Arturo Sandoval - Ultimate Duets (2018)

Although a superstar in the jazz community, trumpeter Arturo Sandoval is a broadly celebrated performer whose titanic trumpet chops and charismatic stage presence are recognized around the globe. His life story, punctuated by his dramatic defection from Fidel Castro's Cuba, is legendary, and even resulted in the 2000 HBO film For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story, starring Andy Garcia.

From his early days with the innovative Afro-Latin ensemble Irakere, to his own jazz, fusion, and classical recordings, Sandoval has cultivated a wide-ranging cultural footprint, and earned the respect of music fans from disparate stylistic corners. It's with that wide, stylistic, and cultural scope that he crafted his 2018 album, Ultimate Duets. Produced by Sandoval and multi-Grammy Award-winning drummer Gregg Field, the album finds the trumpeter showcased alongside a series of high-profile guest performers from across the music industry. Included are spots from Stevie Wonder, Alejandro Sanz, Al Jarreau, Josh Groban, and others. From his sparkling, brightly arranged cover of Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" featuring Prince Royce, to his dramatic, flamenco-tinged reading of "Granada" with Placido Domingo and Vicente Amigo, Sandoval lifts Ultimate Duets with a joyous, theatrical passion. It's also fun to hear him take on some more cheeky, pop-oriented material, as on his buoyant, Eurovision-ready rendition of ABBA's "Andante. Andante" with Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Admittedly, a few of these grand studio productions, like the Latin groove of "Arturo Sandoval" featuring Pharrell Williams and Ariana Grande, feel less cohesive. Surprisingly compelling is his album-ending match-up with the late Cuban vocal legend Celia Cruz on "Quimbara." As Cruz passed in 2003, the track is a digital reworking of an older recording. Nonetheless, it sounds absolutely fresh, and roils with an earthy glee, as if Sandoval and Cruz were smiling at each other in the studio. Similarly engaging is the lush, gorgeously rendered Spanish classical piece "Solo Esta Soledad," featuring Groban. Cinematically arranged, it finds Sandoval answering Groban's yearning vocals with his warm, burnished trumpet lines. While Ultimate Duets intermittently transcends its studio confines, Sandoval soars throughout, imbuing the album with all the heartfelt love and enthusiasm one feels from his live concerts. ~ AllMusic Review by Matt Collar

Track List:
1. “Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing” (with Prince Royce) 4:19
2. “Corazon Partio” (with Alejandro Sanz) 5:56
3. “People” (with Stevie Wonder) 6:28
4. “Granada” (with Sandoval and Plácido Domingo feat. Vicente Amigo) 4:47
5. “Arturo Sandoval” (with Pharell Williams and Ariana Grande) 3:31
6. “Solo Esta Soledad” (with Josh Groban) 5:20
7. “La Bilirrubina” (with Juan Luis Guerra) 5:00
8. “Andante, Andante” (with Anni-Frid Lyngstad) 4:41
9. “El Ruido” (with David Bisbal) 5:14
10. “After All” (with Al Jarreau) 4:59
11. “Quimbara” (with Celia Cruz) 4:25

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