Latin Style Bass Cuts

tito0515 · #1 01-31-2009, 11:34 PM

I have an appreciation for the Geddy's, the Jamersons, et. al. But I am looking for some love out there for the Latin style bass fans. I know that I can't be the only one who appreciates the Fania All-Stars, Buena Vista Social Club, Cachao, Bobby Valentin etc. Salsa, Guaguanco, chachacha, samba, bolero, merengue, bachata, boogaloo, latin rock - if it has the flavor, it counts! I want to hear favorite artists and songs. I will start...

Live at the Cheetah, Vol. 1, Descarga Fania All Stars, one of the best and longest bass solos in the style.

NickBass81 · #2 02-01-2009, 06:00 AM

I am a huge latin music fan, especially when it's melted with jazz...
Some of my faves are Tito Puente, Buena Vista Social Club, Tania Maria, Israel "Cachao" etc...in the jazz field I like Dave Valentin, Michel Camilo and also Oskar Cartaya's album "My Music My Friends My Time" is great (plus Oskar is an amazing bassist!)..

Forcemaster · #3 02-01-2009, 06:29 AM

Great thread.

I'm just getting into latin music in general, and am wanting to start messing around with some latin bass playing.

What would you guys consider the ultimate latin record?

NickBass81 · #4 02-01-2009, 02:00 PM

There's a bunch of stuff to listen to...if you want a more modern sound Cartaya's Enclave album I mentioned before is great...for more "classic" sound I'd go for Tito Puente...and for latin jazz Michel Camilo's albums area blast...

DGbass70 · #5 02-01-2009, 02:30 PM

Ruben Blades "LIVE"
Mana
Richie Ray y Bobby Cruz "Los Aguilas"
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Humberto Ramirez "Puerto Rico Latin Jazz Moods"(i think that's the name)
Habana Abierta "Boomerang"
Olga Tañon(any)
Juan Luis Guerra(any)
Aventura or Alexandra y Joshi
El Gran Combo(any)
Los Sabrosos del Merengue
Victor Manuel
Gilberto Santa Rosa
Grupo Niche
Orishas
Marc Anthony
Salvador Santana's Band
Ozomatli
Locos Por Juana
Puya
i hope i cover some of the stuff you were looking for

Andrew Jones · #6 02-01-2009, 02:38 PM

Andy Gonzalez is the Man!

Aj

DWBass · #7 02-01-2009, 05:42 PM

Lincoln Goines
Anthony Jackson is also a very good Latin player.

bongomania · #8 02-01-2009, 06:08 PM

I'm a massive fan of Latin music, most especially old-school Nuyorican and Cuban son, salsa, danzon, changui, and rumba. I have studied and played bongos, cowbell, and clave for the last fifteen years or so. Cachao, Bobby Valentin, and Andy Gonzalez are my favorite bassists. The unfortunate thing is so many old records never credited the musicians, they'd only name the singer. So there's a ton of brilliant bass playing from the '70s where I have no idea who it was.

A great record featuring bass that often gets overlooked when talking about "the greats" is "Ritmo Y Sabor" by Manteca. Some seriously funky grooves on that record. But I don't know who played bass on it.

bass12 · #9 02-01-2009, 08:21 PM

NG La Banda: "El Tragico" and "Papa Chango". Anything off Africando's first few albums. For Brazil - anything with Arthur Maïa on it - be it Djavan, Gilberto Gil, Daúde, etc.

Zombbg4 · #10 02-01-2009, 08:27 PM

I dig latin music though I don't listen to it as much as I could. I saw Eddie Palmieri's group play last year and was blown away. The thing that got me to go was conrad herwig was playing with him, a trombone player like myself. I'm not sure who his bass player was, just a root 5th kinda dude but laid it down solid.

bongomania · #11 02-01-2009, 08:52 PM

"Root 5th octave" is the most common salsa/Latin jazz bass line. Palmieri is a strict taskmaster, so I have no doubt he simply told the bassist to hold down the root and 5th, keep time, and not do anything fancy.

