Six Degrees
2000
The Legend Of Cuban Percussion
About This Album
Carlos "Patato" Valdes is truly a legend of Afro-Cuban music and a master conga player. This CD, one of few for the 70-something percussionist as a leader or co-leader, bubbles or boils under a layer of flute, saxes, vocals, and piano. Fellow master percussionists Orestes Vilato and Changuito help buoy Patato's more delicate shadings, while pianist Rebeca Mauleon-Santana, woodwind player Enrique Fernandez, bassist Joe Santiago, and drummer Walfredo del los Reyes are among the most prominent helpmates. The music is nearly pure Latin-jazz, happy as can be, and brimming with excitement. Of the 12 tracks, two act like Dizzy Gillespie's famous "Manteca," using the up-down bassline and piano/bass extrapolated leads on "Descarga en Faux," while a melodic conga/bass tandem sets up their latter workout and overdubbed flute with baritone sax of Fernandez on "Son de Patato." The group offers "Yo Tengo Ritmo/I Got Rhythm" in hip, bright clave dress with bari/tenor lead, an all flute-led jam on "Luz" has montuno piano, a timbale jumps out for Vilato, Mauelon-Santana quoting "Old Devil Moon" as she builds her solo, and there's a 3/4 chant to 6/8 modification of Horace Silver's "Senor Blues" going Yoruban, with double flutes and a tuneful kora/xalam-tama solo by Abdou M'boup.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9)

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