Quite a while ago, I wrote a post entitled 5 Latin Jazz Bass Players That You Must Hear!. This article was meant as a quick introduction to some of the bassists that have defined the style since its initial development. Its been a fairly popular post, being read daily by numerous people. I wanted to return to that idea with a look at the bassists that are currently driving the Latin Jazz scene. These are bassist from many sides of Latin Jazz - Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Peruvian, and Argentinean - that are busy creating new Latin Jazz approaches today. Ive kept the idea of a quick look intact; youll get some background information and some listening recommendations. Take a look at these incredible musicians and youll see that some of the most interesting things happen on the low end of the Latin Jazz world...
Ruben Rodriguez
Ruben Rodriguez was born in New York during the late 60s, eventually moving to Puerto Rico in 1969. He was influenced by his father, a classical guitar player, and attempted to tackle the trumpet. He returned New York in 1974, and he began bass studies in junior high - first on acoustic bass and then electric. Victor Venegas, a veteran of New Yorks Latin scene and regular Mongo Santamaria bassist, became a mentor; he exposed young Rodriguez to professional charts and took him to his gigs. Rodriguez found major inspiration in longtime Tito Puente bassist Bobby Rodriguez; his melodic approach and bebop foundation presented a distinctly different approach than most Latin bassists, and it struck a chord with Rodriguez. This experience paid off, as Rodriguez earned his first major gig in 1979 with Salsa pianist Johnny Colon. His career exploded over the next few years, as he worked with the best Salsa and Latin Jazz musicians, including Willie Colon, Machito, Tito Puente, Dave Valentin, Charlie and Eddie Palmieri, Hilton Ruiz, Johnny Pacheco, Jose Fajardo, and The Fania All Stars. In addition, hes stepped outside the Latin music world on several occasions, supporting a diverse range of artists such as Roberta Flack, Grover Washington, Jr., and Ben E. King. Latin Jazz Corner readers voted Rodriguez as 2007s Latin Jazz Bassist of the Year for his work on Chembo Corniels For The Rest of Your Life. 2008 has been a busy year for Rodriguez - you can find him on a number of high profile projects, and undoubtedly, youll be hearing him for many years.
Ruben Rodriguez
Ruben Rodriguez was born in New York during the late 60s, eventually moving to Puerto Rico in 1969. He was influenced by his father, a classical guitar player, and attempted to tackle the trumpet. He returned New York in 1974, and he began bass studies in junior high - first on acoustic bass and then electric. Victor Venegas, a veteran of New Yorks Latin scene and regular Mongo Santamaria bassist, became a mentor; he exposed young Rodriguez to professional charts and took him to his gigs. Rodriguez found major inspiration in longtime Tito Puente bassist Bobby Rodriguez; his melodic approach and bebop foundation presented a distinctly different approach than most Latin bassists, and it struck a chord with Rodriguez. This experience paid off, as Rodriguez earned his first major gig in 1979 with Salsa pianist Johnny Colon. His career exploded over the next few years, as he worked with the best Salsa and Latin Jazz musicians, including Willie Colon, Machito, Tito Puente, Dave Valentin, Charlie and Eddie Palmieri, Hilton Ruiz, Johnny Pacheco, Jose Fajardo, and The Fania All Stars. In addition, hes stepped outside the Latin music world on several occasions, supporting a diverse range of artists such as Roberta Flack, Grover Washington, Jr., and Ben E. King. Latin Jazz Corner readers voted Rodriguez as 2007s Latin Jazz Bassist of the Year for his work on Chembo Corniels For The Rest of Your Life. 2008 has been a busy year for Rodriguez - you can find him on a number of high profile projects, and undoubtedly, youll be hearing him for many years.
