Conga Players

[chris olivarez]

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.

[chris olivarez]

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.

[Noj]

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.

[RainyDay]

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.

[Conclave]

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?

[Jazz Kat]

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.

[clifford_thornton]

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

[mikeweil]

Oh yeah, and for trumpet-playing congueros, myself and Dizzy Reece aren't bad either!

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..... not to mention Jerry Gonzales and Dizzy Gillespie .....

[mikeweil]

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.

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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.

[clifford_thornton]

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?

[sheldonm]

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?

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...it's Jerry Gonzales! (Trumpet/Congas)

[RDK]

Chano Pozo for his work with Diz!

[clifford_thornton]

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?

[Brad]

Where's the love for Big Black? 

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Only heard him on Night of the Cookers. He was the only good part of that monstrosity.

[Elissa]

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.

[mikeweil]

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.

[Conclave]

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.