Jazz headliner to 'chill' in S.L.

Pancho Sanchez has been headlining jazz groups for the better part of three decades, which means he has been doing promotional interviews for roughly the same time period. He is quite good at both, although he likes one activity much more than the other.

"This whole week is full of interviews," he told the Deseret News by phone. "Those are kind of the bad parts, interviews and the airport. You know what I mean?"

But Sanchez, a natural born storyteller, is as personable and friendly on the phone as any musician that you might care to name — even while talking about not liking interviews. He makes it seem as though this particular interview must somehow be an exception.

"I have had my own band for 29 years so I have been doing a lot of traveling and a lot of interviews."

While he may not look forward to press and travel, he definitely looks forward to playing in Salt Lake City where he has been many been times in his career. He recalls his first visit to the city around 1975, playing with legendary vibraphonist Cal Tjader. Staying at the old Hotel Utah he woke up to a view of Temple Square that impressed him, and he has followed the cultural growth of the city since.

"I am really proud of Salt Lake City, Utah," he said. "When I first went there there was no Latin music — zero. The music scene has grown, the jazz scene is much stronger. The city has learned a lot. Salt Lake is into it."

Two days before his Monday night gig as part of the Jazz at the Sheraton series put on by the GAM foundation, Sanchez and his band will play in jazz hotbed New York. He has a day of travel and rest and then plays to "chill" a little before the Monday gig. He insists it is a show and a city he looks forward to.

"New York is aggressive — 'Come on, get down!' Salt Lake is more laid back. You can start off gangbusters, then step back, or you can set up a groove and then at the end go nuts. Maybe 25 years ago I was on the other side but I really know what I am doing. I know when it is time to hit."

The two shows will be completely different as Sanchez on the congos leads his band from a sizable songbook. They change up songs each time they play them.

"With over 200 tunes in the traveling book and we end up playing, what, eight, (or) 10 songs a night, we like to mix it up, play some older stuff that people like to hear. We are heading to the studio in March so we will do some of the new material, some soul stuff and some Latin jazz. We go with how it feels. We don't want to bore ourselves."

As one of the top percussionists of our time and with a band that has honed its live chops for many years, that seems an impossibility.

If you go ...

What: Pancho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band

Where: Sheraton, 150 W. 500 South

When: Monday, 7:30 p.m.

How much: $25

Web: www.24tix.com

E-mail: lc@desnews.com