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Bobby Matos
Bronx born Bobby Matos began playing music beating on pots and pans in Grandma’s apartment and went on to backstage informal lessons with conga drum masters Patato Valdez and Mongo Santamaria; and then on to composition and arranging studies at Manhattan School of Music. His first gigs were in the early ‘60’s bohemian Greenwich Village Cafes, but he soon found himself playing in every type of venue; from Bronx dance halls to Carnegie Hall, to elegant supper clubs, Central Park Concerts, Off Broadway theaters, and after hours clubs in El Barrio
After touring and recording with artists like Ben Vereen, Bette Midler, Fred Neil, Jim Croce, Ray Rivera, Joe Loco, Miriam Makeeba, and many others, Bobby relocated to Los Angeles where he began experimenting with an Afro Cuban Jazz band where he could blend (and bend) musical elements from Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Wayne Shorter, Eddie Palmieri, and the rich legacy of Afro Cuban music.
In the ‘80’s and ‘90’s, Matos recorded several albums, most notably 5 well received CDs for Ubiquity Records’ spin off Cubop label, and began touring internationally. During this time, he received 2 performance grants from the City of Los Angeles, and also received The California Arts Council multi Cultural Entry level grant for 9 years. He also began touring schools under the banners of Music Center on Tour, Performing Tree, Great Leap, and Grammys in the Schools, where he conducted educational performances, master classes, and workshops. In 1999 he won an award from the L.A. Weekly Music Awards and in 2004 an award from Latin Beat magazine. During these years he also composed and performed music for dancer/choreographers Donna Sternbeg, Denise Cook, and Noboko Myamoto. He also produced recordings for Ray Armando, Dave Pike, Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers, Jack Costanzo, Jerry Gonzalez, and John Santos. he has also received an Artist in Residence Grant to run a series of classes and workshops, and conduct a Latin jazz Youth Band in L.A
Also in 2004, Matos released the critically acclaimed "Made By Hand," a live recording on the well known artists’ collective label Life Forcejazz Records. “Acknowledgment” Bobby’s next release on Life Forcejazz Records contained nine original compositions and three Afro Latin arrangements of John Coltrane compositions, along with an updated band that features power players like Theo Saunders - piano; John B. Williams or Edwin Livingston on bass; Robertito Melendez - congas; Frank Fontaine - flute and tenor sax; Dan Weinstein - trombone and violin; and Bobby's son Jud on percussion
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Bobby Matos Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble: Bobby Matos: Ritmo & Blues
by Chuck Koton
Fate blessed Bobby Matos. For a kid who dreamed of growing up to be a Latin jazz musician, he could not have been born in a more fortuitous time and place. In the years after World War Two, Nueva York's Hispanic population exploded. Between the years 1940 and 1960, the number of Puerto Ricans increased from a mere 60,000 to over 600,000. The Cuban presence also increased exponentially but considerably less in absolute terms. But while Puerto ...
read moreThe Bobby Matos Latin Jazz Ensemble at the Saville Theater
by Robert Bush
Bobby Matos Latin Jazz EnsembleSaville Theater, San Diego City CollegeSan Diego, CAJune 29, 2010
Tuesday's concert was another excellent installment in the Jazz Live" series, promoted and co-sponsored by San Diego City College and one of the few true jazz radio station's left in our country, KSDS Jazz 88. Once a month during the regular school year, (and twice a month in the summer), concerts are held in the acoustically pristine Saville Theater. Visiting artists and concert ...
read moreLatin Jazz: A Legitimate American Music
by AAJ Staff
By Bobby Matos Well-informed historians and critics have stated that they believe jazz is America's only art form or its most important art form. Obviously, to music scholars and experts, most pop music derives from jazz, including R&B, rock, hiphop and other subgenres. One of jazz music's most important styles, however, is often ignored or not acknowledged to be a part of jazz. Latin jazz, originally called AfroCuban jazz, is often perceived as being a ...
read moreBobby Matos And The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble: Acknowledgement
by Edward Blanco
A veteran percussionist and pioneer of the Latin jazz genre since the early sixties, Bobby Matos has created an excellent fusion of Latin and Afro-jazz music on Acknowledgement. Matos records ten original hot and heavy, hip-moving compositions with his Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble and pays tribute to the legendary John Coltrane with Afro-Latin arrangements of three Coltrane standards. They include the four-note classic A Love Supreme - Acknowledgement, supported by some masterful playing from bassist John B. Williams, and Tunji ...
