chris olivarez Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Ever heard of Armando Peraza? No conga list can be complete without his name. If you don't believe me, ask Carlos Santana or George Shearing or Al McKibbon or Herbie Hancock. Don't forget that he was also in the employ of Cal Tjader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris olivarez Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Patato does it for me as does Poncho Sanchez. I'd also would like to put on a good word for Raul Rekow and Francisco Aguabella. Of all the names mentioned there is not a bad one in the bunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noj Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 I like Willie Bobo quite a bit. Bobo (William Correa) is better known for his timbales and drumset playing, he was in Tito Puente's Orchestra at the same time as Mongo, to play bongos, or timbales, whenever Tito played vibes or marimba. Among timbale players, I personally rate Willie Bobo before Tito Puente, other top timbaleros would be Carmelo Garcia, Steve Berrios, Changuito, Humberto Morales, ...... Whoops, thanks for the correction and insight Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainyDay Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 I've always liked Juan Escovedo, Pete's oldest son. I've never seen him play with anyone except his dad, but he is hot. Pete on timbales is just the stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conclave Posted August 30, 2005 Report Share Posted August 30, 2005 I'm a little late getting on the bandwagon, but my favorite conguero is Mongo. I had seen him live many times at the Palladium NYC, from a few feet away, and loved his techneque. His on 2 slap (gulpe seco) was as crisp and dry as it could be. He also was a dynamite bongosero, whose fingers sounded like wooden sticks when he popped the small bongo. As for recently, I just attended a concert at the Planting Fields in Oyster Bay LI, NY and saw the Pancho Sanchez and Nestor Torres bands. Pancho was at his usual tastful peak and he brought the tent down. But the conguero in Nestor's band was exceptionally creative and musical when he took his solo. I went back stage to try to get his name but missed him. I liked him better than Giovani Hildago in terms of completely new riffs and ideas. Anyone know his name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Kat Posted August 30, 2005 Report Share Posted August 30, 2005 Don't listen to Afro-Cuban music often, but I love Mongo's version of Watermelon Man. Ray Baretto was great on those classic albums, but I saw him on tv, and he looked like he was in pain, just soloing over a simple latin rhythm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted August 30, 2005 Report Share Posted August 30, 2005 (edited) OK, I know I'm one for the obscuros, but my vote is for Juma Sultan, Keino Spellar and the left-fielder Robidoo (heard on John Tchicai's Cadentia Nova Danica, Polydor, 1968). All of them are wonderful, and Juma could play a mean bass as well. There's also that cat Raleigh Sahumba that plays with Milford Graves, and he's pretty powerful too - apparently taught Milford a lot of the fundamentals when they were growing up Uptown. Oh yeah, and for trumpet-playing congueros, myself and Dizzy Reece aren't bad either! Edited August 30, 2005 by clifford_thornton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted August 30, 2005 Report Share Posted August 30, 2005 Oh yeah, and for trumpet-playing congueros, myself and Dizzy Reece aren't bad either! ← ..... not to mention Jerry Gonzales and Dizzy Gillespie ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted August 30, 2005 Report Share Posted August 30, 2005 There's also that cat Raleigh Sahumba that plays with Milford Graves, and he's pretty powerful too - apparently taught Milford a lot of the fundamentals when they were growing up Uptown. ← Wasn't that Milford Graves playing timbales on some early 1960's Prestige record by Montego Joe? He and Andrew Cyrille really know their Latin stuff, both are very heavy cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted August 30, 2005 Report Share Posted August 30, 2005 I thought Dennis Gonzalez was the trumpeter of the three Gonzalez brothers... Yeah, Milford was with Montego Joe, though I've never bought those records. From Montego to ESP in what, a year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheldonm Posted August 30, 2005 Report Share Posted August 30, 2005 I thought Dennis Gonzalez was the trumpeter of the three Gonzalez brothers... Yeah, Milford was with Montego Joe, though I've never bought those records. From Montego to ESP in what, a year? ← ...it's Jerry Gonzales! (Trumpet/Congas) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted August 30, 2005 Report Share Posted August 30, 2005 Chano Pozo for his work with Diz! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted August 31, 2005 Report Share Posted August 31, 2005 I thought Dennis Gonzalez was the trumpeter of the three Gonzalez brothers... Yeah, Milford was with Montego Joe, though I've never bought those records. From Montego to ESP in what, a year? ← ...it's Jerry Gonzales! (Trumpet/Congas) ← Wait, isn't everybody with the last name Gonzalez related? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 Where's the love for Big Black? ← Only heard him on Night of the Cookers. He was the only good part of that monstrosity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elissa Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 Looking for names of the original Orquestra Aragon percussionists I found this piece on Cuban Music by Harvey Pekar. Can that be any other than he of American Splendor? I've loved seeing Patato for sheer soul and that old school Cuba vibe; Hidalgo, for his fireworks; and the resolutely avant garde Jerry Gonzalez, whose been living in Spain of late and playing Flamenco... And though a trap drummer, Negro plays quite a mean conga too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 Looking for names of the original Orquestra Aragon percussionists I found this piece on Cuban Music by Harvey Pekar. Can that be any other than he of American Splendor? Haven't read all of it, but this is wrong, methinks: In 1953, jazz pianist George Shearing formed a band with a great Latin percussion section featuring Willie Bobo on timbales, Mongo Santamaria on congas, and bongo player Armando Perazza, along with Swedish-American vibrophonist Cal Tjader. The band was quite popular, although it often used excessively refined cocktail lounge-type arrangements, and can be heard on Shearing's Latin Escapade (Capitol). Willie Bobo never played with Shearing, to my knowledge, Bill Clark was the drummer Cal Tjader was in Shearing's band. Al Mc Kibbon was on bass, and was in Tjader's band when Mongo and Bobo joined. Shearing was recording for MGM at the time, and the liner credits are a mess. But AFAIK they never mention Bobo. Those Capitol LPs are not that bad, after all, there is a reasonably priced two-CD reissue by British EMI - no credits on them - I could type up the personnel if anybody's insterested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conclave Posted September 3, 2005 Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 Willie Bobo did play timbales with Shearing on cuts "Strange","Cuban fantasy" and "Out of this world" with Armando on congas.The album "The Shearing Spell" gives the credits. I'm pretty sure Willie was never a permanent member of Shearing's touring group and neither was Mongo. I've never seen credits for Mongo or heard his style on any of Shearing's recordings. I've heard all of Shearing's Latin albums and individual latin cuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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