#224 Alex Acuña- Master Percussionist with Weather Report, Elvis, Diana Ross & More!
Born to a musical family in Lima, Peru, Alex Acuña started playing in local bands at 10, and by 18 was playing in the great Perez Prado’s band. In 1967 he moved to Puerto Rico, where he studied at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music, and played under the direction of the famed Spanish cellist master Pablo Casals. Alex moved to Las Vegas in 1974, where he played with such greats as Elvis Presley and Diana Ross. Between 1975 and 1977, he cemented his place in jazz history when he became both drummer and percussionist for one of the most innovative and pioneering jazz groups of all time, Weather Report. Alex moved to L.A. in 1978 where he quickly earned the position of a valued session drummer and percussionist for recordings, television and motion pictures. His countless album and live credits include such diverse artist as U2, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald, Chick Corea, Placido Domingo, Tito Puente, Santana and many, many more. Alex has received countless awards and honors throughout his career, including the Emeritus MVP award from NARAS (National Academy of Recording for the Arts and Sciences) and “Best Latin/Brazilian Percussionist” in the Modern Drummer’s Readers Poll for five consecutive years.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Steve Gadd! Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945) is an American drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the most well-known and highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1984. Gadd's performances on Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" and "Late in the Evening" and Steely Dan's "Aja" are examples of his style. He has worked with popular musicians from many genres including Simon & Garfunkel, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Harry Chapin, Joe Cocker, Grover Washington Jr., Chick Corea, Lee Ritenour, Paul Desmond, Chet Baker, Al Di Meola, Kenny Loggins, Eric Clapton, Michel Petrucciani, and Toshiki Kadomatsu.
Happy Birthday to (friend of the show) Karl Perazzo. Karl, since the age of 2 has played some kind of drum or other. At age 7 he played in a band that his mother and father formed. From there he became unstoppable and went on to play with Cal Tjader while only in the 6th grade.
Karl Perazzo, born and raised in San Francisco's Mission District, has gone on to play with the best in Pop, Jazz, Rock and Latin Music. The self-taught musician is currently playing with the Santana Band. He has recorded 3 albums with Santana, one being a Live album in South America.
He has also recorded and played with Malo, Jorge Santana, Cal Tjader, Dizzy Gilespie, Andy Narrel, Ray Obiedo, Tom Coster, Pete and Coke Escovedo, Dennis Chambers, Sheila E., The Artist, Mariah Carey, Paquito D' Rivera and is on the latest John Lee Hooker album. Latin Music, such as Tito Puente, Machete, Ruben Blades and others. Perazzo is not only known nationally, but internationally as well. He is known to have recorded with some of the best acts in Japan and Italy.
In addition to all of the above, Karl has also performed on an array of TV shows, such as American Bandstand, Soul Train, Solid Gold, Jay Leno, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, The Grammies, The American Music Awards, and was the first percussionist to be invited to sit in with The Arsenio Hall Show house band on more than one occasion, and to perform on his 100th show.
Aside from all this Perazzo still finds the time to travel the country doing clinics for the Latin Percussion Music Group. He strongly believes that the knowledge he has is not his to keep, but to be shared with people around the world!
Happy Birthday to Justin Brown. The drummer Justin Brown first arrived in New York almost 15 years ago, scholarship in hand, to attend Juilliard. He lasted at school for exactly one day.
He said he looked at the traditional jazz-based curriculum and made the decision to leave immediately. “Man, this is stuff that I kind of have studied already,” he remembered thinking. “I’m at a point to expand and grow.”
Sitting in Harlem’s Jackie Robinson Park on a recent evening, he spoke with a mix of shy introspection and lighthearted confidence. “I just couldn’t help but to feel that a real jazz musician is going to adapt to new music,” he said. “They’re not going to have one level or one way of thinking.”
So Mr. Brown quit school and set about finding as much work as possible. He joined rock bands, attended hip-hop and R&B jam sessions religiously, practiced nonstop, sought out mentors. It started paying off immediately. Today, at 34, he is one of the most highly regarded drummers in music.
