Sabu Martinez
Encyclopedia
Louis "Sabu" Martinez was an American conguero and percussionist. A prominent player in the Cubop movement in the 1950s, Martinez appeared on many important recordings and live performances during that period. Martinez also recorded several Latin jazz
albums, now recognized as classics of the genre.
Born in New York City
, Martinez made his professional debut in 1941 at age 11. He replaced Chano Pozo
in Dizzy Gillespie
's orchestra in 1948, and began performing with Benny Goodman
's Bebop Orchestra in 1949. Over the next 15 years, Martinez worked with Charlie Parker
, Duke Ellington
, Count Basie
, J.J. Johnson
, Horace Silver
, Thelonious Monk
, Charles Mingus
, Mary Lou Williams
, Lionel Hampton
, Noro Morales
, Marcelino Guerra
, Esy Morales
, the Lecuona Cuban Boys
, Miguelito Valdés
, Tito Rodriguez
, and the Joe Loco
Trio. He also worked with vocalists Tony Bennett
, Sammy Davis Jr., and Harry Belafonte
.
Martinez first recorded with Art Blakey
in 1953, and contributed to his Orgy in Rhythm
and Holiday for Skins
projects from 1957–58. Martinez became a bandleader
in 1957, recording his debut album, Palo Congo
, for Blue Note Records
. He followed it up with releases on Vik and Alegre Records
. Martinez moved to Sweden
in 1967 and recorded with the Francy Boland
-Kenny Clarke
big band, releasing two albums. Subsequently he led the group Burnt Sugar, which was active into the mid '70s. On January 13, 1979, he died in Sweden at the age of 48.
Latin jazz
Latin jazz is the general term given to jazz with Latin American rhythms.The three main categories of Latin Jazz are Brazilian, Cuban and Puerto Rican:# Brazilian Latin Jazz includes bossa nova...
albums, now recognized as classics of the genre.
Born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Martinez made his professional debut in 1941 at age 11. He replaced Chano Pozo
Chano Pozo
Chano Pozo was a percussionist, singer, dancer and composer who played a major role in the founding of Latin jazz...
in Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
's orchestra in 1948, and began performing with Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
's Bebop Orchestra in 1949. Over the next 15 years, Martinez worked with Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
, Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
, J.J. Johnson
J.J. Johnson
J. J. Johnson was a United States jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. He was sometimes credited as Jay Jay Johnson....
, Horace Silver
Horace Silver
Horace Silver , born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva in Norwalk, Connecticut, is an American jazz pianist and composer....
, Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
, Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...
, Mary Lou Williams
Mary Lou Williams
Mary Lou Williams was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Williams wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements, and recorded more than one hundred records...
, Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
, Noro Morales
Noro Morales
Norosbaldo Morales was a Puerto Rican pianist and bandleader.-Biography:Morales learned several instruments as a child. He played in Venezuela from 1924 to 1930, then returned to Puerto Rico to play with Rafaél Muñoz. He emigrated to New York City in 1935, and played there with Alberto Socarras...
, Marcelino Guerra
Marcelino Guerra
Marcelino Guerra, also known as "Rapindey" was a Cuban singer and songwriter who spent much of his life in the United States. His primary role was as a segunda voz, or harmony, singer....
, Esy Morales
Esy Morales
Esy Morales was a musician born in Puerto Rico in 1916. One of his brothers, Noro, was also a musician. Before the age of ten Morales was performing on tenor sax, clarinet and flute. In 1930 he moved to New York, and is credited on Xavier Cugat's album Cugat On Film, as well as other Cugat records...
, the Lecuona Cuban Boys
Lecuona Cuban Boys
The Lecuona Cuban Boys was a popular Cuban orchestra which toured the world for over forty years.The band was founded by Ernesto Lecuona, whose role was that of a patron-entrepreneur. He did not actually play with the band, but sometimes gave a piano recital before the band played. The core of the...
, Miguelito Valdés
Miguelito Valdés
Miguelito Valdés, born Miguel Ángel Eugenio Lázaro Zacarias Izquierdo Valdés Hernández , also called Mr. Babalú, was a Cuban popular singer of high quality...
, Tito Rodriguez
Tito Rodriguez
Tito Rodríguez was a popular 1950s and 1960s Puerto Rican singer and bandleader. He is known by many fans as "El Inolvidable" , a moniker based on his most popular interpretation, a song written by composer Julio Gutierrez.-Early years:Rodríguez , born in Santurce, Puerto Rico,...
, and the Joe Loco
Joe Loco
Joe Loco was an American Latin jazz and Latin pop pianist and arranger.Loco first played with an ensemble called Montecino's Happy Boys in 1938. In the early 1940s he served as Machito's pianist before joining the Air Force from 1945 to 1947...
Trio. He also worked with vocalists Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
, Sammy Davis Jr., and Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
.
Martinez first recorded with Art Blakey
Art Blakey
Arthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
in 1953, and contributed to his Orgy in Rhythm
Orgy in Rhythm
Orgy in Rhythm is a 1957 record by the drummer Art Blakey. It is one of the first percussion-oriented jazz records. Catalog numbers BLP-1554/1555 for Blue Note Records...
and Holiday for Skins
Holiday for Skins
Holiday for Skins is a 1958 album by jazz drummer Art Blakey. Recorded for Blue Note Records, the album was produced by Rudy Van Gelder and released in two volumes before being reissued together on CD in 2006.-Track listing:# "The Feast" - 8:54...
projects from 1957–58. Martinez became a bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
in 1957, recording his debut album, Palo Congo
Palo Congo
- Personnel :*Louis "Sabu" Martinez*Arsenio Rodríguez*Raul "Caesar" Travieso*Israel Moises "Quique" Travieso*Ray "Mosquito" Romero*Evaristo Baro*Willie Capo*Sarah Baro...
, for Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
. He followed it up with releases on Vik and Alegre Records
Alegre Records
Alegre Records was a New York record label that was founded in 1956 by Al Santiago who owned a 1950s record store in The Bronx named Casalegre and co-founded by clothing businessman Ben Perlman...
. Martinez moved to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1967 and recorded with the Francy Boland
Francy Boland
François Boland was a classically trained Belgian jazz composer and pianist.He first gained notice in 1949 and worked with Belgian jazz greats like Bobby Jaspar, and in 1955 he joined Chet Baker's quintet...
-Kenny Clarke
Kenny Clarke
Kenny Clarke , born Kenneth Spearman Clarke, nicknamed "Klook" and later known as Liaqat Ali Salaam, was a jazz drummer and an early innovator of the bebop style of drumming...
big band, releasing two albums. Subsequently he led the group Burnt Sugar, which was active into the mid '70s. On January 13, 1979, he died in Sweden at the age of 48.