Saxophonist David Sánchez Performs His Latest Album "TAMBÓ"

Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: All Of It with Alison Stewart
Episode Title: Saxophonist David Sánchez Performs His Latest Album "TAMBÓ"
Air Date: May 26, 2026
Guest: David Sánchez (Grammy Award-winning saxophonist, composer, and bandleader)
Main Theme:
This episode centers on David Sánchez’s return with his first album in seven years, "TAMBÓ." The conversation dives into the album’s deep roots in Afro-Caribbean musical traditions, personal inspiration from travels, and a tribute to overlooked Black heroes across the Americas. Sánchez also performs live in the studio and previews his upcoming Lincoln Center concert.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Meaning and Roots of "TAMBÓ"

• Album Background (00:31–01:32)
  • "TAMBÓ" is a continuation of Sánchez’s exploration of Afro-Caribbean culture, blending modern jazz with ancestral rhythms.
  • The album is inspired by his experiences traveling, particularly throughout the Afro-Caribbean Diaspora.
  • Sánchez honors Black heroes and cultural legacies across the Americas, including Puerto Rican Bomba and Colombian drumming.

The Dedication Behind "Un Belén Pa’Edi"

• Personal Losses and Musical Honors (01:32–03:03)
  • First live performance: "Un Belén Pa’Edi," the opening track.
    • Sánchez explains that Belén is a tradition in Puerto Rico—an Afro-descendant musical celebration honoring those who have passed.
    • He dedicates the piece to two of his mentors:
      • Eddie Palmieri: "He was one of my mentors, you know, and true master ... he influenced me in many different ways." (01:45)
      • Sonny Rollins: "A very important influence in me as a saxophone player and as a person, because the way he conducted himself, the great Sonny Rollins." (02:17)

Understanding the Essence of the Caribbean

• Interpreting the Caribbean Beyond Geography (10:44–12:20)
  • Alison Stewart reads Sánchez’s Instagram reflection that the Caribbean is "more than a geographical reference."
  • Sánchez elaborates:

    "You can breathe the Caribbean. It’s embedded in there ... a cadence and certain idiosyncrasy that is Caribbean ... Veracruz, Mexico, to Venezuela … New Orleans ... the northern part of the Caribbean honestly." (11:19)

  • The spirit of the Caribbean is about cultural expression and interconnectedness, not just geography.

The Band: Introducing the Musicians

• Band Lineup (12:53)
  • Alex Brown (Piano)
  • Ricky Rodriguez (Bass)
  • Camilo Molina (Percussion)
  • Tony Escapa (Drums)

The Inspiration: Colombia and Benkos Biohó

• Travel and Historical Stories (13:14–16:03)
  • Sánchez’s trip to San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia, with his wife profoundly influenced the album.
    • The town’s parallels to Loíza, Puerto Rico struck him.
    • The story of Benkos Biohó, a formerly enslaved leader who established the first free Black town in the Americas (early 1600s), inspired a composition.

      "In school … they don’t tell you about the heroes… Afro descendant, you know, heroes... There’s so many fascinating stories of these people. So I was driven to actually play in this song … inspired by that story." (14:20–15:55)

  • The piece "Benkos – Ilo Si Marrones" was created in honor of Biohó and the maroon communities.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Afro-Caribbean Musical Heritage:

  “It’s a celebration—It’s a musical celebration … Un Belén is a tradition in Puerto Rico that we have, you know, it’s an Afro descendant tradition… when someone dies, you go to the cemetery ... and help them rest with music.”
  — David Sánchez (01:36)

• On Cultural Connections Across the Americas:

  “I like… to see New Orleans as the northern part of the Caribbean, honestly. … You breathe and you feel the essence of the Caribbean.”
  — David Sánchez (11:19)

• On Uncelebrated Heroes:

  “They don’t tell you about the heroes that… especially that come, you know, Afro descendant, you know, heroes. All you see is statues of people that colonized us…”
  — David Sánchez (15:08)

[Live Performance Highlights]

• "Un Belén Pa’Edi" (First performance, ~01:32–10:44)
  A moving tribute, blending sorrow and celebration, honoring Eddie Palmieri and Sonny Rollins.