read moreBobby Matos and His Latin Jazz Ensemble: Acknowledgement
by Ernest Barteldes
It's too bad that the audience actually watching the show at Queens' Jamaica Jams Festival on August 6th wasn't as large as expected--most people there seemed to be more interested in shopping and eating than enjoying the music. Their loss, for those who did stop to listen to the short set presented by Bobby Matos and the Latin Jazz All-Stars had an opportunity to see a legend at work.The set, despite its shortness (the previous act overextended its ...
read moreBobby Matos: Made by Hand
by Russ Musto
Transplanted New York timbalero Bobby Matos brings his hot New York style salsa to his adopted home state of California on Made By Hand , a live '03 Pasadena concert recording by his Afro Latin Jazz All Stars, a group of fine players who are relatively unknown to listeners here in New York. Matos, who is strongly influenced as an ensemble leader by Mongo Santamaria and Tito Puente, pays homage to both of the somewhat recently departed masters with arrangements ...
read moreBobby Matos & John Santos: Mambo Jazz
by Jim Santella
By allowing their bands to jam together for this project, Bobby Matos and John Santos have created a loose-knit, easy to like affair. Both percussionist bandleaders emphasize Afro-Latin jazz in their respective ensembles. Beside a colorful lineup of tuned drums and cowbells of different sizes, their combined orchestra has room for traditional Afro-Cuban vocals and fiery horn solos. Two dramatic readings make an emotional impression. One appears as a reverent homage to bassist Israel Cachao" Lopez, 82, who is widely ...
read moreLatin Jazz Conversations: Bobby Matos (Part 6)
Source:
The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz
Artists spend the lives in the creative realm of the world, overflowing with new and exciting musical ideas. In fact, they rarely spend a day in search of new ideas or possibilities. The only issue becomes reconciling their abundance of creative energy with a world that doesn't see the same possibilities. The reality of this clash can be enough to send an artist spiraling out of their creative world. The truly visionary artist that applies their creative energy to a ...
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Latin Jazz Conversations: Bobby Matos (Part 5)
Source:
The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz
One of the most exiting parts of being a seasoned professional is the ability to touch other people's artistic statements and make a difference. During an artist's younger days, their main focus lies upon their own personal development as a musician. While they reach their peers, their collaborations generally don't make overarching impacts. More experienced professionals have a more selfless way of sharing their abilities with their colleagues, leaving their mark upon the music without stealing the spotlight. Their influence ...
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Latin Jazz Conversations: Bobby Matos (Part 4)
Source:
The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz
Every musician reaches a point in their life when they simply need a change. Too much of any good thing can drive a person to boredom and an overload of the negative powers will certainly make an artist crazy. When a musician reaches this point, the need for change drives their next set of decisions. In some cases, an altered musical direction might suit the artist's needs, sparking a new set of inspired creations. A lifestyle change could be the ...
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Latin Jazz Conversations: Bobby Matos (Part 3)
Source:
The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz
The music business presents a crazy ride for any young artist, sending them through waves of ups and downs. When an artist first ventures into the wild frontier known as the music business, all the rules and everyday procedures seem absolutely foreign. Everything must be learned, and in many cases, it must be learned the hard way. With each success comes a sideways curve that throws a new twist into the artist's journey. Rebounds follow, along with new surprises; it's ...
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Latin Jazz Conversations: Bobby Matos (Part 2)
Source:
The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz
Musical growth never occurs instantaneously, it's an evolutionary process that happens through incremental learning. Every musician starts somewhere, whether it's through contact with an instrument, hearing an inspirational recording, or getting words of wisdom from a mentor. Moving forward, their task is to piece together an understanding of music bit by bit, through a number of different experiences. The might further their technical abilities through the advice of a fellow artist or take the time to study a specific methodology ...
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Latin Jazz Conversations: Bobby Matos (Part 1)
Source:
The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz
Music forms a powerful connection with young people, and for those with a predisposition to music, it inspires any number of reactions. Every listening experience becomes a revelation, and exposure to great music will only heighten their enthusiasm. Movement becomes mandatory as they interpret the nature of the beat combined with their own instinctual emotions around the music. Singing arrives in the next step, demanding a more complete participation in the music and a personal connection. Inevitably, a young person ...
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Ubiquity/Cubop to Release "The Best of Bobby Matos"
Source:
All About Jazz
Favorite selections from his Cubop releases, plus previously unreleased material (including a re-invented My Latin Soul"), and some of his collaborations are featured on this overdue Best Of. Guest musicians include Jerry Gonzalez, John Santos, Dave Pike, and Jack Costanzo.
Bronx born Bobby Matos made his percussive musical debut beating on pots and pans in his Grandma's apartment before going to backstage informal lessons with conga drum masters Patato Valdez and Mongo Santamaria. His first gigs were in the early ...
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