At some point in their careers, many straight-ahead jazz musicians flirt with the integration of Latin rhythms into their repertoire - an act that means different things for each artist. This new direction provides some artists an opportunity to experiment with authentic Caribbean or South American rhythms and pull new sources of inspiration into their playing. Jazz artists might make a one-time Latin endeavor that serves as a checkpoint along their career, and other times, the experience may be the spark that sends them into a longer exploration of the mixture between African American jazz and Latin styles. Some musicians view Latin rhythms as a color or a texture and it doesn’t necessarily need to authentically reference Afro-Cuban or Brazilian culture. For these artists, Caribbean or South American rhythms act as compositional tools that change the rhythm section and add different textural effects. Regardless of the aesthetics behind the integration of Latin rhythms, straight ahead jazz artists face a new world when they utilize these structures, and they inevitably need help.

Creating a successful Latin excursion requires more than simple advice though, straight ahead jazz artists need some essential components in their ensemble. At the core of the project, they need a drummer or percussionist with a working knowledge of Latin traditions. While most drummers can simulate a “Latin effect” with a generic straight eighth note pattern, only a drummer with a true connection to Caribbean or South American music can give the music the weight of traditional rhythms. In addition, the straight-ahead jazz artist needs a musician with the knowledge to structure the whole ensemble. They need someone to help piano, bass, and wind players align with the rhythmic figures, creating a connection between the drums and the rest of the ensemble. These tasks require a special musician with an intricate knowledge of the style and the ability to make strong connections across genres.

Willie Bobo was the perfect candidate for these jobs, and as a result, he worked as a session musician on many straight-ahead jazz albums. Bobo brought his experience with Afro-Cuban rhythms into the studio, along with a working knowledge of Brazilian styles. He could play swing along with the finest jazz rhythm sections, and easily moved between percussion and drum kit. The most important asset that Bobo brought into the studio though was a keen ear and an insightful musicianship that allowed him to support musicians fully. Although he brought a diverse array of technical skills into his performance, he only applied elements that benefited the song. He made wise musical choices - jazz artists knew that when Bobo came into the mix, he would play something that would make their tracks shine. Bobo also played with the refined sensibilities of a jazz artist; he had the ability to improvise and interact with soloists. If the song called for a drum solo, Bobo could rise to the occasion and bring down the house. If he was in the background, he knew how to comment upon a soloist’s idea to help push their statement to the next level. Bobo’s priority always focused upon making the best recording possible for the artist, a fact that made him a desired sideman.

Yesterday we looked at five examples of Bobo playing Latin Jazz percussion, but today I’ve gathered four albums from straight-ahead jazz artists featuring Bobo. Musicians called upon Bobo for a variety of different reasons, capturing his skills as a percussionist and a drum kit player in several styles. These four albums find Bobo working as a drum kit player, providing the backbone to Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and swing albums. This is far from a comprehensive list – Bobo played percussion on many different albums from straight-ahead jazz artists, ranging from the Miles Davis and Gil Evan collaboration Quiet Nights to Sarah Vaughan’s Viva! Vaughan. Yet each one of these four albums places Bobo in a prominent position behind the drum kit, shaping the whole music. This collection shows a different side of Bobo that most people don’t consider when thinking of his legacy. His drum kit playing showed just as most potential and musical talent as his percussion work, so check it out – you’ll enjoy what you find.

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The Latin Bit, Grant Green (1962)
Building upon a string of strong recordings for Blue Note, The Latin Bit was a step towards the legendary status accorded to Green today. Fusing a fluid sense of bebop phrasing with a soulful connection to rhythm and blues, Green’s work would lean towards a boogaloo sound many times; this album was a conscious attempt to capture a more authentic Latin feel. He certainly hired the right band to make an authentic album, with Bobo on drum kit and Carlos “Patato” Valdes on congas, but his dedication to Latin styles wavers consistently with regular dips into bluesy swing. Bobo’s ability to support the project on every level shines through this recording strongly as he moves between swing, shuffle, mambo, and more without missing a beat. Bobo’s own sense of funky soulfulness compliments Green’s playing in a very real way, being supportive without overwhelming the guitarist’s defined sound. Bobo and Valdes provide a driving son montuno behind Green’s melody on “Mambo Inn,” before exploding into an up-tempo swing for a beautifully executed bebop guitar solo and bluesy piano work from Johnny Acea. Green coyly slides through the minor intrigue of the melody on “Tico Tico” over a cha cha cha from the drummers, wrapping assertive rhythmic lines over the solo cycle’s laid back swing. After sailing through a Latin feel on the melody to Charlie Parker’s “My Little Suede Shoes,” both Green and Acea deliver tasty solos before taking turns trading ideas with Bobo and Valdes. The slightly up-tempo bolero feel behind the melody on “Besame Mucho” falls into a slow shady swing rhythm for the solos, creating the opportunity for Green to spin his most delicious blues lines. There’s a wealth of smart likeable playing from Green throughout The Latin Bit, that finds the guitarist feeling completely at home in this setting. Bobo’s unobtrusive support and stylistic flexibility enables much of the fluidity and ease that Green experiences, as he drives the recording with solid drum kit work.