• "Benkos – Ilo Si Marrones" (Second performance, ~16:03–18:15)
  An energetic, rhythmically rich piece inspired by Benkos Biohó and the spirit of Black liberation.

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Chronological Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:31 – Alison Stewart introduces David Sánchez and describes the theme of "TAMBÓ"
• 01:32 – Sánchez introduces and dedicates "Un Belén Pa’Edi"
• 10:44 – Host quotes Sánchez on the album’s transcultural Caribbean meaning; Sánchez expands on this idea
• 12:53 – Introduction of band members
• 13:19 – Discussion of Sánchez’s trip to San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia
• 14:20 – Story of Benkos Biohó and inspiration for "Benkos – Ilo Si Marrones"
• 16:03 – Performance of “Benkos – Ilo Si Marrones”
• 23:15 – Closing comments and invitation to the Lincoln Center show

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Conclusion

This episode offers a heartfelt, insightful exploration of the roots and messages in David Sánchez’s album "TAMBÓ." Through his storytelling and live performances, Sánchez illuminates the deep, often overlooked influences of Afro-Caribbean history on modern jazz and culture. The conversation celebrates resilience, heritage, and the universal connections binding the Caribbean and the Americas.

Listeners come away with a deeper appreciation for both the historical figures who shaped this music and the artists—like Sánchez—who keep their stories alive.

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Transcript

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[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Grammy award winning saxophonist, composer and bandleader David Sanchez returns with his first new album in seven years. Influenced in part by experiences traveling and listening to the sounds throughout the Afro Caribbean diaspora. It's titled Tembo. It's a follow up to his 2019 release Carib, which explored ancestral chants. The new album Tembo also draws inspiration from the bomba traditions of Puerto Rico to the drumming legacies of Colombia. Sanchez blends modern jazz with Afro carving ribbons to honor black heroes across the Americas. This includes a legendary freedom fighter who led enslaved Africans to liberation. Tambo is out now and Tomorrow night, Wednesday, May 27, David Sanchez brings the music to Lincoln center for a special live performance. But before that, he's here with us in studio today to perform a few songs. David, welcome to all of it.

[David Sanchez]

Thank you so much, Alison, thanks for having us.

[Alison Stewart]

Tell us about the first song you're going to perform.

[David Sanchez]

Well, this song is actually, it's the first track on the album, you know, it's entitled Un Belen Paedi. And you know, Belen is a tradition in Puerto Rico that we have, you know, it's an Afro descendant tradition that, you know, when someone dies, you go to the cemetery, you know, and helping rest with music. And it's a celebration, it's a musical celebration. So we lost Eddie Palmier. He was one of my mentors, you know, and true master. And we lost him. And you know, I'm still missing him. And he influenced me in many different ways. So I decided to do Unbelen Paedi Edit Palmieri. And you know, we lost another very influential, amazing, one of the geniuses of the music. And I happened to happen to be a very important influence in me as a saxophone player and as a, as a person because the way he conducted himself, the great Sonny Rollins. So we're going to dedicate also this to Sonny Rollins at Unbelempa.

[Sam (Producer or Technician)]

Sam, It's, It's sam.

[WNYC Host/Producer]

That was saxophonist and band leader David Sanchez. He's here to perform a few show songs ahead of his Lincoln center show tomorrow night, Wednesday, May 27th at 7:00pm he has a new album out. It's called Tambo on Your Instagram, you mentioned that Tambo is, quote, the album is based on the notion that the Caribbean has a meaning that goes far beyond being a geographical reference. What meaning were you writing about?

