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E-mail Newsletters - 2006
January '06 | September '06 | December '06 |
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Negro's Musings ....
In the month of April, I was able to participate in a few great recordings....... at the beginning of the month I went to Puerto Rico, first to record with reggaeton girl Shany Duco and then to celebrate Eddie Palmieri's 50 year career anniversary at the Tito Puente Amphitheatre. Four hours flying, shifted me to Boston, to play a concert at the Museum of Fine Arts, with the Fahir Atakoglu Trio featuring Anthony Jackson on bass. Then we played Blues Alley in D.C., where I connected for Toronto, for the recording of Hilario Duran's Big Band recording "From The Heart", with maestro Paquito D' Rivera, as a very special guest. Bozeman, Montana, San Jose, California, and Denver, Colorado, for a quick drum clinic tour, before playing a couple of nights in New York City, again with the Fahir Atakoglu Trio. The last days of April and May 1st saw me at Clinton Studios in NYC, recording Kazumi Watanabe's "Mo Bop III", once again with Richard Bona on bass, and this time around Brazilian percussion great Cyro Baptiste as an invited guest on some tracks.
On May 3rd, the airplane headed to Turkey, for a series of concerts with Fahir and Anthony. We played in Ankara, Antalya, Istanbul, and Izmir. There's nothing like seeing a country with a native as your best friend! Fahir's hospitality was excellent, and the concerts went great. Italuba was waiting for me in Rotterdam. A few months ago, in Zimbabwe, I received a gift that has changed my life. A drummer named John Miles Draze, husband of a prominent California doctor who specializes in AIDS research, and father of two, gave me a precious instrument with the most angelic sound I've ever heard. This instruments name is the mbira, and this one in particular belonged to the late Mr. Ephat Mujuru, who was one of the Zimbabwean percussionists invited to play at the only concert, that the greatest Bob Marley ever performed, in Africa. John was his student, and when he passed on, John kept the mbira. At the concert of ITALUBA in Rotterdam on May 13th, was the first time that I played the mbira live. It's a very hard instrument to mic, and it wasn't until my brothers from Shure sent me a special mic, that I'm now able to amplify the instrument better. It was great to get back with "my" guys. After Rotterdam, The Piazza dei Signori, in Vicenza, Italy, was where we performed as part of the jazz festival (LA BELLA ITALIA!), where I was down because I'd lost one of the mbira keys during the flight from Amsterdam...... from Vicenza, we flew to Napoli, where I landed almost crying for my mbira's lost key ('A BELLA NAPOLI!), only in Napoli; the concert promoter found an iron "craftsman", who took the mbira and came back to me two hours later with the new key (it was the perfect size, but the wrong note, and until I bought another mbira just to replace the key on mine, the problem was not solved, but what an ingenious will. Only 'A Napoli!). Pescara was the last concert before I went to visit my friend, pianist Ramon Valle in Amsterdam, for a few days off. On the 22nd, ITALUBA played a the New Morning in Paris, two days at the Jamboree in Barcelona, a concert in Valencia, the jazz festival in Vic, and two days at Clamores jazz club in Madrid. The night after, was the record release for Nino Josele's "Paz" record, with Marc Johnson on bass. La Palma Jazz Festival was waiting for ITALUBA in Rome, before returning to Barcelona for Nino Josele's second record release party there. I met my guys again in Tenerife, Spain, where I arrived but my suitcase didn't, (but a new shirt is always a reason to be happy!). Most missed item: my sticks! Thank God that my bag followed me to Dusseldorf, Germany at the Jazz Festival, and the day after we trained it to Nijmegen, Holland, where the last concert of our spring tour happened. My friend Ramon Valle, was a special guest of the concert, and we played a lovely duet of piano and mbira, plus a couple of trio tunes.
OK for now, hopefully you'll enjoy this read, and remember, we only covered two months! But I promise you, I will catch up soon!
