Last night may have been a cold and blustery Sunday evening, but the Music Center at Strathmore played host to a band whose smokin' hot grooves made everyone present forget the frigid temperatures outside. Master conguero Poncho Sanchez (pictured), whose recording and touring experience stretches back over 30 years, took to the stage along with his stellar band and delivered a spicey two hour mix of traditional and contemporary Afro-Cuban music.

Aside from the quality of the performance, what stood out about last night's concert was the band's refusal to acknowledge that they were playing in a concert hall setting. Sporting his trademark cap and formidable beard, Sanchez, despite being sick, engaged the audience with jokes, stories, and a jovial stage presence. A gold star also goes to the equally bewhiskered Tony Banda, the bassist who also went to great lengths to bring a club atmosphere to the room. The initially staid near-capacity audience seemed all too eager to play along and was on its feet by show's end with many dancing in the aisles. A bold gesture by some, given that this music all too easily measures the square-ness of a person by how well one can dance to it.

There are few musical surprises involved at a show whose performer is called the Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band. The group burned through a variety of Afro-Cuban styles including salsa, cha-cha, rhumba, and mambo with a healthy dollop of jazz and soul thrown into the musical gumbo.The eight piece ensemble featured the traditional Afro-Cuban instrumentation and included Sanchez, Banda, timbalero George Ortiz, percussionist/vocalist Alfredo Ortiz, pianist David Torres, trumpeter Ron Blake, saxophonist Javier Vergara, and trombonist Francisco Torres.

The horn section was tight and had a charged vibe during the ensemble sections and each player was a fantastic soloist. Their styles proved an effective contrast as Blake and Vergara adopted a more melodic and jazz influenced approach while Torres had a more rhythmic style to his playing. The percussionists got plenty of time to shine, with Sanchez opening "Tropi-Blue" with a sweet conga solo that switched meters and moods while maintaining a coherent shape. A medley of the jazz standards, "Mambo Inn" and "On Green Dolphin Street," provided a vehicle for a fiery timbale solo. Another tune saw several players picking up shekeres for a rhythmic love-fest.

Highlights of the set were many, and included a cover of "Raise Your Hand", the title track to the band's latest album. Sanchez's recording of the Eddie Floyd Stax-era R&B classic features a guest appearance by Booker T. & the MGs. Last night, the horn section and organ work of David Torres channeled that classic Memphis sound while Sanchez delivered the soulful vocal. After closing its main set with an infectious traditional salsa tune, the band returned to the stage for a funky rendition of the Herbie Hancock classic, "Watermelon Man", that left the crowd cheering for more.

Photo from Poncho Sanchez's website