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#425 Marc Anthony Percussion Section- Eric Velez, Jessie Caraballo, Marcos Lopez & Alberto Reyes!

#425 Marc Anthony Percussion Section- Eric Velez, Jessie Caraballo, Marcos Lopez & Alberto Reyes!

Damon Grant

This week’s guests are from Marc Anthony’s percussion section. Three of them have previously been on the show.

Eric Velez is one of the most respected Latino percussionists of his generation. He is of Puerto Rican descent, and was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. Eric learned to play congas, bongos, and timbales at the young age of three with the assistance of his brother. His first musical performance was with Grupo Fascinacion at the age of fifteen.  At the age of seventeen, Eric played with Eddie Palmieri and in 1993 made his first recording with Marc Anthony for the movie soundtrack "Carlito'ís Way."  In 1996, Eric continued to record under RMM Records with producer Isidro Infante. Eric also traveled with the RMM Band, featuring Tito Puente. In 1997, Eric joined Marc Anthony'ís band and later that year performed for President Clinton'ís 1997 Inaugural Ceremony.  A year later, Eric recorded with Celia Cruz.  In 1999, Eric joined D.L.G. and also recorded with various artists under record producer Sergio George.

Between 2000 and 2004, Eric performed with Marc Anthony on two tours, several TV shows, including Jay Leno, as well as the HBO Special: Marc Anthony the Concert. In 2005, Eric joined the "Juntos en Concierto Tour" featuring Marc Anthony. Later that year, Eric and his brother, Joe Juicy Jusino recorded a Salsa CD titled, "Juicy and Eric 'ñ Huracan." In 2006, Eric went on another "Juntos en Concierto Tour 2" featuring Marc Anthony.  In October, Eric recorded with Marc Anthony for "Marc Anthony in Tenerife."  In 2007, Eric continued to play with Marc Anthony and also began playing percussion with Jennifer Lopez and appeared on American Idol and David Letterman.  The following year, Drum! Magazine named Eric "Runner-up for Percussion Rising Star."  

In 2009, Toca Percussion launched the Eric Velez Signature Series Congas and Bongos. In October, Eric returned to the White House and performed with Marc Anthony for the "Fiesta Latina" performance. Eric has received many renowned distinctions, including another award by Drum! Magazine in 2009.  He was named "Live Percussionist of the Year," "Runner-up Percussionist of the Year," "Runner-up Latin Percussionist of the Year," and "Runner-up Percussion Product of the Year."  In 2010, Eric'ís influence was significantly recognized once again when he was awarded Drum! Magazine'ís "Runner-up Live Performer of the Year" and "Runner-up Latin Percussionist of the Year."  In May 2011, Eric performed with Marc Anthony during the season finale of American Idol. Once again, his accomplishments were recognized when Eric received the award for "Runner-up Latin Percussionist of the Year" by Drum! Magazine.

In 2012, Eric performed with Marc Anthony during the finale of Q'íViva: The Chosen. In June, Eric played for President Obama at the "Latinos for Obama Fundraiser" at the Jackie Gleason Theater.  That same year, Eric received an award by Drum! Magazine as "Runner-up Latin Percussionist of the Year."  Eric toured this summer with the "GIGANT3S Tour" featuring Marc Anthony. He will be ending the year in Latin America with the "GIGANT2S Tour" featuring Marc Anthony.  

Jessie Caraballo was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on February 14, 1985. He has managed to forge a career that few people twice his age achieve. Currently playing with Latin superstar Marc Anthony, Jessie dazzles with his fluid style and technique.

Jessie’s God given abilities were seen early on, at age six, when he began 
playing drums with the family band. By the time he was fifteen, he went on his first tour with the Christian band El Trio De Hoy. This began a professional career which would see him playing concerts and local clubs in the local Orlando, Florida area. By the age of sixteen, he landed a gig with Pop/Latin singer Brenda K Starr. This led to many other opportunities, including recording and performing with Huey Dunbar, Don Omar, Tito Nieves, Ng2, Jennifer Lopez, Domingo Quinonez, Tony Vega, Frankie Negron, Charlie Cruz, Michael Stuart, N- Klave, Jose Alberto El Canario, Samuel Hernandez, Ron Kenoly, Tercer Cielo, Vico C, Funky, Jan, Lilly Goodman, William Mcdowell, Sunny Paxson, Sisaundra Lewis, Eric Darius, Nick Collionne and many others. Jessie also has worked with noted producers, among them Sergio George, Ricky Gonzales, Angel Fernandez as well as such clients as Disney World. In 2005 Jessie did a nationwide tour called The Juntos Tour which featured Marc Anthony, Alejandro Fernandez and Chayanne. In 2006 Jessie did another Juntos tour which featured Marc Anthony, Marco Antonio Solis and Laura pausini. In 2007 Jessie did another Juntos tour which featured Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez. 

