The New Eddie Palmieri Crew - Show in Seattle

[Ivan]

What's up Conga brothers and sisters... It's been a while since I've dropped a line in here. I hope all of you are doing well.

Eddie Palmieri is in Seattle thru Sunday 8/28 and last night I had to go check'em out. The musician line was surely an all-star performance.

Horacio El Negro on Kit
Giovanni Hidalgo on Congas
John Benitez on Bass
Conrad on Trombone

I can't remember the others that were playing Sax and Trumpet

FARK! (as abakua would say) it was a great show!!!! As usual when I saw Gio play I was torn with inspiration and discouragement at the same time... As soon as I got home I was practicing again... :p

After Paoli, Gio, Anga and others pass I wonder who will be able to fill these tremendous shoes!?!?

I always think of what you elders saw in your time during the 40's, 50's and 60's... I mean you all were able to see greats like Mongo, Patato, Candido, Ray Barretto and many, many others in their prime. Did you ever wonder... "who's next" or who could possible take the torch and run with it?

I guess this is the part where I feel inspired to learn from my elders, but at the sametime I get all anxious and wanna get good over night! :laugh:

Anyway, I am just thinking out loud here, but I wanted to share that this show was great and I assume this is his touring band for now... Joe Santiago was in the croud but he didn't play at this gig...

Take care everyone!
Ivan

[ABAKUA]

Fark :p


Sounds great! Im envious. (in a good way!)

PS

Yeh been ages since I seen you on here. Welcome back.

PS, found some info for you re the SP.



Edited By ABAKUA on 1124984536

[tamboricua]

After Paoli, Gio, Anga and others pass I wonder who will be able to fill these tremendous shoes!?!?

Ivan

Hi Ivan,

Trust me, the future generation of tumbadores and percussionists in general is already in development. Recently, I got the opportunity to witness performing in Puerto Rico a young kid that goes by "Raphet". This guy was tearing the house down next to big leaguers like: David "La Mole", Jimmie Morales, Celsito Clemente, etc. The scary thing is that he is only 17. Also in Puerto Rico, I'm aware of the talents of timbaleros Manolito Rodríguez who is playing with La Sonora Ponceña, and Marcos López with N'Klave. If you get the chance check out the DVD "Fiesta de Tambores" to witness "Los Ibedji's Jr.", tearing it up down a very mean guaguancó, batá, and columbia, and singing at the same time. I'm sure there are more.

Saludos,

Jorge Ginorio



Edited By tamboricua on 1125031754

[tfunk]

Also a conguero/ composer named Samuel Torres. I saw him at Stalla in NYC about a month ago with his band. Killer latin jazz, and Samuel was playing 6 congas + djembe. I think he is advancing the the game with his "melodic playing". You could see he had all of the skills, but he was reaching for new ways to use the congas. Although I think he may be around 30ish, I think that count for a new monster player. He was also a very nice guy!

tfunk

[tamboricua]

Also a conguero/ composer named Samuel Torres.

tfunk

Indeed!

Saludos,

Jorge Ginorio

[Ivan]

PS, found some info for you re the SP.

Abakua, remind me; what SP is...? ???

Thanks bro.

[Raymond]

In regards to "fill the shoes", here in PR, the "virtuoso" like Giovanni and Paoli have brought some bad trends regarding the kids...Yes, there are some good ones but like some of the top percussionists in PR were mentioning to me, and will keep them in the anonymous, these kids cannot play in an assemble.....They are always trying to impress and who does ala Giovanni....Parents have something to do with them.....(These happened and I saw this at an LP gathering here in PR....these kids were getting in all the instruments they could get and tried to impress).

Some of the kids mentioned by tamborboricua I've seen them and they are impressive....Manolito Rodriguez is perhaps the best timbalero and the most showcased....the best thing that could have happened to him was getting to play with Papo Lucca and La Sonora Poncena....has showed him how to play in assemble and only show chops when necessary...(You have seen him when he was younger, 15 and 17, with his own group....There was no "silence" in the arrangement that he did not try to fill or an opportunity for a solo he will not go for it....

Marcos is another good percussionist and I could named people like Raulito Rosario and Marcos Piccoreli that are with Grupo NG that are also great...but these guys have been coached by some of the greats here and are playing like it should be....The new generation, that is much younger, needs to quit the Giovanni syndrome....Giovanni is the first one to tell you that playing in assemble is most important...

Saludos!

[Ivan]

The new generation, that is much younger, needs to quit the Giovanni syndrome....Giovanni is the first one to tell you that playing in assemble is most important...

Saludos!

I should have made myself a little more clearer... I am not only impressed with Gio or Paoli's maching gun rolls and fills... JC asked me "what was one thing you learned from watching Gio the other night?" I told him; I learned to be graceful when playing. They played a straight up jazz tunes. Horacio was using brushes for this tune and GIO instead of playing typico swing tumbao he was imitating the sound of the brushes on the snare and applying it to the congas. Nothing out of the ordinary, but it was the fact that contributed to song in a soft yet subtle way.

