Afro-Cuban Trumpeter Arturo Sandoval Hits Road Ahead Of New Record SANGÚ

Trumpeter, bandleader, composer and Latin music icon Arturo Sandoval releases a new album, SANGÚ, on May 1 and is performing at clubs and jazz festivals throughout the year.  

The 76-year-old recently shared the album’s lead single “Scat,” which is driven by a deep Afro-Cuban funk groove layered with brass. The album’s 12-tracks are a swirl of bebop, jazz fusion, Cuban phrasing and batá-inspired rhythms.

Born from an intimate, family-driven creative process, SANGÚ was conceived and created in collaboration with the legend’s son Arturo “Tury” Sandoval IIIand daughter-in-law/manager Melody Lisman.

SANGÚ represents one of his most deeply rooted and expressive works in recent years reconnecting Sandoval with the powerful musical heritage that shaped his earliest artistic identity, which was formed in his hometown of Artemisa, Cuba. With SANGÚ, Sandoval reaches back to Irakere, the groundbreaking group he co-founded in Cuba with Chucho Valdés and Paquito D’Rivera.

Early on, SANGÚ was nurtured by Daisuke Oda and Darren Romanelli, through Magic House in Tokyo, who were cultural supporters and early champions of Sandoval’s music. As part of his 2026 appearances, Sandoval performs May 25-27 at the Blue Note Jazz Club in Tokyo, Japan, and on May 23 at the Seoul Jazz Festival in addition to several multi-night runs in Seattle, New York, Boston, Oakland and Los Angeles.

Sandoval has won 10 Grammy and was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. Even after a lifetime of accomplishments, he approaches music with the same curiosity, passion and joy that inspired him as a young boy in Cuba. Reflecting on his career, Sandoval once said: “The only thing I hope is that when I am gone people remember me as someone who loved music deeply and respected it completely.”

Arturo Sandoval Dates:
April 9 – Aurora, IL, Crimi Auditorium in the Institute for Collaboration
April 10 – Minneapolis, MN, Dakota Jazz Club
April 25 – Carson, CA, Dymally International Jazz & Arts Festival
May 15 – Detroit, MI, Paradise Jazz Series at Orchestra Hall
May 23 – Seoul, Korea, Seoul Jazz Festival
May 25-27 – Tokyo, Japan, Blue Note Jazz Club
June 4-7 – Los Angeles, CA, Blue Note Jazz Club
June 9 – La Jolla, CA, – Guest w/ Chucho Valdez
June 12-13 – Oakland, CA, Yoshi’s Jazz Club
June 21 – Rochester, NY, Rochester International Jazz Fest
Aug. 25-30 – New York, NY, Blue Note Jazz Club
Sept. 10-12 – Boston, MA, Scullers Jazz Club
Sept. 13 – Williamstown, MA, Jazz In the Berkshires 
Oct. 15-18 – Seattle, WA, Jazz Alley Jazz Club
Nov. 13-14 – Bend, OR, Jazz @ The Oxford