GRAMMY® award-winner David Sánchez is recognized around the world as one of the finest saxophonists of his generation. His mastery of the instrument is undeniable and his sound unmistakable. Combine that with Sánchez's deep-seated knowledge of both Jazz and Latin music and the traditions that mold them, and the results are extraordinary.
His debut album, "The Departure" (1994), as well as "Sketches of Dreams" (1995), "Obsesión" (1998) and "Cultural Survival" (2008) showed Sánchez merging jazz syntax with the musical dialects of his native Puerto Rico and other Caribbean and Latin America source. It was another recording, “Coral" that would earn David his fifth GRAMMY® award nomination and his first Latin Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Album in 2005.
“Cultural Survival", David's 2008 debut on Concord Records, earned the artist his sixth GRAMMY® award nomination. Two years later, Sánchez, Stefon Harris and Christian Scott came together for the "Ninety Miles Project." The successful album and documentary film were recorded in Havana and featured not only the three bandleaders but also some of Cuba's finest musicians.
Sánchez continues to tour the world as a bandleader, bringing his mix of mainstream jazz with Pan-African influences to audiences around the globe. His latest recording, "Carib" (2018) features original compositions inspired by melodies and rhythms coming from the Afro Puerto Rican and Haitian tradition. Two pieces on this recording, "Canto" and "Fernando's Theme", are featured in the soundtrack of the film Windows on The World by Robert Mailer Anderson.
He is also a member of the SFJazz Collective, an all-star octet representing the SFJAZZ institution. The Collective has been one of the most prolific ensembles of the last decade. It's recognized for its stellar musicians, groundbreaking compositions, and innovative takes on the music of some of the world's most influential artists.