Blitzzzzz
12-06-2007, 06:36 PM
This from the Jazz-l board, posted by Arturo Gómez
Music Director, jazz89KUVO. RIP Patato!:cool:
I am saddened to have to pass along this extremely sad information I have just received(I knew there was a reason to be at the station late Tuesday) Please forgive any typos as my heart is heavy and my eyes are moist as I write this off the top of my head
Carlos Valdéz, the legendary Patato passed away in NYC on Tuesday December 4th, 2007-he was 81. "Patato" and not potato as often written is Cuban slang for "shorty"-a stump. He died of respiratory failure, Patato was a heavy smoker since he was a young teen. Born in La Habana, Cuba on November 4th 1926 patao is considered one of the most melodic percussionists ever and one of the most mythical characters as well. he fashioned himself as quite a chef and was famous for feeding dozens of fellow musicans and close friends
in his Brooklyn home after gigs from the wee wee hours of the morning into the next afternoon. he helped developed the tuneable congas and showed Bridgette Bardot how to dance the mambo in the closing moments of the late 50s film, "And God Created Woman"
In Cuba Patato was played with some of the finest bands starting out as a teenger in the 1940s, he created the "penguin dance" while with the Conjunto Casino in the 50s when he would appear on a daily Cuban television show, he would take advantage of his slight built and jump on top of the congas and do a penguin dance to the delight of the live audience and viewers. In 1955 his pals NEA Jazz Master Cándido Camero and Mongo Santamaría sponsored his immigration to NYC. Mongo who was with the Tito Puente band at the time got some of his band mates and others to go to the SMC/Coda studios and record 2
78rpms as a demo to show off the skills of Patato, that led to his work with Kenny Dorham on the landmark Afro-Cuban date for Blue Note, from there he went on to be with Herbie Mann for many years and the rest is easily encountered in any quality jazz information publication.
Patato died on December 4th, a significant date for Cubans and for Patato especially, as the date is Changó Day, Santa(saintess)Barbara Day, one of the most powerful and important dieties of the Afro-Cuban religious pantheon, Patato was a son of changó, "hijo de changó". One of the finest performances of Patato is with the Tito Puente Latin Percussion Jazz Ensemble, Live at Montreux 1980. There is both a CD and DVD of that legendary concert on the LP label. Seńor Valdéz' last performance was in early November at the San Francisco Jazz Festival when he played with the Conga Kings(Candyman Camero-Giovani Hidalgo and Carlos). On his flight back to NYC he took gravely ill forcing the flight to land in Cleveland, after an extended stay in a Cleveland hospital, he was setn home to NYC in the care of his wife
Julia and soon lapsed into another respiratory failure eventually claiming
Carlos Valdéz-the immortal Patato.
Here's a anecdote from a close friend, compatriot and band mate-violinist Alfredo de la Fé " One of the top percussionist in the World. Armando Peraza once told me that when la Comparsa(conga ensemble during carnaval) El Cocuye came by the streets of Havana you could hear the quinto(drum) 20 blocks away before any other instrument. It was a small giant playing that quinto "Patato"
Arturo Gómez
Music Director, jazz89KUVO
The Oasis In The City
Colorado's First HD FM Radio Station
Celebrating 12 Years of Live Performances!
Music Director, jazz89KUVO. RIP Patato!:cool:
I am saddened to have to pass along this extremely sad information I have just received(I knew there was a reason to be at the station late Tuesday) Please forgive any typos as my heart is heavy and my eyes are moist as I write this off the top of my head
Carlos Valdéz, the legendary Patato passed away in NYC on Tuesday December 4th, 2007-he was 81. "Patato" and not potato as often written is Cuban slang for "shorty"-a stump. He died of respiratory failure, Patato was a heavy smoker since he was a young teen. Born in La Habana, Cuba on November 4th 1926 patao is considered one of the most melodic percussionists ever and one of the most mythical characters as well. he fashioned himself as quite a chef and was famous for feeding dozens of fellow musicans and close friends
in his Brooklyn home after gigs from the wee wee hours of the morning into the next afternoon. he helped developed the tuneable congas and showed Bridgette Bardot how to dance the mambo in the closing moments of the late 50s film, "And God Created Woman"
In Cuba Patato was played with some of the finest bands starting out as a teenger in the 1940s, he created the "penguin dance" while with the Conjunto Casino in the 50s when he would appear on a daily Cuban television show, he would take advantage of his slight built and jump on top of the congas and do a penguin dance to the delight of the live audience and viewers. In 1955 his pals NEA Jazz Master Cándido Camero and Mongo Santamaría sponsored his immigration to NYC. Mongo who was with the Tito Puente band at the time got some of his band mates and others to go to the SMC/Coda studios and record 2
78rpms as a demo to show off the skills of Patato, that led to his work with Kenny Dorham on the landmark Afro-Cuban date for Blue Note, from there he went on to be with Herbie Mann for many years and the rest is easily encountered in any quality jazz information publication.
Patato died on December 4th, a significant date for Cubans and for Patato especially, as the date is Changó Day, Santa(saintess)Barbara Day, one of the most powerful and important dieties of the Afro-Cuban religious pantheon, Patato was a son of changó, "hijo de changó". One of the finest performances of Patato is with the Tito Puente Latin Percussion Jazz Ensemble, Live at Montreux 1980. There is both a CD and DVD of that legendary concert on the LP label. Seńor Valdéz' last performance was in early November at the San Francisco Jazz Festival when he played with the Conga Kings(Candyman Camero-Giovani Hidalgo and Carlos). On his flight back to NYC he took gravely ill forcing the flight to land in Cleveland, after an extended stay in a Cleveland hospital, he was setn home to NYC in the care of his wife
Julia and soon lapsed into another respiratory failure eventually claiming
Carlos Valdéz-the immortal Patato.
Here's a anecdote from a close friend, compatriot and band mate-violinist Alfredo de la Fé " One of the top percussionist in the World. Armando Peraza once told me that when la Comparsa(conga ensemble during carnaval) El Cocuye came by the streets of Havana you could hear the quinto(drum) 20 blocks away before any other instrument. It was a small giant playing that quinto "Patato"
Arturo Gómez
Music Director, jazz89KUVO
The Oasis In The City
Colorado's First HD FM Radio Station
Celebrating 12 Years of Live Performances!