All my best,
Love,
eL NEgRO
The DrumsOnTheWeb site...
NEW! Neil Peart Trivia Contest ... Your chance to w*n a 2'x3' limited edition poster signed by Neil Peart from Hudson Music!
Music, Videos, Music!!! Great music from your favorite drummers and percussionists...
There's LOTS of fun stuff going on!
Upcoming Shows, Festivals & Clinics!
Artist News & Updates!
NEW photos in the photo gallery!
Updated On-going Drum Circles...
Your Drum Music!
NEW photos in Your Drums Photo Gallery!
Manufacturer's & Industry News Area updates...
Updated Links!
The On-line Drum Shop has been moved to
http://www.AtlantaProPercussion.com...
"the bricks behind the clicks!"
Note... DrumsOnTheWeb.com is Artist-Friendly!!! All music on this site is here with complete knowledge and input from the artist.
Surf around... listen to a few great tunes... and have fun!
Be sure to check out the DrumsOnTheWeb.com VIP websites...
www.WalfredoReyesJr.com - Wally's Learning Center, new photos, updated itinerary and more!
www.ElNegro.com - all the info on my new book "Conversations In Clave", my video "Live At The Modern Drummer Festival 2000", and my cds and video with Giovanni Hidalgo "Traveling Through Time" & with Robby Ameen "El Negro and Robby at the Third World War" & Italuba!
www.TomTeasley.com - updated itinerary, current news, and more!
New cd coming very soon!
www.FunkyDrummer.com - Jim Payne's site... NYC teaching studio open! music downloads, interviews, books for sale and more! (new Tito Puente book!) New cd Energy!
www.LeonMobley.com - Photo gallery, itinerary, and more!
www.FreeAssociationRecords.com - Dave Abbruzzese's site!
www.JohnJRRobinson.com - NEW! cd Funkshui
John JR Robinson's site with photos, sound clips and more!
www.FaustoCuevas.com DRUMMIES! 2006 Percussion Rising Star...
www.MichaelFoxDrums.com - drummer with Floyd Lee & MF2...
itinerary, photos & more!
www.Creatchy.com - keyboardist David Garfield!
Itinerary, Current News, Carlos Vega Memorial Birthday Concert info, Jeff Porcaro Tribute, CD shop, and more...
www.DianeLotny.com - soulful... an amazing singer... ya gotta check her out!
www.OdedLevy.com incredible photographer!
www.JauqoIII-X.com incredible bass player and innovator - The SubContra Bass and The Low C# Sharp Theory
www.DonPeakeMusic.com guitarist, arranger, composer, Academy Award... need I say more?
www.ArtisticHeartProductions.com Watts Prophet Otis O'Solomon's site of poetry and more!
Volume 10 Issue 12 December 2006
©All Rights Reserved
Negro's Musings ....
A serious lack of time has made me absent from the monthly newsletter. In other words, I have been in more than 25 countries in what is looking like the most traveled year of my entire life! In January, after recording a documentary for PBS with Marc Ribot and doing a home recording for Mike Sterlacci, I escaped from snow, flying to Barbados to play with the Cuban All-Stars featuring Giovanni Hidalgo and young, rising, alto-sax star Miguel Zenon.
Sunny L.A. was once again the host of the NAMM show, a place where we not only get in touch with the new advances of our industry, but where we also have the chance to spend some time with many of our friends and colleagues. At the Fine Arts Theatre in Puerto Rico, a celebration was held for the fiftieth anniversary of Eddie Palmieri's career, and simultaneously, I was preparing for a lifetime dream to come to light.
