Congas in a swing jazz 'big band'?

[Berimbau]

Dear David & Johnny,
Oddly enough invoking Bill Summers brings our thread full circle as he is currently living in NOLA and playing LOTS of Jazz gigs with Crescent City trumpet man Irvin Mayfield. Bill is a very CREATIVE and well informed percussionist who is a sort of living Rosetta stone of African and Diasporan music. Haitian Rara, second line funk, Malian djembe grooves, rumba colombia, Brasilian samba, Bill has it ALL together. When Theresa and I can get away It's always a pleasure to go into town to watch Bill work his special brand of magic.
Shout out to J.C. - I met that very talented conguero with WAR when we did the Memphis In May gig this year - God only knows what I did with his @#$%^ business card but he would love to hear from you.....I'll keep lookin'.......

Saludos,


Berimbau

[JohnnyConga]

Berimbau ...what is the conga players name with WAR??...."JC" Johnny Conga....

[captainquinto]

Hey JC!

I'm pretty sure it was originally Ronnie Hammon and then later
was added Sal Rodriguez.

p.s. Best of luck on your video and I'll be on the list to get one !!

[davidpenalosa]

Hey Berimbau,

I too have long appreciated Bill Summer's work. Seeing him play live with Herbie Hancock back in the early 70's was one of the pivotal experiences that lead me to playing percussion. In the later 70's I used to catch his "Summers' Heat" in the SF Bay Area as often as I could. That band optimized my musical ideals at the time.

Bill explored the rich variety of percussion available in the Bay Area during that period: bata with Markus Gordon, Ewe drums with C.K. Ladzekpo, samba with Jose Lorenzo, djembe with Zak Diof, as well as an abundance of jazz, funk, salsa and "street" rumba. His "Drum Suite" featured several of these drums systems. I'm sure I'm just one of many percussionists who followed a similar path, seeking out those drum masters. Summers was the one who brought those influences to the wider world though. He led the way.

-David