5 Important Recordings Featuring Carlos “Patato” Valdes

With the recent passing of Carlos “Patato” Valdes, it’s important to appreciate the wealth of important recorded work that he left behind. Patato performed in a variety of contexts over his long career, working with every major name in Latin Jazz. At the same time, he built strong relationships with traditional jazz artists, applying his strong musicality to performances outside the traditional Latin world. His melodic approach to the congas brought a new sound to every setting, and regardless of genre, Patato always shined. While his live performances definitely outnumbered his recorded work, he did leave a significant amount of albums worth hearing, studying, and appreciating.

Narrowing Patato’s work into 5 essential albums ignores a large body of work; instead of a complete list, think of this as a place to start. I tried to focus upon Latin Jazz, so I’ve left out the more Salsa oriented work that Patato recorded. He created a few albums under his own name in addition to the one listed here; both Authority and El Hombre should be investigated as well. Patato’s early work with Tito Puente deserves some study as well – both Cuban Carnival and Puente In Percussion remain classics today. His recordings with other jazz artists such as Herbie Mann, Art Blakey, and Kenny Dorham deserve some listening time as well. For the serious Patato fan, there’s plenty more to hear; the new Patato listener should start with these 5 highlights to discover the incredible percussion work of Carlos “Patato” Valdes.

1. Potato & Totico
A classic rumba recording with two percussion masters holding down the foundation. Most tracks stay true to traditional rumba, focusing upon percussion and vocals. Several songs include additional energy from Arsenio Rodriguez on tres and Israel “Cachao” Lopez on bass. This meeting of lengendary Cuban musicians brought a new popularity to rumba in New York and set a precedent for the folkloric descargas that followed.

2. Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1980, The Latin Percussion Jazz Ensemble
This album reunited Patato and Tito Puente, caught in a live set with a band originally formed to promote the LP line of instruments. They play through a number of standards with the help of Alfredo De La Fe on electric violin, Jorge Dalto on piano, and Michael Vinas on bass. The musicians perform with a loose feel and a lively interplay, reveling in a complete jazz descarga. De La Fe’s use of delay, reverb, and distortion lend a modern sound to the band without diving into fusion while Dalto’s energetic presence provides an inspirational edge. The band breaks down to solo percussion often, opening space for creative exchanges between Puente and Patato. From all parties, this album includes enthusiastic playing; a must-have Latin Jazz listeners.

3. The Legend of Percussion, Carlos “Patato” Valdes
This selection cheats a bit, since it actually brings tracks together from Patato’s two Ritmo y Candela recordings from the mid-90s. The musicians on many tracks anchor San Francisco’s lively Latin Jazz scene including pianist Rebeca Mauleón-Santana and flautist John Calloway. Yet the percussion serves as the star of the show with Patato joined on many tracks by timbalero Orestes Vilato and all around percussion wizard Changuito. The arrangements feature many innovative ideas and creative settings; this album certainly serves as a fine feature for Patato.

4. El Arte Del Sabor, The Bebo Valdes Trio
This album brings together three elder statesmen of Afro-Cuban Jazz: Patato on congas, Bebo Valdes on piano, and Israel “Cachao” Lopez on bass. While they are joined on a few tracks by saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera, the three masters prove that experience breeds the most tasteful and powerful music. They tackle a variety of Cuban standards, investigating every corner of the music. Their interpretations reveal an intimate knowledge of the classic repertoire and a close familiarity with each other musically.

5. Jazz Descargas, The Conga Kings
This second album from the powerhouse combination of Patato, Candido Camero, and Giovanni Hidalgo brings a new intensity to several well-worn jazz standards. They enlist the help of a full rhythm section featuring bass, tres, horns, and coro, who play admirably over this ferocious groove. The lack of a piano creates a thin texture, bringing more attention upon the incredible percussion work. The group breathes new life into songs like “Caravan,” “A Night in Tunisia,” and “Manteca” with a percussive intensity created by three master congueros.