The young Reunion Island phenom Meddy Gerville offered me a tour, along with bass-ace Dominique DiPiazza (John McLaughlin, Bireli Lagrene, etc.) and guitarist Jean-Marie Ecay (Bill Cobham Band) along the entire east coast of Africa. It was a trip that I don't have enough pages to describe! From the warmth of the African people, to the beauty of the landscape, to the sounds of the musics of every different country, it was all breathtaking...... We started the tour from the "pearl" of east Africa, Meddy's beautiful Reunion Island, and then travelled into Madagascar, Uganda, Djibouti, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland, and South Africa, all going through Tanzania and Kenya, where I got the news in the middle of February, that we were a Grammy winner again for Eddie Palmieri's "Listen Here" recording.
An opportunity to reunite with old friends lead me to Madrid in March, where along with piano-player Caramello, and Paco DeLucia's bass player Alain Perez, we performed at Clamores Jazz Club for four nights while recording "live". A rehearsal in Paris with Mario Canonge and Etienne M'Bappe was the bridge for returning to Africa. In Mauritius, South Africa, and Mozambique, this time around, I'm happy to say, I now have friends! As you can see my friends, these were only the first three months of the year, but right now, I have to get out of the bathtub and run to the airport to fly to Asia. I promise I'll catch up with you again soon. You're always in my thoughts.
P.S. 2006 to be continued........
Love,
eL NEgRO
The DrumsOnTheWeb site...
NEW! Neil Peart Trivia Contest ... Your chance to w*n a 2'x3' limited edition poster signed by Neil Peart from Hudson Music!
Music, Videos, Music!!! Great music from your favorite drummers and percussionists...
There's LOTS of fun stuff going on!
Upcoming Shows, Festivals & Clinics!
Artist News & Updates!
NEW photos in the photo gallery!
Updated On-going Drum Circles...
Your Drum Music!
NEW photos in Your Drums Photo Gallery!
Manufacturer's & Industry News Area updates...
Updated Links!
The On-line Drum Shop has been moved to
http://www.AtlantaProPercussion.com...
"the bricks behind the clicks!"
Note... DrumsOnTheWeb.com is Artist-Friendly!!! All music on this site is here with complete knowledge and input from the artist.
Surf around... listen to a few great tunes... and have fun!
Be sure to check out the DrumsOnTheWeb.com VIP websites...
www.WalfredoReyesJr.com - Wally's Learning Center, new photos, updated itinerary and more!
www.ElNegro.com - all the info on my new book "Conversations In
Clave", my video "Live At The Modern Drummer Festival 2000", and my cds and video with Giovanni Hidalgo "Traveling Through Time" & with Robby Ameen "El Negro and Robby at the Third World War" & Italuba!
www.TomTeasley.com - updated itinerary, current news, and more! New cd coming very soon!
www.FunkyDrummer.com - Jim Payne's site... NYC teaching studio open! music downloads, interviews, books for sale and more! (new Tito Puente book!) New cd Energy!
www.LeonMobley.com - Photo gallery, itinerary, and more!
www.FreeAssociationRecords.com - Dave Abbruzzese's site!
www.JohnJRRobinson.com - NEW! cd Funkshui
John JR Robinson's site with photos, sound clips and more!
www.FaustoCuevas.com DRUMMIES! 2006 Percussion Rising Star...
www.MichaelFoxDrums.com - drummer with Floyd Lee & MF2...
itinerary, photos & more!
www.Creatchy.com - keyboardist David Garfield!
Itinerary, Current News, Carlos Vega Memorial Birthday Concert info, Jeff Porcaro Tribute, CD shop, and more...
www.DianeLotny.com - soulful... an amazing singer... ya gotta check her out!
www.OdedLevy.com incredible photographer!
www.JauqoIII-X.com incredible bass player and innovator -
The SubContra Bass and The Low C# Sharp Theory
www.DonPeakeMusic.com guitarist, arranger, composer, Academy Award... need I say more?
www.ArtisticHeartProductions.com Watts Prophet Otis O'Solomon's site of poetry and more!
Volume 10 Issue 9 September 2006
©All Rights Reserved
Negro's Musings ....
Very lovely to begin this letter by wishing you all a very Happy New Year.
'05 was such a wonderful year!
