Betsie Freeman for OMAHA WORLD-HERALD – So you thought you were going to a mere trumpet concert.
Boy, I bet you were surprised at Arturo Sandoval’s performance in Omaha on Thursday night.
“Is there anything he can’t do?” I thought as Sandoval dazzled the crowd not only with his extensive prowess on the horn but with his versatility.
He effortlessly played driving rhythm lines on a small set of drums. He added layers to his six-piece band on an electric keyboard, which produced a variety of sounds. He belted out some of the most intricate scat singing I’ve ever heard. He sang a heartfelt solo, “Dear Diz: Every Day I Think of You,” dedicated to his friend and mentor Dizzy Gillespie, a nod to the concert’s “Dear Diz” theme.
And just when you thought he’d done it all, he sat at the piano and played a beautiful Cuban-tinged jazz solo he composed himself, enhanced by terrific work on the maracas and drums by percussionist Ricardo Pasillas.
Just like Gillespie, Sandoval is a consummate musician, a true virtuoso with more talent on several instruments than most have on one. And he’s funny, personable and downright irresistible as he banters with the audience. His concert was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen at the 13-year-old Holland Center.