Marcos Lopez is one of the most promising multi-genre percussionists that broke through the music scene out of his native Puerto Rico. He's armed with a reputation for his profound ability to transition seamlessly between diverse styles with great precision, thanks to a history of great and abundant influences from every part of the world. Marcos is leading an inspiring movement among the musicians of this time that has broad implications for the modern percussion performers.

  Lopez began to make his path known with the salsa group N’Klabe. Following its inception, he has become unstoppable. He has toured and performed with figures like Cuban superstar Issac Delgado, Puerto Rican all-stars Wisin & Yandel and salsa veterans like Victor Manuelle, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Tony Vega, Andy Montañez, Ismael Miranda, La India and Tito Nieves in venues like the Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center and the Carnegie Hall. Marcos has also appeared in ABC’s Good Morning America and the Late Night Show with Seth Meyers along pop duo Karmin. 

  As a Berklee College of Music alumni and after only 4 years as a New Yorker, Marcos Lopez has expanded his frontiers as a percussionist. He has appeared in countless recordings, including his contribution and featuring in  major studio projects including Ceremony with Nea jazz master Dave Liebman, which was released in November 2014 and Maldades with Grammy winning artists Humberto Ramirez and Oskar Cartaya, released in 2015. He has become a member of the Max Weinberg Orchestra and has also been on tour with Multi-Grammy award winner Lila Downs, superstar Thalia as well as with the Grammy nominee band Plena Libre. 

Thanks to family influences, including his grandfather Sammy Ayala, who was one of the founders of Cortijo y su Combo, Marcos began playing caribbean percussion instruments at age two. At age seven, he got into the Conservatory of Music in Puerto Rico and at age twelve he was accepted in the Escuela Libre de Musica where he trained in classical percussion, graduating in 2006. Within that time, in 2005, he won a full scholarship from Berklee College of Music, from which he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Music Business & Management in 2011.
While at Berklee, Marcos was part of “La Timbistica”, a group of Latin Jazz with worldwide influences that represented the talent of the renowned college. They headlined the Heineken Jazz Fest in Puerto Rico, the Monterey Jazz Fest in California, the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival in Washington D.C, the Saratoga Jazz Festival in NY,and many more. They were awarded Downbeat Magazine’s 2008 Jazz Group of the Year Award in the collegiate category. 

As an educator, he has given percussion clinics and performances at The Montreal Drum Fest, PASIC, Berklee College of Music and in the Percussion Festival in The Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music.

Marcos is continually working to reach new levels, musically and artistically. His evolution rests on a solid foundation layered with diligence and a strong work ethic that has been nourished by all his years in the music industry. These qualities manifest themselves in a form of professionalism rarely found in musicians his age and make him a treasure among the percussionists of this era.

Alberto “Cuquito” Reyes has earned his place among the quintessential percussionists of this generation by radiating passion, dedication, an outstanding work ethic, and a teamwork mentality that goes above and beyond. Winner of “La Medalla del Sol” by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando, Cuquito thrives across multiple instruments flawlessly while working with Latin Artist Marc Anthony, Unified Sound, Jerry Rivera, and Milly Quezada as well as some of the top entertainment and corporate band companies in the USA, showcasing a diverse and extensive music repertoire that ranges from salsa and jazz to top 40 pop and r&b hits.

Cuquito was born into a musical family in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, and moved to Florida a few years later, where he got his professional start at seven years old while subbing for the timbalero of his dad’s band, Orquesta Vibración. From that day forward, he knew music was there to stay. While in school, he joined jazz bands, marching bands, and symphonic orchestra classes, developing skills vital in his journey to play with artists like Lalo Rodriguez, Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz, Anthony Cruz, Rafael de Jesús, and the legendary Tito Puente.
In 1996, Cuquito left on tour with contemporary jazz artist Marc Antoine for their

Urban Gipsy tour. On a brief return to Florida, while attending a workshop by the great Tito Puente at the Disney Institute, he suddenly found himself on stage playing alongside Puente once again.

