Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on 2026-04-12
Photo: Courtesy of the artist
There are certain figures in music history who don’t just influence a genre—they redefine its entire trajectory. With Arsenio and Beyond: Live at the Bronx Music Hall, Bobby Sanabria and his powerhouse Multiverse Big Band turn their attention to one of those figures, delivering a vibrant, forward-looking tribute to Cuban music revolutionary Arsenio Rodríguez.
Set for release April 10, 2026 via Jazzheads, the album captures a live performance recorded at the Bronx Music Hall, channeling both the deep roots and evolving future of Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz traditions. Under Sanabria’s direction—overseeing arrangements, rhythm section, and vocal design—the Multiverse Big Band brings a modern, high-voltage perspective to Rodríguez’s enduring songbook.
Sanabria’s musical lineage stretches across the full arc of Latin jazz history. A master drummer and percussionist, he has performed and recorded with luminaries including Mongo Santamaria, Ray Barretto, Chico O’Farrill, Candido, Marco Rizo, Francisco Aguabella, Patato, Paquito D’Rivera, and the genre’s founding architect Mario Bauzá. His Multiverse Big Band—an ensemble capable of shifting from concert jazz precision to full-on dancefloor energy—has earned critical acclaim and multiple Grammy nominations for its genre-blurring work.
Arsenio and Beyond centers on the legacy of Rodríguez, often referred to as “El Ciego Maravilloso” (The Blind Marvel), whose innovations reshaped Cuban and Latin music. Much like Louis Armstrong did for jazz, Rodríguez transformed the musical landscape—introducing the conga drum into ensemble settings, adding piano to son music, expanding horn arrangements, and pioneering rhythmic structures that remain foundational to salsa and Latin jazz today.
The album reimagines Rodríguez classics including “Tumba y Bongó,” “La Cartera,” “La Vida Es Un Sueño,” and “Yo Nací en África” through expansive, contemporary big band arrangements. Vocalists Gerardo Contino and Jennifer Jade Ledesna bring emotional depth and dynamic range, while the ensemble’s musicianship delivers the kind of precision and energy that has led critics to describe the group as a “musical juggernaut.”
Beyond Rodríguez’s original compositions, the album also highlights his enduring influence through modern works like Takao Heisho’s “La Fruta,” as well as pieces from artists shaped by Rodríguez’s innovations, including Tito Puente’s “Mambo Diablo.”
Recorded live in the Bronx—one of the cultural epicenters of Latin music in the United States—Arsenio and Beyond doesn’t simply revisit history. It reframes it, connecting past and present through a sound that is both deeply rooted and unmistakably forward-looking.
Tracklist:
Tumba y Bongó
La Fruta
No Quiero
La Cartera
La Vida Es Un Sueño
Mambo Diablo
Mulato Rumbero
El Elemento del Bronx
Yo Nací en África
