Sanchez Serenades San Francisco with His
Smooth Lover's Rock

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Review & photos by Corinne Mah

The legendary Sanchez had never performed in San Francisco, so promoter Chris Creese (formerly of the Golden Axe DJ sound system), himself a long-time fan, jumped at the opportunity to bring Sanchez to the new Avalon Ballroom on August 16, 2003. The comfortable yet elegant mid-sized venue fills the gap left by the closing of Maritime Hall and Justice League during the past couple of years. The room was less than full due to multiple events on the same night, but the adoring crowd was comprised of fans spanning generations and many cultures. The sound was well mixed throughout the evening, and security was thorough but pleasant.

The reggae faithful turned out to hear the marvelous voice of Sanchez and he didn't disappoint -- the king of lover's rock reggae music was in fine form. But first, DJ SupaMario spun discs to warm up the crowd, then took on MC duties for the show as the Chronic Band took the stage at midnight.

After the Chronic Band warmed up the audience with a few tunes, Flourgan entered, dressed in a purple sweatsuit. In the classic DJ style, Flourgan switched from singing to chanting to gruff toasting. He performed for 20 minutes, followed by Tinga Stewart who took the stage bringing up the energy level a notch. Wearing a tan suit and matching hat, with his locks flowing down his back, Tinga Stewart launched into a medley of reggae classics that included "Missing You" and "A Love I Can Feel." He had the audience singing along during his 20 minute set, and he received an enthusiastic response as he crooned covers of pop tunes ("Save the Last Dance For Me"), reggae classics ("Cover Me,") and ballads (such as "Run to Me").

As Tinga Stewart left the stage, MC SupaMario immediately introduced Sanchez with the exclamation, "This is church!" For over 17 years -- with more than 24 albums to his credit -- Sanchez (born Kevin Anthony Jackson) has serenaded his fans with sweet love reggae music.

Taking the stage while singing "Here I Am," Sanchez was resplendent in a gold suit with matching shirt and tie and bowler hat, and plenty of gold jewelry. His performance rocketed into a non-stop medley of hit after hit. Sanchez paced back and forth across the stage as he sang his way through "I Believe I Can Fly," "Till the Morning Comes," and his smash hit "Lonely," to start the show. He soon shed his hat, coat and tie as he warmed up.

Sanchez is blessed with an exquisite voice and he was in perfect pitch all evening. He strongly hit and held all his notes, no small feat for a live performance. The Chronic Band was sharp and talented throughout, sounding much fuller than their simple combination of guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums. The band flowed smoothly from song to song, playing "If I Ever Fall In Love Again," "Missing You Now," "For You," to name just a few of the two dozen songs he fit into this one-hour performance. The rapturous audience sang along as the band moved from "Undeniable" to Sanchez's latest hit "Frenzy" from his VP release "Stays On My Mind." There was not a pause between songs and very little banter, as the show flowed smoothly through Sanchez's seemingly endless catalogue of songs and stylistic influences.

Sanchez even performed covers of hip-hop hits like Jaheim's "Fabulous" and R. Kelly's "Bounce." Following "The Man with the Angle," a huge crowd-pleaser, Flourgan joined Sanchez to add his vocal flourishes to "So In Love" and a couple of rousing gospel tunes. The show closed on a spiritual note with "Amazing Grace", then the band returned to serenade with an encore medley featuring Bob Marley's "One Love," Dennis Brown's "Here I Come" and "Should I," "Clock Upon the Wall," "You Can Reach Me," and "Let it Be Me."

After the performance, with his devoted wife-manager Monica Jackson by his side, fans surrounded Sanchez as he graciously chatted and signed autographs.

Check out Sanchez's brand-new hit CD (VP Records, Oct. 2003) "No More Heartache," or pick up "He's Got the Power" his previous gospel-style release (also on VP Records).

Corinne Mah is a Pointe Michel, Dominica-based freelance writer and publishing specialist. A veteran of the music business, Mah has worked with diverse musical genres in various locations for over 20 years.