Anytime I see/watch percussionists; it is not the rolls or flams I am watching for; I mean don't get me wrong precision rolls is very impressive, but I am more intrigued by what a percussionist does with the small pockets in "non-latin" music.

Tamboricua: I agree with you; after GIO and Paoli made it big everyone wants to be about showing off, but if they only knew that cats like Gio and Paoli showing off is not their thing. I appreciate how humble and talented both of them are.

I am always humbled when I see a great player no matter who it is... It makes me want to be better at what I do. I think that's important especially in the music profession.

Constant growth is a beautiful and gifted thing most of us musicians have.

Thank you for your thoughts.



Edited By Ivan on 1125084737

[Raymond]

Ivan,

Your thoughts were clear! I just took the opportunity, after tamborboricua's comments, about one of the things that is going on right now here in PR with young kids coming up! It was just an observation and again a bad trend that was not common in the past!

Definitively, watchin Mr. Giovanni Hidalgo play is a great experience! That is the reason he is what he is!!!!

Saludos!

[smidogg]

I Saw this ensemble last week at Yoshi's in Oakland. I was amazed at how tasty El Negro and Gio were playing. They were so musical in the ensemble. But when it came time for them to bust out....Holy Sheet. The only double strokes or flam rolles I saw Gio do was during his solo, other than that it was a moderately flashy tumbao all night long. It was the pocket that was emphasized and it was incredible.
I have seen Gio in other settings just ripping it up the whole time (almsot to the point where it was annoying), however I have noticed when he plays with the old schoolers ie Eddie P or Changuito, he has always laid back and been very musical, only really stepping out when it was his space.
Just my 2cents.

[tamboricua]

Hi guys,

What they are not getting at least for now is the musicianship aspect, that eventually will come with the passing of the years, "madurez musical". The talent is there. Right now they are just focusing on the percussion aspect, and that's only half of been a "musician" in all the sense of the word. Probably many of them haven't had the opportunity to perform in an ensemble format, under the guidance of a musical director. With some guidance, lots of discipline and dedication I'm sure they can develop into accomplished musicians and into the Gio's, Paoli's, Angá's of the future.


Saludos,

Jorge Ginorio



Edited By tamboricua on 1125152026

[ralph]

thats why Giovanni is respected because while he can easily show off, he doesn't seem to be about that at all, especially when playing with veterans, like with the conga kings, and so forth...
As far as the younger players are concerned there are def some young cats out there,
Camilo Gaetan- Los Plenero de la 21
Lucumi- Pancho Quinto's crew
also theres a whole bunch a young guys in NY playing rumba with the best of them

[JohnnyConga]

Well well well ..saw Eddie Palmieri and the badass band of Giovanni, El Negro, Bryan Lynch(smokin trumpet), Yosvany Terry-alto and Conrad Herwig on trombone and John Benitez on bass.....They were smokin!!....they started with the classic, "Picadillo" and it was up hill from there...Eddie is in great form and plays better than ever, his son Eddie 2, is now managing the band on the road. What can I say except i was able to almost take a trip back in time as i remembered Eddie's band "La Perfecta", though this band was so much different, of course. Gio was himself as always, having fun playing, playing "tasty", and just keeping time..Of course when it was "his time" to express himself,we all held our breath, we new what was coming,and he didn't dissapoint....he started to play clave (slaps) on a quinto in fron of the other 3 drums, then he started to solo with his "right" hand-He's a natural lefty, while playing this clave on quinto and then built it into a rapid fire succession of riffs and rolls. I always learn something watching him with what his hands can do....so small but so powerful....after the show we hung out and just to show you how human he is he was bitchin about a "cut" on his hand that was bothering him,but it never stopped him of course.....we wanted to have more time to hang but he has a busy schedule here, and everybody is vying for his time, including me....if Eddie and this band come to your town check them out...BTW..El Negro didnt take a solo on the first set and I didn't stay for the second, which he told me that he would be taking one then...Negro is very tasty and never got in the way, he is just so "tasty"!....and him and Gio seem psychically connected at times doing the same riffs at the same time, with just a nod of the head...John Benitez reminded me of "Mi compay" Eddie Gua Gua Rivera, a tall and imposing figure on stage, that obviously enjoys playng with Eddie and the rest of the guys,he played his "ass" off, as they ALL did.....I feel inspired today...got 2 gigs and gonna play MY ASS OFF!....peace..."JC" Johnny Conga...

[yoni]

Thanks, Johnny, reading that made me feel like I was there. I didn't know Giovanni was with Palmieri again, and the whole thing sounds like it was great. I'm inspired to try and keep things grooving and tasty.