Since then, Alberto has graced the stage with multiple artists like Gabriela Anders, Giselle, Bonny Cepeda, Tito Nieves, Michael Stuart, José Alberto “El Canario,” , Cheo Feliciano, Andy Montañez, among others, showcasing the versatility and professionalism of a leader everywhere he goes. Some of his most notable performances include Carnegie Hall with Tito Nieves and special guests La India, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Ismael Miranda, and Tony Vega, as well as the Norwegian Cruise Lines’ original production of Havana.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Brandon Estes! Brandon Estes is the Associate Director of Bands at Naperville Central High School where he co-teaches concert bands, marching band, pep band, percussion ensemble and instructs the Music Appreciation course.

A native of Houston Texas, Brandon holds a B.M. in Music Education from Texas State University San Marcos (2004) as well as his M.M. in Music Performance-Percussion from Northern Illinois University (2006).

Mr. Estes extensive drum corps experience includes membership with the Pioneer (1998 00), as well as the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps (2001 02). He also served as Co-Arranger and Percussion Caption Head of the Blue Stars (2005) and has been on staff with the Madison Scouts. Brandon currently serves as Director and a performing member of the Chicago Bears Drumline and is a founding member of the Chicago Bulls Stampede Drumline.

As an orchestral musician, Mr. Estes has performed with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Elmhurst Symphony of Elmhurst, Illinois as well as the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Brandon currently resides in the Chicago suburbs with his wife and anxiously awaits the birth of his first child.

Happy Birthday to Clayton Cameron! Los Angeles, California native Clayton Cameron began showing an interest in drumming at the young age of seven. According to Clayton, his parents were always supportive of his pursuits and they bought him a drum kit and had him taking lessons by the time he was twelve. After High School, Clayton went on to earn a degree in Music from California State University. While in school he played around the Los Angeles area with some of his mentors and early influences such as Ernie Andrews, Teddy Edwards, Larry Gails and Gerald Wilson. After graduating from college, Clayton settled in Las Vegas where he played regularly with a small Jazz trio known as The Kirk Stuart Trio and continued to develop his skills as a brush player. Clayton quickly found that the small jazz club settings and trio groups called for mostly low volume playing, and as a result, Clayton developed a distinct and potent style of brush playing. Today, Clayton is widely known as a brush master.

During his time in Las Vegas, Sammy Davis Jr..'s musical Director George Rhodes hired Clayton to be his drummer. Clayton cites Sammy Davis' tap dancing as an influence on his brush playing. Clayton also played drums for Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra during this time. In 1988/89, Clayton toured with the three members of the "Rat Pack" an experience he will always treasure.

In 1990, Clayton completed and released his instructional video entitled "The Living Art of Brushes". This was the first drum instructional video dedicated to brush playing. At this time Clayton also toured with Jazz legends Joe Pass, Joe Williams and George Shearing.

In 1993, Clayton became the drummer for music legend Tony Bennett. He has recorded six Grammy nominated albums and played on many world tours with Tony. In 1994, Clayton shared in the honor of Tony Bennett's Grammy award for his "Tony Bennett Unplugged" album. This was the first Grammy awarded for a live recording.

Clayton has also released the book Brushworks, a comprehensive text on the subject. Aside from being the definitive reference book on the art of brushes, Brushworks will for the first time allow novice brush players insight into the mechanics of the art form. Clayton continues to tour and record, and work on his many drumming education projects.

Happy Birthday to Sarah Hagan! Sarah is the Director of Artist Relations at Musora Media Inc., which manages the brands Drumeo, Pianote, Guitareo, and Singeo. She is responsible for artist bookings and relationships for these brands. She is also the Co-Owner of Royal Cymbal Company, where cymbals are made for artists by artists. With experience in artist relations and marketing coordination, Sarah has worked with prestigious companies such as Musora Media Inc., Avedis Zildjian Company, and Capital Fulfillment Group. As the Founder of Sarah Hagan Media & Consulting, Sarah brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the industry. Sarah also served as the First Vice President and Treasurer at the Percussive Arts Society. Sarah holds a Bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature as well as Criminal Justice from Stonehill College.

Gig Alerts

The Roots Picnic is happening in Philadelphia, PA from May 31st-June 1st.

The Sips and Sounds festival is happening in Austin, TX on March 7th & 8th.

South by Southwest is happening from March 7th-15th.

Mardi Gras (aka Fat Tuesday) is March 4th. There are a bunch of events in New Orleans happening.