ITALUBA grew a little bit more from what was our last tour of 2005. We started on October 26, playing at Busto Arsizio Jazz Festival near Milano, Italy. Then we went to the beautiful town of Marostica (the town where they do a Medieval chess game in the main square using "real people" in gorgeous costumes as the chess pieces!) to play at Panic Jazz Club. It was onward then to my old "home" (Rome) to play at the unbelievable Casa del Jazz (this is an incredible new organization with an amazing facility that includes a great concert hall, library, restaurant, discoteque, and even beautiful gardens. The "Garden of Jazz" they call it... On October 29th we played at the very round Ferrara Jazz Club.
After Italy, it was on to "boot camp" in Paris. A fourth-floor room with a very narrow stairwell and of course no elevator, plus three-sets-a-night made our debut appearance in Paris at the famous Sunset Jazz Club, a very "romantic" experience indeed! From Paris we flew on to Amsterdam where I had a deja-vu. Twenty years ago (and I am not that old!) one of my first international concerts with Cuban piano player Gonzalo Rubalcaba took place in the same room where I was now about to perform for the first time with ITALUBA. I had always had amazing memories of the audience from the past, and I knew it was going to be the same this time around. AND IT WAS. Thanks Amsterdam, you guys are the best. By the way, my friend Richie Flores jammed with us on the last tune for a "high impact" ending. We continued our tour of Holland in Mastricht at the Theatre aan het Vrijthof and then I went to play a party with some of the best European DJ's in Maaseik, before returning to Porgy and Bess Jazz Club in Terneuzen (I remembered that the last time I was there was to play with The David Sanchez Quintet). Terneuzen has the best ribs ever! I took a three day "European Vacation" after that in Amsterdam with my dear friend and great piano player Ramon Valle just "thinking about the future".
Our home in Madrid (Calle 54) was just waiting to surprise me once again by continuing to host very important events in my life. This is the first time that I "felt" the "freedom" of traveling with my friends and family. Some of my best friends from Puerto Rico came to visit me in Madrid as well as my cousin who traveled over from Miami. My brother also lives there, and so it's always an important stop for me. But of course, all of this can be a bit crazy when you're so busy! In five days, I played a concert with ITALUBA, a concert with El Nino Josele for The Madrid International Jazz Festival (a great flamenco guitar player who just recorded an unbelievable work with the music of jazz legend pianist Bill Evans) and bass great Mark Johnson, who by the way, played for many years with Bill Evans himself. A jam session at Cardamomo Club with my friend Alain Perez (bass player with Paco DeLucia and Isaac Delgado), plus I was in the studio for two days with producer Javier Limon for some upcoming projects...
El Cafe Latino in Orense (Galician region of Spain) brought down the house, as well as The Circulo de las Artistes in Lugo. It was an amazing tour, the band is having more fun every day... Our hearts are with all the guys that are working to make it possible.
So dear friends, I started my letter wishing you a Happy New Year as well as finishing it by wishing you a very Happy New Year!!!!!
Love,
eL NEgRO
The DrumsOnTheWeb site...
NEW! Tommy Igoe Trivia Contest ... Your chance to w*n the new "Musical Drumming In Different Styles" dvd from Hudson Music!
Music, Videos, Music!!! Great music from your favorite drummers and percussionists...
DrumsOnTheWeb.com and Tower Music has partnered to bring you even more music in the CD Store!
There's LOTS of fun stuff going on!
Upcoming Shows, Festivals & Clinics! Frank Bellucci, Joel Rosenblatt, Chris Parker, Travis Barker, Adrian Young, Pat Petrillo, Daniel de los Reyes, Ron Powell...
