Some musicians look past the artistic divisions, commercial labels, and historical paths that accompany the modern musical world; instead they see a bigger picture that simply allows them to follow their passions without inhibition. Their work lives and breaths with creativity, integrity, thought, and substance, and most of all, it resonates with a personal voice so strong that they become highly visible among their peers. These musicians are the leaders and role models of their generation, and their influence lives into the future through a multitude of followers. These musicians are valuable assets to the artistic world, true treasures that can’t be replaced once they are gone. Unfortunately, the Latin Jazz world lost another one of these artistic giants when legendary timbalero Manny Oquendo died on Wednesday March 25, 2009.

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José Manuel Oquendo was born in Brooklyn on January 1, 1931, a child of Puerto Rican parents who lived deeply immersed in their culture and music. Local theaters, cultural gathering places, community record stores, and family gatherings provided initial musical exposure. Oquendo listened continuously to local radio stations such as WBNX and WWRL. By the time that he reached his teenage years, Oquendo knew that he wanted a music career as a drummer. He took lessons with local percussion instructor Sam Ulano and soon dived into New York’s Latin music scene. A lively scene and healthy artistic community existed in the mid-1940s, and the young Oquendo watched numerous mentors - from Arsenio Rodriguez and Tito Puente to Noro Morales and Tito Rodriguez, Oquendo learned from the best. He found work in a variety of local bands, bouncing between Sexteto Sanabria, the Carlos Medina Orchestra, the Charlie Valero Band, Luis del Campo, and the Marcelino Guerra Orchestra. These groups served as a training ground, and Oquendo soon rose through the ranks of New York’s bands, finding work with José Curbelo, Pupi Campo, and in the early 1950s, Tito Puente’s group. He continued to freelance throughout the 1950s, becoming a highly desired timbalero for New York’s cream of the crop - throughout the decade he worked with Noro Morales, Miguelito Valdes, Johnny Pacheco, Larry Harlow, Tito Rodriguez, and more.

In 1962, Oquendo found a home as a regular member of pianist Eddie Palmieri’s newly formed conjunto, La Perfecta. At the time, the group struggled to find work as Latin big bands dominated the scene with rhythmic mambos and exciting dance music. Palmieri integrated his jazz influences while maintaining his dance roots; the result was danceable salsa with a pronounced freedom based around improvisation. Oquendo combined his knowledge of traditional styles with Palmieri’s jazz aesthetic and trombonist Barry Rogers’ arranging skills to develop a repertoire that began to attract audiences in a big way. Oquendo found inspiration in the current Cuban rhythm mozambique and convinced Palmieri to integrate it into the band repertoire, which consequently became a huge part of the group’s sound. The group recorded La Perfecta in 1962 and by the time they released Azucar Pa’ Ti (Sugar for You) in 1965, they had garnered an impressively large and loyal following. As the group moved into the later half of the 1960s, they reached an unstoppable momentum, releasing Mozambique in 1965, collaborating with Cal Tjader on El Sonido Nuevo in 1966, and producing Molasses in 1967. Palmieri moved away from La Perfecta in the late 1960s, but Oquendo traveled into the 1970s with the pianist. Oquendo recorded Justicia with Palmieri in 1970, as well as Harlem River Drive and Superimposition in 1971. The group included a number of important young musicians on the scene, including bassist Andy Gonzalez, maintaining a fire and intensity in Palmieri’s work. Unfortunately, Palmieri began to neglect his duties as bandleader and the group fell apart during a 1974 tour in Puerto Rico.

After returning from Puerto Rico in 1974, Oquendo and Gonzalez decided to form their own group and began gathering personnel, choosing music, and refining their artistic vision. Oquendo filled the role as bandleader and Gonzalez worked as musical director; other early band members included conguero Jerry Gonzalez, trombonist Barry Rogers, saxophonist Mario Rivera, percussionist Milton Cardona, pianist Oscar Hernández, and vocalist Willie Díaz. The group rehearsed in the basement of Gonzalez’s parent’s house and on October 22, 1974, the group performed their first gig under the name Manny Oquendo Y Libre. The band continued to perform, gaining a following, and their rehearsals in the Gonzalez household expanded. Many more musicians became involved, the musicians experimented freely, and many sessions turned into major descargas. A side project evolved from these sessions, Grupo Folklorico Y Experimental Nuevayorquiño. The band strived to authentically perform Caribbean and South American folklore while indulging their experimental side. They released two highly influential albums, Concepts in Unity and Lo Dice Todo, before the group disbanded. Libre continued though, and this band released their first album in 1976, Con Salsa, Con Ritmo. They performed consistently and released Con Salsa, Con Ritmo, Vol. II in 1978, Lideres de la Salsa in 1979 and Incredible in 1981. A classic album emerged in 1983 that forever cemented the band into legendary status - Ritmo, Sonido, Y Estilo - a gem that included prime Libre repertoire such as “Que Humanidad,” “Estoy Como Nunca,” and an awe-inspiring version of Freddie Hubbard’s “Little Sunflower.” Despite a full performance schedule, the group didn’t record again until the 1993 album Ahora, followed by 1994’s Mejor Que Nunca (Better Than Ever). A string of albums followed this date, including the 1996 recording On the Move! (¡Muevete!) and the 2000 date Los New Yorkinos. Oquendo kept the band playing until recently, slowing but never stopping.

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If a blurry line between Latin Jazz and salsa exists, Manny Oquendo certainly walked that tightrope with grace and ease. His effortless creativity always kept the music exciting and spontaneous while his knowledge of tradition maintained a firm basis in roots. His playing defined a generation of timbale performance, influencing countless musicians in both the salsa and Latin Jazz realms. We’ll dig deeper into Oquendo’s Latin Jazz legacy next week, but for now, let’s remember this fantastic musician with an incredible performance by Libre.

Manny Oquendo Y Libre

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Revisiting Latin Jazz Classics: Concepts In Unity, Grupo Folklorico Y Experimental
Remembering A Legend: Israel “Cachao” Lopez (1918 - 2008)
Orlando Lopez (1933 - 2009): 5 Albums To Help Remember Cachaito
The Time Altering Impact Of Reunions: Grupo Folklorico Y Experimental Nuevayorquino On Video

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