Some of those Mardi Gras events are happening at Tipitina’s.

The New Orleans Jazzfest is happening from April 24th-May 4th.

Before Jazzfest kicks off on April 29th, there is the 3rd Annual Zildjian Jam also happening at Tipitina’s.

Friends of the show, Taku Hirano and Pedro Segundo will be part of this lineup.

Educational Spotlight

The educational spotlight is a bunch of Day of Percussion events, which can be found on the Percussive Arts Society website on the ‘chapters’ tab. The NY chapter event is not listed, but you can find more information on that event by CLICKING HERE.

Upcoming Chapter Events

Iconic Recording

The iconic recordings for this week are:

Eric: Machito’s “Kenya”, James Brown with Louie Bellson’s big band (not Duke Ellington) “Soul on Top”, “Maestra Vida” performed by Ruben Blades.

Jessie: “Glory To Glory To Glory” performed by Fred Hammond.

Marcos: “Please, Please, Please” performed by Sabrina Carpenter.

Alberto: “Botaron la Pelota” performed by Willie Rosario and Gilberto Santa Rosa.

Music News

A new fellowship announced this week gives 20 jazz musicians $100,000 each, no strings attached. Just one stipulation: They have to be at least 62 years old.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation came up with the idea of honoring elder musicians with the Jazz Legacies Fellowship, says president Elizabeth Alexander. -Read More

Marc Anthony Percussion Section Interview

The song leading into and out of the interview is taken from a live performance of Marc Anthony’s show.

Eric explains when the section deviates from the traditional instrumentation to include other instruments and colors. That is initiated by their boss, Marc.

Alberto mentions learning the record first and then having the freedom to try other things in the live show.

Eric talks about the chemistry.

Marcos talks about the influences and vocabulary everyone has and references.

Shout-out to the musical director, Angel Fernandez.

Marcos talks about the evolution of the band and arrangements.

Alberto talks about being the newest member of the section and how he approaches things.

Jessie mentions the section moves as a unit without one person “driving the bus”.

Damon asks if the members have a favorite percussion section of the past.

Alberto says the Marc Anthony section of Eric Velez, Jessie Caraballo, and Curtis Rodriguez.

Marcos says Marc Quinones, Bobby Allende and Ray Colon.

Jessie says the same section as Marcos, but also Eric, Bobby and Curtis. He brings up the concert that was on HBO.

Eric says Tommy Lopez and Manny Oquendo, Eddie Montalvo and Nicky Marrero, Nicky Marrero and Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez, Ray Baretto and Orestes Vilato and Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez. and more.

Eric says the Fania All Stars and Tipica 73 rhythm sections might be his favorite.

Marc Anthony has had 37 No. 1 Hits and 57 Top 10 Hits on the Billboard charts.

They talk about getting a high-profile gig in Latin music. Jessie Had to audition, and everyone else came through recommendation. Alberto had no rehearsal and Marcos only had a soundcheck to prepare. Alberto had a lot of YouTube preparation.

Shout-out to Unified Sound.

Marcos talks about the Marc Anthony band being able to cover multiple genres authentically.

Eric shouts-out Ralph MacDonald, Richie “Gajate” Garcia, Luis Conte, Munyungo Jackson, and Lenny Castro, for inspiration as a pop percussionist.

Alberto talks about the communication.

Jessie talks about continuous learning and growing.

Things keeping the fellas sane:

Alberto has cooking (especially his grandmothers recipes) and golf.

Marcos does baking, resting/recharging, yoga practice and working on new music.

Jessie has basketball and his family.

Eric has the sports he watches, comics and video games. He also mentions his family, new music and resting. He also is into cooking and shopping healthier.

They are heading back out on tour.

They mention things that help them tour/travel well.

Damon and Eric talk about maximizing your points with airline and hotels.

Marcos always brings his yoga mat on tour.

Eric brings a video game system with him and books to read.

Alberto brings a firestick.

Jessie brings a fan.

They talk about airline status. Eric has hit the million miler club on American Airlines.

Damon mentions mastertour.

They mention the iconic recordings for the week.

Marcos has influenced Eric’s listening with artists like Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny.

You can follow Eric, Jessie, Marcos, and Alberto on instagram.

#424 Trevor Lawrence Jr.- Drummer, Composer, Inventor and More!

#424 Trevor Lawrence Jr.- Drummer, Composer, Inventor and More!

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