Myrtle Beach Drum Circle, KOTR New Year's Day Drum Circle, West African New Year Celebration & Drum Classes w/ Ayo Adeyemi, Nigerian Rhythms Class w/ Ayo Adeyemi, Drum of the Spirit w/ Edwina Lee Tyler, Fore-Fote International School Of Drum & Dance Guinea Workshop 2006 w/ M. Lamine Dibo Camara, International Association of Jazz Educators Conference (IAJE), African Drum and Dance Classes w/ Ayo Adeyemi, African Drum Classes w/ Tori Morrill, Tom Toyama: Solo Jazz Vibraphone Mastery Clinic, John Santos: The History of the Tumbadora, John Santos: Latin Pro Jam, Drum Your Souls Free w/ Afia Walking Tree, Experience West Africa w/ M'Bemba Bangoura, Drum Circle Facilitator Training, Guitar Center DrumOff, Authentic Yoruba Iwosan Ritual w/ Ayo Adeyemi, African Drumming Workshop w/ Annegret Baier, Tabla Workshop w/ David Scott, African Drums for Fun w/ Ayo Adeyemi, The Living Legends 2006 w/ Eugenio Totico Arango, Afro-Fun Drum Jam w/ Ayo Adeyemi, Focus On Africa Festival, Children's Drum Circle, Sacred Drumming 101 w/ Marla Leigh, Drumming in the Feminine Workshop w/ Marla Leigh, Rhythms Of The Earth DanceDrum Circle, Hand Drumming & Drum Circle w/ Amy Vaughn, Frame Drumming Retreat w/ Shirsten Lundblad, Drum Clinic w/ Daniel de los Reyes & Ron Powell...
Artist News & Updates! Taku Hirano, Sean O'Rourke, Daniel de los Reyes, Rick Latham, Tom Teasley, Terry Silverlight, Rikki Rockett, Bobby Sanabria, Frank Colon, Ronald E. Kulow, Mike Botts, Jim Greiner, Mark Craney
NEW photos in the photo gallery!
Updated On-going Drum Circles...
Your Drum Music!
NEW photos in Your Drums Photo Gallery!
Manufacturer's & Industry News Area updates...
Updated Links!
The On-line Drum Shop has been moved to
http://www.AtlantaProPercussion.com...
"the bricks behind the clicks!"
Note... DrumsOnTheWeb.com is Artist-Friendly!!! All music on this site is here with complete knowledge and input from the artist.
Surf around... listen to a few great tunes... and have fun!
Be sure to check out the DrumsOnTheWeb.com VIP websites...
www.WalfredoReyesJr.com - Wally's Learning Center, new photos, updated itinerary and more!
www.ElNegro.com - all the info on my new book "Conversations In Clave", my video "Live At The Modern Drummer Festival 2000", and my cds and video with Giovanni Hidalgo "Traveling Through Time" & with Robby Ameen "El Negro and Robby at the Third World War" & Italuba!
www.TomTeasley.com - updated itinerary, current news, and more! New cd coming very soon!
www.FunkyDrummer.com - Jim Payne's site... NYC teaching studio open! music downloads, interviews, books for sale and more! (new Tito Puente book!) New cd Energy!
www.LeonMobley.com - Photo gallery, itinerary, and more!
www.FreeAssociationRecords.com - Dave Abbruzzese's site!
www.JohnJRRobinson.com - NEW! cd Funkshui
John JR Robinson's site with photos, sound clips and more!
www.MichaelFoxDrums.com - drummer with Floyd Lee & MF2... itinerary, photos & more!
www.Creatchy.com - keyboardist David Garfield!
Itinerary, Current News, Carlos Vega Memorial Birthday Concert info, Jeff Porcaro Tribute, CD shop, and more...
www.DianeLotny.com - soulful... an amazing singer... ya gotta check her out!
www.OdedLevy.com incredible photographer!
www.JauqoIII-X.com incredible bass player and innovator - The SubContra Bass and The Low C# Sharp Theory
www.DonPeakeMusic.com guitarist, arranger, composer, Academy Award... need I say more?
Volume 10 Issue 1 January 2006
©All Rights Reserved
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