Conga Players

[cannonball-addict]

Who really makes you dance? Is it their technique? Style? Feel? Use of space? Who made the congas swing when they needed to and trot when the tune called for it. I know this is gonna create a bit of debate.....

[JSngry]

You ever heard Tata Guines?

[cannonball-addict]

Never.

[JSngry]

Cuban cat, never really made it out of there, I think. GREAT player, somehwhat of a legend I think, but maybe outside the parameters of this poll.

also outside of the parameters but essential would be Los Papines.

I've a bit of prejudice towards "the more true to Cuba, the better", so put me down for Chano first.

[Rooster_Ties]

Would have voted for Dizzy Reece, given the chance. Yeah, I know there's not a lot of recordings out there with Reece on congas -- but what there is, really works for me.

[Shrdlu]

I love 'em in Latino settings, but I find they usually just get in the way when they are tossed as an add-on into a regular jazz group, such as the Red Garland Trio. So often, they just play the same figure for the whole track: a thump on two and a dotted eighth and sixteenth double thump on four.

[jazzbo]

I voted for other!

Cuz he KILLS!

[l p]

i believe these are conga players.

don alias

lawrence killian

[jazzbo]

Yes they are.

I like Neil Clarke, Rebop Kwaku Baah, Mtume, and quite a few dozen others!

These guys I think are MUSICAL, I like conga players that are really adding to the music, when it isn't music that is traditionally conga-centric.

Mongo was something else! Perez too!

Edited August 31, 2004 by jazzbo

[king ubu]

You ever heard Tata Guines?

[Spontooneous]

C'mon, people -- where's the love for Hidalgo? The guy can get 30 different sounds out of a single conga, fer cryin' out loud!

[Bright Moments]

candido - the thousand fingered man! B-)

[maren]

What's great is to hear a GROUP! Oh my god -- I heard Milton Cardona, Ray Barreto and Johnny Almendra play live with Tito Puente in a 1998 version of "Top Percussion"!!!!

[Cali]

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.

[king ubu]

Where's the love for Big Black?

[Guest akanalog]

another vote for armonda perazza (spelling?)

he is my favorite.

[Big Wheel]

Or Sabu Martinez (though he also played bongos).

I heard Cardona, Candido, and Patato together last year--great show.

[mikeweil]

I had to vote for Mongo, my great idol!

But there are manz great players - Luis Miranda deserves a mention.

Chano Pozo boosted it, but Mongo perfected it.

[Noj]

I like Willie Bobo quite a bit. His Talkin' Verve compilation and Verve album Juicy have been in my collection for a long time, relatively. "Fried Neckbones & Some Home Fries!"

Cachao Y Su Ritmo Caliente - "Descargas" - another excellent disc recommended by JSngry, contains great Cuban and Mexican rhythms.

[Dr. Rat]

I voted "other" for tata. Another fine one is Anga Diaz, a younger congero who carries on in the Tata tradition.

Good place to hear Tata Guines in a relatively uncluttered setting is his recording with Los Amigos. He's got some good moments on the "Los Heroes" set on Nonesuch, as well as with Cachao.

--eric

[mikeweil]

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, ......

[mikeweil]

The reason I prefer Mongo Santamaria before all other congueros is, he plays many variations on the basic pattern Shrdlu described, the Cuban tumbao, whereas others leave that pattern completely and play some fills rhythmically unrelated to that beat, like they switched between the roles of a supporting drummer and a soloist. Mongo got that from the parlando style of bongo playing - bongoceros do that all the time.

Beyond that, his solo style is incredibly variable, much more than that of all others, who more or lessstick to their personal bag of tricks.

When I'm back home I will post some recommendations.

Luis Miranda, who played in Machito's orchestra for many years, also was a master of that style - he can be appreciated best on one half of Cal Tjader's Black Orchid CD.

[mikeweil]

another vote for armonda perazza (spelling?)

he is my favorite.

It is Armando Peraza.

He is even better as a bongo player - he and Jose Mangual sr. are tops among their generation.

Edited September 5, 2004 by mikeweil

[mikeweil]

C'mon, people -- where's the love for Hidalgo? The guy can get 30 different sounds out of a single conga, fer cryin' out loud!

30 may be a little too much ....... he's great, and very very fast. He raised conga technique to a new level by applying snare drum rudiments to the conga, which is standard practice by now. His friend Richie Flores does it almost as well.

The videos he did for conga students are much fun to look at for everybody, especially the one with Cuban master Changuito.

[cannonball-addict]

I'm so glad I started this discussion. I just wish more people voted so we could get a better sense of any real consensus.

Whenever you put the option "other" you invite lots of other people who you might not have considered when you made the poll in the first place. I had not thought of Richie Flores or Armando Peraza when I made it, although I have albums with both men on them.

As for Willie Bobo, I have the album Juicy and enjoy his playing but his technique on congas is very rudimentary compared to some of these other guys. And I know him mostly as a timbalero

Everyone should check out the movie Calle 54 if they have not already done so. It opened me up to the world of Latin jazz or whatever it is you wanna call it.

mattCalle 54

You need flash to see the website, otherwise look here.

Edited September 3, 2004 by cannonball-addict