TromboneChat

Would you like to suggest your favourite Latin music trombonists? I only know the name Barry Rogers. I’d like to expand my listening.

If i had to recommend three people I'd say Willie Colon three times

Manny Oquendo's group is trombone-oriented and excellent!

And definitely check Wayne Wallace and Steve Turre!

Jimmy Bosch
Papo Vasquez
Conrad Herwig is on a lot of Latin Jazz recordings

Listen to just about any albums by Eddie Palmieri, Poncho Sanchez. Many have some cool trombone playing.

Agreed with all the names/groups mentioned above. Names that haven't been mentioned yet: William Cepeda, Generoso Jiménez, Juan Pablo Torres.

Finetales wrote: ↑Sat Sep 23, 2023 9:39 am
... Juan Pablo Torres.

Yes!

These albums are the primer for tipico Latin trombone soloing:

Cachao, Cuban Jam Session in Miniature (Generoso Jimenez)
Generoso Jimenez, El Trombon Majadero
Eddie Palmieri, The Sun of Latin Music (Barry Rogers) - also any of Palmieri's recordings with La Perfecta.
Cachao, Master Sessions Vol 1 & 2 (Jimmy Bosch).

Other great salsa players that haven't been mentioned: Lewis Kahn, Jose Rodrigues, Leopoldo Pineda.

Hugo Morejon (lead trombone for Los Van Van) was a BEAST. Check out his solos on Por Encima del Nivel and Anda, Ven, y Muevete.

Juan Pablo Torres is often listed as JP Torres
He's great.

Interesting tidbit - according to veteran NYC salsa players, some of WIllie Colon's supposed solos on his later albums were actually played by other people. Willie was always a kind of raw player (which I love on his early records), and as he became more focused on band leading, arranging, and production, he spent less time with the horn. Word is that by the 80's he would have one of the section trombonists on the date "ghost play" his solos.

The solo on the classic "Buscando Guyaba" (from 1978's Siembra with Ruben Blades) is unmistakably him, though.

Doug Elliott wrote: ↑Sat Sep 23, 2023 6:19 pm Juan Pablo Torres is often listed as JP Torres
He's great.

Definitely some serious chops. Check him out trading with Arturo Sandoval on this track by the Estrellas de Areito. You never hear trombone taking the lead on a danzón like this.

Supplementing my list of albums above, here are some classic solos. (I'm sticking more to dance-oriented Latin music, rather than Latin jazz.)

Cachao, "Trombón Criollo" (Generoso Jimenez)
Generoso Jimenez, "Trombón Majadero"
Eddie Palmieri, "Una Dia Bonita" (Barry Rogers)
Machito, "Mi Ritmo Llego" (Barry Rogers)
Ismael Miranda, "Asi Se Compone un Son" (Miguel Colon)
Bobby Valentin, "Huracan" (Reynaldo Jorge)
Ray Barretto, "Un Dia Sere Feliz" (Papo Vasquez)
Willie Colon and Hector Lavoe, "La Murga" (Willie Colon)
Willie Colon and Ruben Blades, "Fue Varon" (Leopoldo Pineda)
Cachao, "Lluvia, Vienta, y Caña" (Jimmy Bosch)
Los Van Van, "Por Encima de Nivel" (Hugo Morejon)
Tito Puente, "Picadillo a lo Puente" - 1990 version (Sam Burtis)
Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal, "Deuda" (Jesus "Aguaje" Ramos)

And if I may, my own contribution (this was something of a hit in NYC in the early 00's, and also served a theme music for a salsa radio show for many years):

I note the name Sam Burtis.

Sam and his friend Lewis Kahn played in Latin sections in New York City. Always first call for a section, though usually playing backgrounds.

What a great, great list Rick! Thx.

What is especially cool is that, so far, I’ve been able to find everything on Apple Music.

The last time I went on a search for Latin trombone players, in the late 90s/early oughts, I had to go downtown to Virgin Records, sort through a bunch of CDs and, because I don’t know anybody, buy a few CDs on spec.
Not particularly efficient or rewarding.

Also, nice solo Rick.

BGuttman wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 9:25 am Sam and his friend Lewis Kahn played in Latin sections in New York City. Always first call for a section, though usually playing backgrounds.

Yeah, given the number of classic salsa albums Sam is on, he has remarkably few recorded solos in that vein. (Tito Puente's Goza Mi Timbal is the one album I can think of, and that one is leaning towards Latin jazz).

Lew's better documented; he has some solos on Larry Harlow's albums from the Fania era, and you can see him blowing with the Fania All-Stars in the video Live in Africa. He was a hell of a violin player, too.

Bach5G wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 9:44 am What a great, great list Rick! Thx.

What is especially cool is that, so far, I’ve been able to find everything on Apple Music.

Glad to be of help!

I forgot to include the Eddie Palmieri albums from the 60's with La Perfecta (especially Azucar Pa' Ti, Echando Pa'Lante, Mozambique, and Molasses). Chock full of Barry Rogers solos, plus the intense two-trombone interplay of Barry and Jose Rodrigues.

I used to play trios with Lewis Kahn back in pre-history (he was much better than me). A real gent and a vintage Conn collector too (is that the same thing?).

Bach5G wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 9:44 am The last time I went on a search for Latin trombone players, in the late 90s/early oughts, I had to go downtown to Virgin Records, sort through a bunch of CDs and, because I don’t know anybody, buy a few CDs on spec.
Not particularly efficient or rewarding.

Yeah, the Internet is definitely a boon in that regard. When I began playing Latin music (late 80's) there was literally nothing available in the stores where I lived at the time. What little I had was obtained on trips to larger cities, a cassette I picked up in Mexico during a cruise ship stint, and tapes made from the library of the local college radio station.

When I moved to New York a couple years later, it was like I'd gone to heaven.

rickfaulknernyc wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 9:48 am ...

Lew's better documented; ... He was a hell of a violin player, too.

This probably goes back to when Sam, Lew, and I all took lessons from the same trombone teacher. Jack Nowinski used to insist that if we were serious we should take violin lessons. I guess he figured out there were more openings for violin players than trombonists. I didn't take up violin since I didn't plan on playing professionally (I was a budding engineer).

Christopher Washburne is another. He has played with many of the greats since the 90s. Is a scholar on the New York Latin scene (professor at Columbia). He also has a number of recordings as a leader, mostly in the Latin jazz realm.

BGuttman wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 1:29 pm
This probably goes back to when Sam, Lew, and I all took lessons from the same trombone teacher. Jack Nowinski used to insist that if we were serious we should take violin lessons. I guess he figured out there were more openings for violin players than trombonists. I didn't take up violin since I didn't plan on playing professionally (I was a budding engineer).

Interesting! I'd been under the impression that Lew was a violinist first, and picked up trombone later. Not sure where I got that idea from. Definitely by the time I knew him (starting late 90's) he seemed to be playing more violin than trombone (at least on the gigs we did together).