For many years he has held down the drum chair for Ambrose Akinmusire, probably jazz’s most influential bandleader under 40. And Mr. Brown has recently been playing festivals and rock clubs around the world with Stephen Bruner, known as Thundercat, the oddball prince of modern-day fusion, who skates between jazz, hip-hop and psychedelia. (Mr. Brown also collaborates with Flying Lotus, Esperanza Spalding and Terence Blanchard, to name just a few.)
Gig Alerts
The Bayfront Jazz Festival will take place in Miami, FL on Friday April 30th and Saturday May 1st. You can get in person and livestream TICKETS HERE.
Los Angeles’s famed Hollywood Bowl is officially set to reopen this summer, venue higher-ups have announced.
These shows’ artist lineups, dates, and ticketing specifics will become available on Tuesday, May 11th, according to the nearly century-old venue. Moreover, the Hollywood Bowl emphasized that California’s plan to roll back most COVID-related restrictions by June 15th presents “some uncertainty about what this summer will allow, and we are currently reworking our plans for the season.” -Article
For, all you future drum builders, A&F Drum Company is now hiring for entry level positions in production. If you have a craftsman bend, attention to detail, a desire to have a career as a drum builder, and willing to move or already live in Austin, then Email them at Richard@Anfdrumco.com for an interview!
Social Soundbyte
Afro Raíces, is a story of interconnected experiences from the African Diaspora. It's a collaborative intercultural dialogue, featuring Ethiopian keyboardist Kibrom Birhane offering his personal style of spiritual jazz infused with Ethiopian motifs, accompanied by David Goodwin’s pulsating bass, Evan Greer’s dynamic approach to the drum set along with the masterful djembe playing of Jelani Blunt and Kahlil Cummings, both Los Angeles natives with deep roots in West Africa.
Afro Raíces is produced and performed by Panamanian born multicultural percussionist Nakeiltha “Nikki” Campbell, she is rooted in a diverse repertoire of percussion instruments offering her dynamic approach on djembe, Congas and many more. She shares a fresh perspective with various music genres of the Diaspora, both traditional and contemporary. She has performed and/or toured with the likes of Lila Downs, Stevie Wonder, Aloe Blacc, The Rebirth, and Adaawe.
There’s also the release of the album 'Acertijos' from acclaimed singer and percussionist, Pedrito Martinez.
'Acertijos' (Riddles) contains nine new songs—Aumba, My Father’s Eyes, Yo Si Quiero, If You Don't Know How To Dance, Ciudadano, Por Que Sera, Inhospito Mundo, Blasfemador, and Afina el Arroz.
The music on ‘Acertijos’ is playful and profound, juvenile and ancient, while it ascertains with sounds of Yoruba, rumba, jazz, and timba. “A compilation of emotions,” Pedrito calls it, “and the story of my life living in New York and Cuba.”
The album features a myriad of all-star guests including Eric Clapton, Gilberto Santa Rosa, and Isaac Delgado. Not only is this album available on all the streaming sites and on CD, but you can get a limited edition VINYL RECORD.
Educational Spotlight
Paolo De Gregorio (of DG Cajons) presents a synthesis of the history of the Peruvian cajon, from its origin until present days.
Iconic Recording
The iconic recording is “Una Negra Y Un Negro” by Peru Negro, from the ‘Zamba Malato’ album. Perú Negro is an Afro-Peruvian musical ensemble founded in 1969 to celebrate and preserve Peru's black culture and música criolla. Ronaldo Campos de la Colina founded the Lima-based group with 12 family members. The group has been appointed by the government of Peru as the "Cultural Ambassadors of Black Peru." When Ronaldo Campos died in 2001, his son Rony Campos took over the direction of the troupe. Today, the group has over 30 members and a youth troupe, Peru Negrito. The group's album, Sangre de un Don led to the first ever U.S. tour in 2002. In 2005 the group was honored with two Grammy nominations for their second US album, Jolgorio. The first nomination came through the Latin Grammys’ traditional music category and the second for the Grammy's World Music category and in 2008 the group received another Grammy nomination for their album Zamba Malato. In 2010, the group teamed up with famed Peruvian singer, Eva Ayllon to record the album 40 years of Afro Peruvian Classics. The collaboration led to a Latin Grammy Nomination for Best Folk Album.
