The Historical Use of the Dominant Latin Rhythms in the Evolution of The Drum Set In Jazz, Rhythm and Blues and,derivative styles…whatever!

The sheer volume of Latin rhythms is far too extensive to be included in any one book. There are numerous excellent books that cover the literature and many examples with and without notation on the internet mostly on you tube. Listen to as many as possible to hear the variety over a core pattern, play along with some, invent your own. Sing it. If you can sing it, you can play it! Nevertheless certain pre- invention of the drum set rhythms are firmly embedded in    the root rhythms of drum set styles particularly in New Orleans 2^nd Line Drumming. Also there are particular Latin rhythms that eventually became established and  absolutely essential certain jazz styles. What is intriguing though is the artistic liberty jazz drummers take with the patterns. One essential core example is the Tumbao. Latin drumming is not part of the swing idiom, but  the common Conga pattern  Tumbao (also the name of the accompanying bass line) when included in a swing  jazz tune can swing very hard. Certainly master jazz drummer Tony William was able to integrate a Latin Bembe bell pattern feel on the cymbal bell and mambo tom work without losing the swing feel in the Miles Davis quintet that was truly one of the great jazz groups. One week when the Davis quartet group was playing   at Shelly’s Mannhole in LA which of course was a must see/hear. The joke around town was” so did you catch the “Tony Williams Show.”   He played   so intensely that the full house left many listening on the street outside.  If you haven’t been to Tony  William’s school from that period you are deprived. Listen for cymbal bell work   and the Afro Cuban tom work. Only Elvin Jones   made a more definitive   statement with no desire to hide that fact it was  his own  version never to be duplicated!

The following group of Latin Rhythms are those that are the historical roots of the “Spanish Tinge”   on the drum set as well as those that became mainstay styles on the drum set.

Since we have covered the claves extensively in drum set application, we will not go over them again except to say mastering them with one hand alone on a wood block or better actual  rosewood clave sticks with two hands just like the clave player in a salsa band . Always use a metronome and stay within a dance tempo range.

These patterns are in the historical order that happened on the drum set, but many beats were left out as they are not commonly used on the drum set though the influence is there if you know what to listen for.  This should inspire you to listen to Latin salsa bands and   make up your own beats on the drum set. There is tremendous value in doing that as your ear will readily tell you what sounds musical and what sounds like an exercise or at least help you begin to develop that creative sensitivity to melodic rhythm or Latin cadence.

The first rhythm is the Danzon. It is the essential Cuban rhythm in the “Orquestas Tipica” with it’s own instrumentation. Its roots are in the Contra-Danzon or Country Dance originally from France.  Ricky Ricardo’s band on the I Love Lucy TV show was the Desi “ Babalou” Arnez conceived Danzon band, arranged by Wilber Hatch, It is my opinion that Desi Arnez is the most influential Latin musician on the planet since the show is on 24/7 somewhere on the planet. Desi thought like a drummer. He invented multiple camera angles and timed frame editing for early television as opposed to single camera aimed at stage center. In other words he had a many layered approach. As a drum set player you are   to do the same with tones and time.  In any case the Cuban Danzon is

commonly played at a brisk tempo suitable for dancing.

The second rhythm is a pre drum set pattern; the Spanish Habenero. 

 A 2/4 pattern which is a variant of the Tresillo ( 3 side of Clave) and when combined with a Latin percussion group generated a pattern used in a big hit during colonial times in Cuba

titled “Your Mother is Conga, or  Su Madre Es Congalese,”

Your Mother meaning your ancestors are  from the Congo in Africa,

which is now The Democratic Republic of the Congo in Sub Saharan

Africa. Essentially   both these Rhythms are prevalent all the way

From Africa to Asian Pacific Boundary but the commonly accepted perspective is that it originated in sub Saharan Africa.  Having to continue to migrate out of Cuba, the Danzon

gave birth  to be Spanish Habenero in many variations, but the essential distinction is the dance tempo was slowed way down to a more  sensual tempo typical in tangos and ball room dancing with embracing, spins, and  romantic intensity.

The third rhythm or pattern  is called the Tresillo

The Tresillo is so prevalent   we will only deal with it briefly

Wynton Marsalis calls it the New Orleans Clave though in actuality it is only the three

side of the Clave. In Sub Saharan Africa it is called Conga, and also the name of a Afro Cuban carnival beat.

The Buddy Bolden Big Four deserves a mention. Buddy ”King” Bolden 1877-1931  played the coronet and who was one of the originators of jazz  during the period 1900-1907. He blended Gospel, Marches, Ragtime, and Rural Blues. This should give you some  insight into  the feel of “playing in the Crease”  We can presume there are some echoes of Buddy Bolden in Louis ” Satchmo”  Armstong’s  playing. Notice that syncopated Tresillo bass drum. A first at the time!

