Arturo Sandoval (November 6, 1949 - ) is a Cuban-American jazz and classica… Read Full Bio ↴Arturo Sandoval (November 6, 1949 - ) is a Cuban-American jazz and classical trumpeter.

Granted political asylum in July 1990 and US citizenship in 1999, Sandoval and his family now call Miami, Florida home. A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Sandoval was born in Artemisa, a small town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, just two years after Gillespie became the first musician to bring Latin influences into American Jazz. Sandoval began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it didn’t take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world. He has since evolved into one of the World’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugel horn, as well as a renowned classical artist.

Sandoval was a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning group Irakere, whose explosive mixture of jazz, classical, rock and traditional Cuban music caused a sensation throughout the entertainment world. In 1981, he left Irakere to form his own band, which garnered enthusiastic praise from critics and audiences all over the world. Sandoval was voted Cuba’s Best Instrumentalist from 1982 to 1990.

Arturo Sandoval has been awarded 4 Grammy Awards, 6 Billboard Awards and an Emmy Award. The latter for his composing work on the entire underscore of the HBO movie based on his life, “ For Love or Country ” starring Andy Garcia. He is one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time, and has recently been seen by millions in the Grammy Awards performing with pop-phenomenon Justin Timberlake as well as on the Latin Billboard Awards with the gifted Alicia Keys, where he was awarded his 6th Billboard Awards for “ Best Latin Jazz Album”.

Not only is Arturo a tenured professor at Florida International University, but he works nationally and abroad with innumerable institutions and their music departments offering several scholarships, exercise books, clinics and seminars, and has rendered a considerable amount of time working with the NARAS educational program. Furthermore, Hal Leonard Publishing has not only released additional educations books with recorded CDs that include original exercises by Sandoval, but has published various big band, combo and marching band charts from his award winning albums. Arturo Sandoval maintains one of the most extensive educational programs in the industry.

Sandoval is also a renowned classical musician, performing regularly with the leading symphony orchestras from around the world. Arturo has composed his own “Concerto for Trumpet & Orchestra”, which can be heard on “Arturo Sandoval: The Classical Album.” Also, he has been chosen to perform with the foremost orchestras on primetime television, and was asked by John Williams to record on Williams’ original Trumpet Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra. His classical artistry has earned him the respect and admiration from the most prestigious conductors, composers and symphony orchestras world-wide.

'Round Midnight
Arturo Sandoval Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It begins to tell
'Round midnight, midnight
I do pretty well, till after sundown
Suppertime I'm feelin' sad
But it really gets bad
'Round midnight

Memories always start 'round midnight

Haven't got the heart to stand those memories
When my heart is still with you
And ol' midnight knows it, too
When a quarrel we had needs mending
Does it mean that our love is ending
Darlin' I need you, lately I find
You're out of my heart
And I'm out of my mind

Let our hearts take wings'
'Round midnight, midnight
Let the angels sing
For your returning
Till our love is safe and sound
And old midnight comes around
Feelin' sad

Really gets bad
Round, Round, Round Midnight

Overall Meaning

The song 'Round Midnight by Arturo Sandoval has a very melancholic and introspective tone to it. The lyrics speak about memories starting around midnight, mostly of a loved one who is no longer with the singer. The singer speaks of feeling sad during suppertime, but it gets worse as midnight approaches. The memories of the loved one, although painful, are still very much present and the singer finds it hard to ignore them. The singer longs for the loved one and wonders if a quarrel means that their love is ending. The singer makes an emotional plea to the loved one to return, and hopes that their love is safe and sound when old midnight comes around.

Line by Line Meaning

It begins to tell
The story of my heartache starts

'Round midnight, midnight
During the hour that marks the start of a new day

I do pretty well, till after sundown
I manage to hold up until the sun goes down

Suppertime I'm feelin' sad
When I eat dinner, I feel sad

But it really gets bad
As the night goes on, my sadness becomes unbearable

'Round midnight
During the hour that marks the start of a new day

Memories always start 'round midnight
My memories of you always come flooding back around midnight

Haven't got the heart to stand those memories
I can't bear to relive those memories

When my heart is still with you
My heart still belongs to you

And ol' midnight knows it, too
The hour of midnight seems to know my heart's desires

When a quarrel we had needs mending
When we need to reconcile after an argument