> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # That jazzy feeling - URL: https://www.smdp.com/that-jazzy-feeling/ - Published: 2008-06-13T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T19:54:20.000Z - Author: Guest Author - Tags: Entertainment, Santa Monica, #archive-import *By TAYLOR VAN ARSDALE Special to the Daily Press* Music lovers, this weekend belongs to you as the Playboy Jazz Festival celebrates its 30th Anniversary at the Hollywood Bowl. This year promises to be exciting as ever as the festival will feature Oscar and Grammy award winner Herbie Hancock; Al Jarreau, who has won a Grammy in all three categories of jazz, pop and R&B; blues guitarist Keb’Mo’ and his distinctive brand of Delta Blues; Tony award winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater who will be making her debut appearance; and master of Afro-Cuban rhythms — the Grammy winning Latin Jazz percussionist and band leader, Poncho Sanchez. Sanchez, who has been playing music since his early teens, was born in Laredo, Texas, but raised in Los Angeles. Sanchez, whose father was in the dry cleaning business, moved the family back to Laredo when Sanchez was 15\. “We grew up in L.A.,” lamented Sanchez, “Man, we didn’t want to go there.” At the time, Laredo had but one radio station; not exactly the most conducive format to influence an aspiring musician, and while Sanchez adapted to his new environment after a year he went back to L.A. Heavily influenced by his siblings who were listening to rhythm and blues and jazz, Sanchez remembers being 5 years old “watching the Johnny Otis Show on TV.” And later, when the first wave of the mambo and the cha cha cha came out west via NYC, he would hear these rhythms, the conga and the timbales of the Latin music, he said, “All day long” as his sisters, “Would dance to these songs and learn all the latest steps.” These beats became ingrained in Sanchez who fondly recalls listening to Machito, Tito Puente, Charanga bands, along with the soul music of James Brown, and the “doo-wop” of Marvin and Johnny when these artists first debuted their sounds. Eventually Sanchez started performing and the rest is a 30-year musical history. Sanchez has performed numerous times at the Playboy Jazz Festival, and also at Hugh Hefner’s mansion of which he said, “It’s a beautiful setting … usually with Playboy Bunnies walking around. Hefner loves jazz … we recorded the Playboy theme song for ‘Playboy After Dark,’ played it for Hugh when he was sitting in the front row … and he loved the song.” In the late ‘60s there were wild parties but Sanchez said, “Everyone’s a bit older and little more mellow.” If anything crazy happened to Sanchez when he was there, he’s not giving up the information. This year, Sanchez is especially excited for the festival since special guest, singer-songwriter, Eddie Floyd will join him on stage. “He’s on our latest CD with the title track ‘Raise Your Hand’ a song Floyd wrote in the ‘60s,” said Sanchez. The band will showcase some soul tunes with Floyd adding a Latin twist, which Sanchez said, “Lends itself to a nice groove … we call Latin soul … Eddie’s going to come out and sing a couple numbers along with his biggest hit, ‘Knock on Wood’ which will be a lot of fun.” They will be playing some new arrangements at the festival, some old favorites and will, as Sanchez said, “Mix it up a bit.” Sanchez’ next CD will be a big band record which he will begin working on after the festival wraps. And if you’re wondering about his signature Kangol caps Sanchez has been wearing the hats for 23 years. At first he bought them because he liked the way they looked, but then said, “I got to wearing them all the time, and would only take them off to sleep or to shower. Now I only wear one when I perform because if I didn’t people might say, ‘Who is that guy up there?’” For more information on the Playboy Jazz Festival this weekend check out www.playboyjazzfestival.com. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/061308-15_01.jpg) HAT MAN: Poncho Sanchez will be featured at the Playboy Jazz Festival this weekend. (Photo: Photo courtesy Playboy Jazz Festival) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 13, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/061308.pdf?ref=smdp.com)