House of Drumming.com

Cool stuff, I don't really know who he is, anyone?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB2xZboP ... re=related

ps: Does the youtube code work in this board??

I've been a fan ever since I picked up this book years ago:

http://books.google.com/books?id=_ClDdK ... ok&f=false

That book is amazing, and has done WONDERS for me. It really helped me get into playing grooves like Guaguanco, Songo, and others. He's a kickass player, just always killin'. His playing with Ruben Blades is wonderful! (as is all of his work, really) Truly a favorite of mine and a huge inspiration.

I recommend Dave Valentin Live @Blue Note.. Robbie does a great job merging funk, jazz and Latin rythms...

http://www.amazon.com/Live-Blue-Note-Da ... 537&sr=8-3

I've been a fan of Robby's playing for at least 18 years.
It's strange to see that one of the world's leading latin players is of Lebanese decent !
One of my favorites in the world of Latin rhythms.

Thought I would bring out an older video showing Robby and bass player Lincoln Goines
performing a masterclass at the Collective in NYC.

Enjoy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MJNSnLpcbE

I worked out of Funkifying the Clave. Can't say enough good things about it. Comes with play-along CD's for both bass and drums. Definitely recommend it for anyone who wants to get in to Afro-Cuban stuff.

$.02

Not surprised you never heard of him. Dunno why Robby is still under the radar; he's been around for a long time though and is very busy. I dig his work with Ruben Blades; the Live! album is a masterpiece. Alternate Roots with his band Seis del Solar is absolutlety great. He also plays in Overproof, a cuban guit/bass/drum power trio; I saw them at the Mtl DrumFest, Killing! He really influenced my latin playing style. A bit of my history with latin music:

In the 80s, fresh out of the Collective, Paul Brochu did a clinic demonstating what he had learned there with Frankie Malabe. He played songo, guaguanco, bembe,... and I thought this is the hippest stuff I've ever heard! Next day I had a lesson with him where he gave me a sheet with some cuban grooves. I practiced those grooves to death and really wanted to learn more. At the time there was not much on the subject apart from old books by Ted Reed or Bert Laszlo showing corny wedding versions of mambo and cha-cha-cha. I also found an old samba book by Chet Doboe that I ate. I also bought latin CDs that I had a hard time finding. Then Robby's book came out and I found it so cool that it was the only thing I practiced for a long time. Worked through it inside out and even played some of the tunes in a band. But this was not enough and I decided to go to the source: Drummers Collective. So I auditioned by tape for the certificate program.

It's funny, when I got to DC, they would have you play in front of a panel of instructors to classify you in subgroups based on your strenghts and weaknesses to have the same type of players in the classes. We would do rudiments, read and play in different styles. I was a bit nervous and played very average rock, funk and jazz stuff. Then they said: "How's your latin?". All of a sudden my trak disapeared and I started playing and soloing in the afro-cuban/brazilian styles like there's no tomorrow. The instructors said: "Gee! Your a hard one to classify! How come your latin feel and vocabulary is so above the rest? It's quite unusual for somebody coming from the cold!". I just said: "I so love the stuff!" Then I never had enough of the Third World Rhythms classes, got extra private lessons with the cuban/brazilian specialiazed teachers, bought every CD that they recommended, the Malabe book, the Fonseca book and went to many latin concerts. At first I was disapointed that Frank Malabe was on a sick leave being replaced by Bobby Sanabria, but Bobby was a really great teacher. Frank came only at the end of the program to judge the latin part of the final exam. Normally a big guy, he was so skinny no one recognized him. He died not long after.

Now Robby has incorporated the left foot clave into his playing and I don't really like how it sounds. IMO, the only one playing this stuff with a natural and swingin' feel is ElNegro (the two did some things together and you can hear the difference). At some point everybody wanted to play left foot clave even Weckl who did it for a short time. I also put time getting to be comfortable with it but was never satified with how it sounded. I think you really need to be born in Cuba and have it in your genes.

Very interesting post Tombo!

Would you agree that Alex Acuna is one of the Pioneer drummers who incorporated the left-foot clave to the drums? I really dig how his left-foot clave sounds ... Actually Alex is one of those naturals... Always feels good to listen to...

Awesome stories Tombo, I do dig it! I'm also a huge fan of that Live! album. Brilliant, brilliant stuff. When I first started to play with the guys I play now, the keyboardist of my group (who is like an encyclopedia of rhythms and grooves, Latin and otherwise) asked me how familiar I was with Guaguanco. At the time I was super green with it, but he gave me Robby and Lincoln's book. I worked with that book for months, just practicing the living hell out of it. It's absolutely fantastic.

I've actually just recently started to experiment with left-foot clave in the practice room. It's highly challenging, and you know, I'll agree with you there too. Nobody does it like the Cuban cats.

Cool stories Tombo, I agree about the left foot clave, many people try it but few make it sound properly.