NickBass81 · #12 02-02-2009, 01:50 AM

I forgot about a band called Overproof , it's a trio of smokin' musicians blending latin, rock, funk and jazz, the bassist is the awesome Ruben Rodriguez...also John Patitucci's albums "Mistura Fina" and "Songs Stories And Spirituals" have a lot to do with brazilian music...
I learned some interesting things on a video called "Funkyfing The Clave" by Lincoln Goines and Robby Ameen ,and on a book called "Latin Bass Book" by Oscar Stagnaro...

DGbass70 · #13 02-02-2009, 05:52 AM

Alex Campos.."Acustico"

mambo4 · #14 02-02-2009, 08:27 AM

If its not root-5-8ve then its usually 1-4-5-4...the flavor comes from where the notes fall, beat wise

Poncho Sanchez has not been mentioned...I've seen him twice and he's always delivered.

I was also fortunate enough to catch Tito Puente a few years before he passed...I hope I smile that much when I'm that old...

Cachao, I never had a chance to see, But his Master Sessions I and II plus Cuba Linda are my favorites Latin fixes.

bassist15 · #15 02-02-2009, 02:49 PM

I never saw my favorite latin player mentioned.
The first time I heard Sal Cuevas I was blown away!!!

JimK · #16 02-02-2009, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Jones

Andy Gonzalez is the Man!
Aj

I agree!
Therefore-
Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band is my recommendation.
They excel at both types of music: Latin and Jazz.

Electric stuff?
I agree...Oskar Cartaya is bad; his Latin-tinged tracks with Spyro Gyra are nice.
More...
Lincoln Goines with Dave Valentin.
Jimmy Haslip's Latin-esque stuff with The Yellojackets.

For Latin noobies coming outta a Classic Rock vibe-
Early Santana with Dave Brown (e.g. "Oye Como Va").

Latin noobies outta an old skool R&B vibe-
(Early) Mandrill.

warnergt · #17 02-02-2009, 08:51 PM

Soda Stereo
Does that qualify as Latin? Awesome bass lines.

Entre canibales
Te Hacen Falta Vitaminas
De Música Ligera
El Rito
Hombre Al Agua
Lo Que Sangra (La Cupula)
Té para tres
Por Qué No Puedo Ser Del Jet Set?
Prófugos
Sobredosis de T.V.
Ciudad de la Furia
Amor Descartable
Te Rescatare

bongomania · #18 02-02-2009, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimK

For Latin noobies coming outta a Classic Rock vibe-
Early Santana with Dave Brown (e.g. "Oye Como Va").

One of my favorite stories: Tito Puente wrote and recorded "Oye Como Va", and it was popular on Latin radio stations but didn't fly much further. Santana heard it, and recorded his famous version of it which became a smash hit everywhere. Puente had been playing a long-standing regular gig at a dinner nightclub in NYC, and guests started requesting he play "Oye Como Va". He would always say he didn't know it. Finally the manager asked him to play it, saying the customers really want to hear it, and Puente angrily refused, saying "I don't play no Santana songs!"

Two weeks later, Puente got a royalty check from Santana, and he played the tune whenever asked after that.

jaywa · #19 02-03-2009, 07:12 AM

Latin bass will eat the average rock-and-roll bassist alive. But I love it! It is a whole nother way of thinking and even more, feeling the rhythm.

Reminds me of one time I sat-in with two guitarists and a singer... two of them were from Chile and the other was from Puerto Rico. We rehearsed one time and at the end the singer said, "you've got that Latin feel down pretty good" (for a white guy, though she didn't actually say that part). I lived on that compliment for a couple of weeks.

tito0515 · #20 02-03-2009, 06:37 PM

This has been an education for me! Love it. I always considered myself a fan, but some of you guys got me buried!

As for the non-latino thing, no biggie, in alot of ways Latin music is more than just "Latin Music". Just YouTube any latin music from any time (50's, 60's, 70's, etc.) and you will truly see a panorama of backgrounds in the band. You hit the point, its about the feel (and the love!).