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Posted: **Sun May 23, 2004 10:00 am**

Hi guys!

Who can help me? I am playing tumbadoras a few years now with interest ranging from cuban folklore to salsa and latin jazz.

I was recently asked to integrate a (funky)jazz band, playing their own compositions aswell as some standards like Barry White, Miles or even James Brown.

Mozambique seems to work out nicely on the funky stuff, but what else can I play when it gets into the dephts of jazz???

Can you maybe suggest some recordings? I heard Ray Baretto began with jazz...

Thanks a lot for your help and keep the drums hot

Astoe
:p

Posted: **Sun May 23, 2004 1:23 pm**

Latin Jazz comprehends all latin rhythms, therefore, you must be very knowledgeable and proficient in a lot of "tumbaos" or patterns to accomodate to the rhythm in question.

You could be asked to play guaguanco, son montuno, songo, mozambique, bomba, plena, mambo, rumba, sepia, cha-cha, etc. You must listen to everything and get on everything.

Jazz is a very eclectic type of music. Latin jazz is even more electic because all the latin rhythms involved. Not only I recommend listening to jazz music but get any record on salsa, rumba, etc you can. Recommedation: get any record you can and listen...

Recommendation get records on congueros like Giovanni Hidalgo, Caribbean Jazz Project (that has Richie Flores), Ray Barreto, Mongo Santamaria, Poncho Sanchez, etc. Our own forum member Johnny Conga has some records that could be of help to you. Some recent records that will help you because I am aware the rhythms used are various are those by Ralph Irrizary and Timbalaye, a good one is David Samuels "Tjarized" , Chembo Corniel and Tito de Gracia.

Other recommendations will follow

Saludos!

Posted: **Sun May 23, 2004 7:00 pm**

Hey Raymond,

Thanks a lot for your answer. I'll definitely listen even better to my Poncho & Mongo records.

I have been a good boy studying latin rythms of all kinds, but the problem here is that I am not talking LATIN jazz.
I really do love latin jazz and if it was up to me I would definitely go for that style, but at my place there aren't many people involved in that.

Right now the only source of inspiration I found was the kinds of Dizzy Gillespie and maybe Herbie Hancock...

I really wonder what to play e.g. when it gets into a smooth swing and the drummer plays mostly on his cymbals.
What fits nicely in some situations is to play the "standard" tumbaos with a swing, but well...

Thx for your listening recomendation From tito de Garcia to Timbalaye. Gonna look for it soon as I don't know them.

See Ya! :laugh:

Posted: **Sun May 23, 2004 9:58 pm**

Ray Barretto is on countless straight jazz records from the 1960s as he was Blue Note's house percussionist. His rhythms are very sparse tumbous - 'swung', as the kit drummer swings his rhythms. To my knowledge many congueros play fuller rhythms today if they are in backing the straight ahead style. What I do is just swing any of the innumerable tumbous that people play today. I play on three tumbadores and favour the kind of rhythms Anga demonstrates on his 'Anga Mania' video (I know they are for five drums but you can try and preserve some of the melodies on a smaller set-up). When playing on very rapid jazz tunes the swing feeling is less apparent so guaganco rhythms can be effective. It is important to see what works for the particular tune. If you've got a good kit drummer who works the polyrhythms you might feel that you want to stay very tight; alternatively you can indulge in the 'implied time' and join in the time games with him - that can be really good fun as long as you try and complement and not battle each other.

Simon B

Posted: **Mon May 24, 2004 12:25 pm**

I've got some recordings on which Candido plays with Lionel Hampton and for most of that he plays a standard tumbao but in double time (ie. semiquavers). You've got to keep it pretty loose to preserve a swing feel though.

Posted: **Mon May 24, 2004 6:07 pm**

I recommend The Billy Taylor Trio with Candido ...it is now on CD. The pattern for most straight ahead Jazz is called a "Tumbao Shuffle/Swing". I also utilize that rhythm on the new Bobby Ramirez CD I recorded in Florida called "Pan Con Bistec" I recommend it highly, it has some very great Cuban and Puerto Rican musicians on it, and I play a variety of styles on it....JC JOHNNY CONGA... :;):

Posted: **Tue May 25, 2004 11:40 am**

Excuse me I didn't see that there is some information here about Jazz and congas and I post a new topic.

Posted: **Fri May 28, 2004 5:41 pm**

Hey guys!

Thanks a lot for your replys, I am going to get swinging soon.

Astoe

Posted: **Sat May 29, 2004 5:53 pm**

Hi guys ..there was a band that was around in the 60's. they recorded on the Decca label. The name of the group is called "The Quartet Tres Bien". There "hand drummer" is Percy James and has to be one of the most prolific "jazz congueros" that may have ever been around. He uses 3 congas with bongos between his legs at the same time. Now he is not a "typico" player at all. He even rarely plays any rhythms to speak of, but "embellishes" the music with his own unique style of drumming. If you really want to hear drumming in a Jazz context, by all means try to find their music. They are only on vynil that I know of.....JC JOHNNY CONGA.... :;):

Posted: **Wed Jun 09, 2004 7:18 pm**

Hello,

What's this "Tumbao Shuffle/Swing" that JC mentioned?

Is it just the tumbao but with swung eighth notes?

Edited By Mr. Furley on 1086816035

Posted: **Wed Jun 09, 2004 10:00 pm**

To my knowledge, yes.

Simon B

Posted: **Thu Jun 10, 2004 7:48 am**

you should check out Sun Ra and his arkestra, their not latin jazz but they do have a lot of percussion stuff..like Sun Ra said: like all the Marines are riffelmen, all my band members are pecussionists,(aboutish..cant remember word to word)..also John Coltrane played with percussionists during his later years after 65..(mostly african percussionists, but you can get an idea where to go)...my advice is to play what you feel in the music, and listen to the other musicians...like James Brown said(something like this), if it sounds good...who cares if its right or wrong....

...thats way tooo many quotation things... anyway listen to everything and make your own assumpions on what to play...

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Conga & Jazz - What rythms can a conguero play on jazz?