Bossa Nova Soul Samba, Ike Quebec (1962)
Tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec never gained the notoriety accorded to his peers like Stan Getz or Coleman Hawkins, but he certainly held comparable skills. He displays his breathy tone and ability to create lyrically beautiful lines in full force on this 1962 release, Bossa Nova Soul Samba. Most likely inspired by the success of Getz and Charlie Byrd’s Jazz Samba recording, Quebec jumps fully into Brazilian mode, filling the recording with gentle bossa novas. This setting suits Quebec perfectly, emphasizing breezy melodies and lyrical shape, anchored by a solidly cool jazz aesthetic. Although Bobo built his early career playing jazz based on Afro-Cuban rhythms, he was not a stranger to the world of Brazilian music. Sitting behind the drum kit on this session, Bobo provides a rock solid bossa nova feel, infused with an interactive jazz aesthetic. Bobo’s authentic feel really serves as the rock behind this recording as Quebec steps outside the easy repertoire choices and relies upon original material and interpretations of classical themes. Quebec’s “Blue Samba” struts ahead with a relaxed combination of swing and Brazilian sounds, allowing the band to slide classic bluesy phrases into the mix. Bobo creates a lively samba groove on “Goin’ Home” as Quebec combines jazz ideas with the theme from Antonin Dvorak’s Surprise Symphony, resulting in an unusual but strangely appealing mixture. Quebec works through the rhythmic edges of the melody on guitarist Kenny Burrell’s “Loie,” until the two musicians light a cool improvisational fire over Bobo’s steady bossa nova. The rhythm section creates an active propulsion with a combination of sparse vamps and steady bossa groove on “Lloro Tu Despedida,” giving Quebec and Burrell the freedom to wander through understated melodic statements. Quebec takes Brazilian Jazz in a variety of interesting directions on Bossa Nova Soul Samba, stepping outside the genre’s accepted norms; this distinctly different feel works though, largely due to Bobo’s driving authentic performance on drum kit.

Trombone Jazz Samba, Bob Brookmeyer (1962)
Valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer has never been a musician swayed by the popular opinion of the day; his harmonically advanced arrangements have constantly pushed jazz in new directions and his brash tone has rumbled through many cutting-edge projects. Considering this, his decision to record an album filled with bossa nova and samba tunes right on the heels of Getz and Byrd’s wildly popular release seems like an odd decision. There’s a distinctively Brookmeyer edge to the recording though, that approaches the repertoire with a bit of a more rhythmic and rough sound than most of his contemporaries. Bobo fuels the rhythm section with an authentic Brazilian feel once again, providing selfless support behind a wealth of soloists. Unlike the understated feel on the Quebec recording, Bobo and percussionist Carmen Costa are given much more freedom to incorporate traditional percussion sounds and vary the drum patterns. Brookmeyer leaps into a repeated melodic phrase pushed ahead by Bobo’s fantastic samba brush work on “Blues Bossa Nova” leading into some enthusiastic improvisations from Brookmeyer, guitarist Jim Hall, and vibraphonist Gary McFarland. Brookmeyer utilizes the serious “Main Theme From Mutiny On The Bounty” as a simmering bossa nova, and despite the lack of improvisation, the piece works due to the consistent pulse from Bobo and Costa. The drumming team gets several feature spots on “Chara Tua Tristeza,” filling their space between solos from Brookmeyer and Hall with tasteful variation. Brookmeyer’s unwavering sense of humor is in full swing on “Col. Bogey Bossa Nova,” as the classic march finds a new groove over Bobo’s racing samba. Hall provides a reflective solo introduction which bursts into Bobo’s flying pulse on Luiz Bonfa’s “Samba De Orfeo,” setting the stage for inspired statements from McFarland, Hall, and Brookmeyer. Although he sits in a supporting role for the majority of the recording, Bobo delivers top-notch feel and excitement to Trombone Jazz Samba, which you can hear reflected in Brookmeyer’s playing. Once again, Bobo’s ability to provide creative inspiration, uncompromising stylistic depth, and extreme flexibility fuels an enjoyable and artistically successful session.

Inventions & Dimensions, Herbie Hancock (1964)
This album represents a significant piece of Bobo’s playing on many fronts, and it certainly shows the drummer taking his most serious dive into modern jazz. In the early 1960s, trumpet player Miles Davis was moving through a transition, leading towards his second great quintet. Although his working group looked quite different from the infamous sixties quintet, bassist Ron Carter was in place and in 1963, Herbie Hancock took over the piano chair from Victor Feldman. Drummer Frank Butler held down the group’s drum position, but Davis was looking for someone new – rumors have circulated that Bobo was his first choice. With Bobo focusing upon his position as a bandleader at Blue Note, Davis found Tony Williams; still a fan of Bobo’s drum kit work, Davis recommended him for this recording date with Hancock. Although the pianist leans towards a Latin influence on some tracks, this is a modern jazz affair, full of Hancock’s explosive improvisatory approach. Bobo maintains a furious up-tempo swing on “A Jump Ahead,” interjecting angular accents against Hancock’s assertive improvisations. Creative brush work from Bobo outlines a 6/8 rhythm while Osvaldo “Chihuahua” Martinez plays a more traditional chekere pattern on “Succotash,” inspiring some engaging rhythmic work from Hancock. The pianist explores sparse rhythmic ideas while Bobo races through a quick swing influenced son montuno on “Jack Rabbit,” leading into a dynamically structured timbale solo from Bobo. There’s a laid back ease as Bobo locks into bassist Paul Chambers’ walking line underneath Hancock’s smart solo on “Triangle,” until the band explodes into a sharp 6/8 pattern, pushing Hancock into an attention grabbing enthusiasm. Hancock provides a thoughtful rubato introduction on “Mimosa,” before Bobo and Martinez fall into an Afro rhythm beneath the pianist’s lush melodies. Bobo headed down a different path after this recording, following a more commercial direction, but Inventions & Dimensions presents a good picture of his massive potential as a creative voice in modern jazz.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Sitting Between Jazz And Latin Culture: Celebrating Juan Tizol
Revisiting Latin Jazz Classics: Cal Tjader’s Latin Concert
8 Tito Puente Albums To Kickstart Your Latin Jazz Record Collection
Latin Jazz Conversations: Poncho Sanchez (Part 4)

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