Music News
CD Baby has a Release Plan Generator for you and your new music.
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If you post on YouTube a lot you’ve probably run into a copyright problem before. Maybe you’ve used a piece of a song by someone else, or a piece of video, or even a graphic. Maybe you’ve received a copyright warning over your own music, which is the ultimate insult. The problem is that these strikes pop up after you post – sometimes way past the time it was posted. It’s always a surprise. YouTube is trying to make this easier though, and has instituted a new system called YouTube Checks that will actually warn you of a copyright problem even before you post. -Article
Want to Make Your Music Blow Up on TikTok? Here Are 8 Proven Tips. Many artists, including quick-rising creators and established acts alike, have enjoyed substantial commercial success as a result of viral TikTok trends. But what’s the secret to blowing your music up on TikTok? -Article
There’s a new petition on Move On. It is asking the Biden-Harris Administration to plan to restore President Obama's opening with Cuba including general licenses for all travel; cultural, sports and educational exchanges; flights to regions and cruises; unrestricted remittances and personal transfers; agricultural sales; business agreements; and renewal of full embassy and consular services. -SIGN THE PETITION
This episode is sponsored by Eucatape. You can use the code EUCATAPE15 for 15% off your order at checkout!
Alex Acuña Interview
The song leading into the interview is “All For Nothing” from the ‘No Accent’ album by Alex Acuña & The Unknowns.
Alex talks about his musical family, specifically his father and five brothers.
Alex started gigging at age 12, and moved to Lima at 16. Alex’s first gig was with Lucho “Chiquito” Macedo. At 18 he got a gig with Perez Prado which took him on tour.
After leaving Peru, Alex attended the National Conservatory of Music in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Alex talks about the musical acts and great drummers that came through Puerto Rico while he was there studying. Then he talks about moving to Vegas and working with Rafael "Tata" Palau, Orlando “Papito” Hernandez and (friend of the show) Walfredo De Los Reyes Sr.
Alex mentions he is in the middle of writing two books for percussion and drums.
Alex talks about Don Alias and their friendship. Shout out to the drummer Norman Roberts. Thanks to Don, Alex ended up playing with Weather Report.
Damon met Alex in London at a show called Don Alias and Friends.
Damon mentions a couple of albums Alex played on that are more intimate (i.e. Joni Mitchell, Ricky Lee Jones).
Alex talks about being part of the Musicians Union and some of the benefits. He credits his mother with pushing that.
Alex got into playing on film scores from his relationship with Lalo Schifrin.
Alex mentions some of the other percussionists who played on a lot of film scores like Emil Richards, Joe Porcaro and (friend of the show) Luis Conte. Special shout-out to Larry Bunker.
Alex talks about the Secret Life of Pets soundtrack with Alexander Desplat and West Side Story soundtrack by David Newman.
Alex tells a story about orchestrating a Djembe part. That was for the soundtrack of the movie Amistad.
Alex does a little demo on his cajon that he’s sitting on.
Alex talks about some of the folkloric styles of music in Peru. He also talks about the recording ‘Touchstone’ with Chick Corea, Paco de Lucia and Don Alias.
Alex talks about his cajon and the tragedy of the maker of the A Tempo cajons.
Damon and Alex talk about Caitro Soto and Ronaldo Campos and Peru Negro. If you want a deeper dive into the history of the cajon, there is this documentary too.
Alex uses Gon Bops Percussion, DW Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Zoom Recorders, and Evans Drumheads.
Shoutout to Raymond “Monchito” Muñoz Rodriguez who was Alex’s teacher. He is a Latin music bandleader and percussionist popular during the New York mambo and cha cha cha boom of the 1950s. Monchito played bongo for Tito Puente, but in 1959 moved to Tito Rodriguez's band to be able to play timbales.