[David Sanchez]

Yeah, what I meant is that, is that feel that I would get every time I would go. Go anywhere outside of the islands, what we consider the Caribbean, you know, geographically, but somehow, some way, I would go visit these other places outside, not necessarily in the Caribbean islands. And I would feel that it's more like a cultural expression. And you can breathe the Caribbean. It's embedded in there in one way. Or did they send out a cadence and certain idiosyncrasy that is Caribbean? You know, it could be from Veracruz, Mexico, to Venezuela to, like, Colombia. In this case, all the Colombian. What is the coast? Panama. It could be anywhere. New Orleans, you know, we like to think. I like, basically think and see New Orleans as the northern part of the Caribbean, honestly. And, you know, you breathe and you feel the essence of the Caribbean. And I guess that's what I meant to say.

[WNYC Host/Producer]

We'll have more with David Sanchez after a quick break. This is all of It.

[Alison Stewart]

You're listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. My guest is saxophonist and band leader David Sanchez. He's here to perform a few songs and discuss the inspiration behind his latest album, Tombo, ahead of his show at Lincoln center tomorrow, Wednesday, May 27th at 7:00pm Will you introduce us to everybody in the band before we talk?

[David Sanchez]

Oh, yeah, of course, man. Like, we. We have him on piano, Alex Brown. Alex Brown on piano. On bass, we have Ricky Rodriguez. On percussion, we have. And by real percussions, we have Camilo Molina. And on drums, we have Tony Escapa. Tony Escapa.

[Alison Stewart]

I read that this album was inspired by a trip to Colombia with your wife.

[David Sanchez]

Yes.

[Alison Stewart]

Where did you go exactly? And what was unique about it?

[David Sanchez]

Well, I went to Colombia. I went to San Basilio de Palenque. And it was a casual visit, you know, and immediately I was being like. I was attracted by and drawn by everything I saw. You know, it's like I was there before, but it was really my first time. It was a kind of like, surreal kind of experience that way. And I could not help to make these parallels between San Basilio and in the northern east part of Puerto Rico, we have a town, it's called Loiza. Loiza. And there was too many parallels and too many similarities. So I was curious and I wanted to go back. And then I knew kind of, I like immediately that I want to do something with it. Especially when I heard the inspiring story of Benkos Bioho.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, please tell me a little bit about him.

[David Sanchez]

Because that, I mean, I didn't know. And when I started reading, I mean, you enter the town and there's a big statue. The first thing you see in the plaza is that's Benkos Biohoa. And he's like this, enslaved but, you know, liberated. You know, we're still with the shackles. And when I started reading, I was like, wow, he was a runaway. He escaped and he actually went to the mountains and was able to organize basically an army of maroons or runaways to fight against the Spaniards and the colonizers. And he actually got it. I mean, the Spanish were like, so they had a sovereign place. And this was the amazing part is that this was since 1603 or 16, something like that. This is 200 years before what I knew. I thought, you know, it was, you know, the Haitian revolution in, you know, whatever, you know, 1803, you know, so I was drawn by the story because we don't. In school when I was growing up, they don't tell you about the heroes that, you know, especially that come, you know, Afro descendant, you know, heroes. You know, all you see is statues of, you know, the people that colonized us, you know, like, or came to this part of the world. And you don't hear the fascinating stories. There's so many fascinating stories of these people. So I was driven to actually play in this song, as a matter of fact. It's called Benkos Ilo Si Marrones and palenque Un palenque kind of means in a way, which is a maroon. So this piece is actually. It was inspired by that story.

[WNYC Host/Producer]

Well, let's hear it. This is David Sanchez.

[Sam (Producer or Technician)]

Sa. It's. Sa.

[WNYC Host/Producer]

That was saxophonist David Sanchez. His show at Lincoln center is tomorrow, Wednesday, May 27th at 7pm his latest album is Tumbo. Thank you for joining us.

[David Sanchez]

Thank you. Thank you so much. I appreciate you. I hope to see you all there, you know, 7 and 9 tomorrow night.

[WNYC Host/Producer]

Love it. Thanks so much for joining us.

[David Sanchez]

Appreciate you.

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