The Best Saxophonist of ALL TIME

[TitoFan]

Brock, here is a more danceable version of Latin jazz, courtesy of one of the masters.... Willie Rosario.





It's almost impossible to stay sitting down for something like this.

Oh, yeah! Could you recommend any guitar players with this style?

Damn bro. That's a tough one right off the top of my head. I could name one or two bass players... but these are old veterans from back in the day. Guys like Bobby Valentin and the like. In this type of music the more prominent instruments are the keyboard (quite a few damn good pianists around that add that kick to Latin jazz)..... percussionists (very important)..... bass....and some of the wind instruments. But let me do some searching and see if I can come up with guitar players in this genre.

[TitoFan]

There is the Puerto Rican cuatro.... a 10-string guitar.... but this is mostly used for Puerto Rican folkloric music. There are some awesome cuatro players today.... guys like Christian Nieves. You hear this instrument a lot around Christmas time, when a lot of these songs are played. It's more old style.... but wonderful to hear and enjoy. For Latin jazz and/or salsa..... the bass guitar is still the more prominent string instrument. Without a good bass guitar, it's very difficult to have what we here on the island call "salsa gorda", which is basically the salsa from the 60's, 70's and even 80's.... with the old master musicians putting together some awesome rhythms. Bands like Fania All-Stars, El Gran Combo, La Sonora Ponceña, the bands of Willie Rosario, Tommy Olivencia..... man..... those were some monster musicians right there.

[Gandalf]

You are right, Tito. I should know more. I was out last week and the conversation turned to jazz and suddenly I was all out of words. I had to just sit quietly chewing on freshly barbecued meat. 'As a man of the world, you know so little' I thought to myself.