Anyone who knows anything about my musical tastes knows that I’m not convinced you have a real band unless you have a horn section. It goes without saying that I’m a fan of Chicago. I’m also a huge fan of Arturo Sandoval (who escaped communist Cuba with the help of Dizzy Gillespie). So naturally, this video from Moscow based band Leonid and Friends speaks to me.
You can tell from the beat that Street Player is from the proto-disco era. It’s still one of the better tracks from the years immediately following the death of their guitar player and founding member Terry Kath. Appearing on Chicago 13, the original Street Player also featured a guest trumpet solo from the legendary Maynard Ferguson.
Having lived under a totalitarian regime, Sandoval is a fiercely patriotic American so naturally he’s sporting the stars and stripes in his segment of the video. Maybe his experience with Dizzy Gillespie inspired him to lend some of his star power to these musicians from the former Soviet Union.
The Russians have some real chops of their own though. The only criticism I’d level at this cover is that it is almost too perfect. If I heard it on the radio it might take me a minute to realize it wasn’t the original. I’d like to hear them put their own spin on it.
Check out Leonid and Friends on Facebook or CDBaby.
Arturo Sandoval is also on Facebook, Twitter, and pretty much everywhere there’s jazz.
- A Tale of Revenge That May Have Inspired The Statue of Liberty - February 6, 2019
- Tom McGuire & the Brassholes’ Debut Album Body-Slams You With Glaswegian Soul - February 1, 2019
- Monday Mop Up: Explosive West Coast Funk from ORGŌNE, Irish Country, Cannibal Rockers, and some Wunderkinds - January 28, 2019