The fourth rhythm is the Tango

There are many ways to play a Tango. The basic   cadence is a four/four one measure phrase which contains significantly, a syncopated  note on the AND of four. Scott Joplin and W. C. Handy ( St Louis Blues) used it and referring back to Jelly Roll Morton it is the figure that implies  the “Spanish Tinge.” The and of four is the last note of the three side of the Rumba Clave. It restarts a measure of swing four on:  four AND ONE and is usually in the bass or bass drum . As the weakest off beat in four when accented it is the syncopated( cinco pasos) fifth note offbeat that gets the loudest accent. A perfectly fine Tango can be executed on only the snare drum as an accompanying bass/bass guitar is sufficient low end. It should be played with great dramatic   flourish, It is almost classical full of flams, ruffs, drags, and buzzed ghost notes. The response of tango dancers is the test Actually a Tango without Tango dancers is

missing the melodramatic visual. Almost like a film score.

The Fifth rhythm is the Bolero; 

 The True Bolero ( Spain 1788 )  is a two measure phrase in three four though the variations in two four, four four are endless and even odd time signatures at times.

Listening to Ravel’s Bolero and learning the snare drum part and playing along with it

is one of the best ways to imbed the cadential  possibilities. The  standard Besame Mucho is heavily recorded world wide. Beck’s bolero is the best rock Bolero. The solo drumming Baile Bolero on the recording Havarim is based on.

a Bolero and has  a loose composition in the style of “The Drum Also Waltzes” by Max Roach and  is not so much a drum solo full of pyro technical gymnastics, as it is a drum song based on watching a matador and a bull one day.. The basic cadence and theme is included in these Bolero Patterns.

The sixth rhythm is the Mambo;

The Mambo came along by way of the Habenera in 1938 of course in Cuba,

It has   interesting history but we are concerned with how it arrived on the drum set.

In 1947 bebop musicians heard   there were some Latin musicians playing virtuoso bebop on top of Latin rhythms which did not include drum set.  Bebop trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie was introduced to the Cuban conga player Chano Pozo and the rest is history. Since salsa did use drum set, it wasn’t long before swing jazz birthed “ Cubop” and produced number of jazz standards; Manteca, Green Dolphin Street, and A Night in Tunisia.

 The seventh rhythm is Afro Cuban 6/8;

 Afro Cuban 6/8 is the most African  rooted rhythm of all the Latin drum patterns. Being in six eight which allows for two measures played as twelve eight gives us a measure of four four subdivided as four triplets. This makes it especially suited to blues and jazz,

shuffles and swing, as well  the depth inherent in more advanced forms. A perfect example would be it’s use by Elvin Jones extensively.  ( Love Supreme, Ballads, etc.)

 The eighth rhythm is the Mozambique;

 The original Mozambique  is a Carnival beat from Cuba invented by Pello” El Afrokan” Izquierdo and was of course not played on a drum set as the Cuban instrumentation really needs no drumset! We are focused on the New York (funk) Mozombique which contains bell pattern made famous by uber funk drummer (and anything else) Maestro Steve Gadd.

As long as that bell pattern is there you can call anything a New Yotk Mozambique and there are dozens of ways to voice the drum set under the bell. Bear n mind it better fit over 2/3 clave to be the New York style. If you are curious about using a 3/2 clave son or rumba, as many Latin styles do play the  second measure bell first but you are no longer playing in New York Mozombique land.  

 The ninth rhythm is Songo “Changito”;

Jose Luis Quintana “ Changito invented the songo for drum set and often played it

( with Los Van Van ) on timbales bells and a kick drum or a drum set.

Using a bass drum in Latin music is often unnecessary as the string or electric bass carries a steady low end and a busy bass drum would conflict with the bass. There are more than enough percussionists in salsa to set up plenty of driving rhythms

Changitos genius is that he added the kick and drum set so judiciously the he overcame that problem. Master!

The tenth rhythm the Conga is another Carnival rhythm being the celebration before Christian Lent ala Mardi Gras and Brazilian Carnival, Spain, etc/ Lent being a somewhat

somber time when you meditate on your  untoward behavior which needs some rehabilitation. In other words this is a last minute party before Lent. The Miami Sound Machine made the whole world aware   of the Conga with their monster hit “Baby Can You Do The Conga.” What is really interesting about the Conga as should be obvious from your study of the tresillo is that the bass drum placement is the tresillo or the three  side of the son clave,….. but wait the two three rumba clave is the required clave. That means the first measure is very close to the   poly rhythm two against three sequentially. Actually that is the way I play it sometimes. I play the two side of the clave with the cow bell and tresillo on the kick  plus the snare cadence. That is not a real Conga just a jazzed up derivative. “It’s close enough for jazz” (My bass player hates that phrase!)

Miscellaneous: the Bossa Nova is a late comer to the drums set and as far as the Afro-Cuban New Orleans cross pollination and the invention of the drums set. The Bossa is much a

a Brazilian invention and style which is very different rooted in Samba. With all due respect Brazilian drumming is a major study in itself and perfectly fantastic musically which deserves it’s own study.