions, TUMBA Y BONGÓ, LA CARTERA, LA VIDA ES UN SUEÑO, NO QUIERO, YO NACI EN AFRICA, EL ELEMENTO DEL BRONX are given the 21st century Multiverse Big Band treatment with forward thinking multi-movement arrangements featuring the vocal talents of Cuba’s Gerardo Contino and the Bronx’s own multi-lingual powerhouse Jennifer Jade Ledesna, as well as the virtuosity of the players in a band. Beyond this the influence of Arsenio in the modern day is exemplified by a new work LA FRUTA, by Takao Heisho and the inclusion of music by three of Arsenio’s followers, Juanchin Ramirez’s ANABACOA, Alejandro Rodriguez’s MULATO RUMBERO and the ubiquitous Tito Puente’s tribute to Arsenio, MAMBO DIABLO.
Supervision of all arrangements, rhythm section and all vocal arrangements by Bobby Sanabria
Recorded live at the BRONX MUSIC HALL, 438 E. 163rd St, Bronx, NY
Saturday March 15, 2025
Head Recording Engineer: Michael Pirate
Assistant Recording Engineers: Alexey Menkov, Matt Barba, Jimmy Kavetas
MUSICIANS: RHYTHM: Bobby Sanabria – musical director, drums, whistle, wind chimes, background vocals,Oreste Abrantes – congas, lead and background vocals, Matthew Gonzalez – bongó/cencerro, background vocals,Takao Heisho – guiro macho, maracas, claves, gongui, vibra-slap, Darwin Noguera – piano, Leo Traversa – electric bass SAXOPHONES: David Dejesus – lead alto, soprano, flute, Andrew Gould – alto, Peter Brainin – tenor, Jeff Lederer – tenor, Danny Rivera – bari TRUMPETS: Nate Eklund – lead, Matt Hilgenberg, Kali Rodriguez Peña, Andrew Neesley, Max Darché (guest soloist) TROMBONES: Dave Miller – lead, Noah Bless, Armando Vergara, Chris Washburne ELECTRIC CUBAN TRES/ELECTRIC GUITAR: Benjamin Lapidus FLUTE, BACKGROUND VOCALS: Gabriel Garo VIOLIN: Ben Sutin LEAD VOCALS: Gerardo Contino, Jennifer Jade Ledesna, Oreste Abrantes
Artist: BOBBY SANABRIA MULTIVERSE BIG BAND
Title: ARSENIO AND BEYOND Live at the BRONX MUSIC HALL
Artist Website: www.bobbysanabria.com
www.bobbysanabria.com/music/arsenio-and-beyond-live-at-the-bronx-music-hall/
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