Descarga Journal: The Machito Orchestra - Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow

Tue May 8 14:45:56 EDT 2007

The Descarga Journal • May 08, 2007

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The Machito Orchestra:
Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow

Mario Grillo in conversation with John Child

Percussionist and bandleader Mario Grillo, aka Machito Jr., made his  
stage debut at the age of five at New York's legendary Palladium  
ballroom and became the musical director of his father's even more  
legendary Afro-Cuban band in 1975. His recording debut with the  
orchestra,1975's Dizzy Gillespie y Machito: Afro-Cuban Jazz Moods  
(Pablo), and the 1977 follow-up Fireworks (Coco), were both nominated  
for Grammy Awards. Then Machito and his Salsa Big Band 1982  
(Timeless) took them all the way to Grammy land. He has led the  
Machito Orchestra since his father's death in 1984. As the title of  
the piece suggests, Mario talks to John Child about the past, present  
and future of the Machito Orchestra as well as his work with the Big  
3 Palladium Orchestra, which he co-leads with Tito Rodríguez Jr. and  
Tito Puente Jr..

John I Child (JIC): To set the scene, please tell me about the  
important musical family you were born into on March 17, 1956 and the  
rich musical heritage it represents?

Mario Grillo (MG): To begin I was born into a family of five: two  
boys and three girls. In order of birth: Martha, Frank, Barbara,  
Mario and Paula. We all received unconditional love from our parents.  
All they expected from us was to be decent human beings. I hope we  
have met this goal. Being the "son of" is always tough, people expect  
you to "leap tall buildings in a single bound." But I love the  
challenge and look forward to meeting the high expectations people  
have of me and my brother and sisters. However, we were surrounded by  
music and musicians 24/7, and would spend 10 weeks every summer at  
the Concord hotel in the Catskills for 22 years. This was my training  
and learning ground. My first teacher was Uba Nieto, my dad's timbale  
player for decades. I was five years old at the time and later that  
year I played my first gig at the Palladium playing a timbale solo  
while standing on a chair with "The King" Tito Puente. Tito has been  
a life long influence and was a mentor to me.

(NOTE: The band's 1958 album Vacation At The Concord on Coral Records  
[reissued on Verve in 2004], while not recorded at the resort, is  
testimony to Machito's close association with the hotel.)

JIC: Your father initially named his band Machito and his Afro- 
Cubans, which Bobby Sanabria has described as "one of the bravest  
acts in the history of the civil rights movement." Would you like to  
comment?

MG: Yes, it was a bold move. At that point no one was declaring  
anything, especially their roots, so to name a band Afro-Cubans in  
1939 was very forward thinking.

JIC: While your father was away for military service in 1943, his  
musical director and brother-in-law Mario Bauzá is said to have been  
responsible for the genesis of jazz / Latin fusion called at various  
times: Afro-Cuban jazz, Cubop and Latin jazz, when he created  
"Tanga." Please tell me more about the Afro-Cuban jazz / Cubop  
movement in the 1940s and early '50s and the key role the Machito  
organisation played in it?

MG: Mario Bauzá was light years ahead as far as his concept of  
marrying Afro-Cuban rhythm and the big band jazz orchestra format,  
with creative artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Flip  
Phillips, etc. It was a marriage made in heaven and continued to  
enthral audiences world wide with Chico O'Farrill, Gil Fuller, Edgar  
Sampson, René Hernández, and later Ray Santos. It took shape rather  
quickly and no one has ever looked back. The Machito orchestra served  
as the catalyst for this progressive movement in the music.

(NOTE: The band sessioned with Howard McGhee and Brew Moore on the  
Roost 78 "Cubop City - parts 1 & 2" '48: "arguably the first true  
Latin jazz recording," wrote John Storm Roberts; with Charlie Parker  
on records such as "Mango Mangüe," "Okidoke" '48-9; the 10 inch LP  
Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite '50 also featured Flip Phillips, Buddy Rich,  
Harry Edison. This material is compiled on The Original Mambo Kings -  
An Introduction To Afro-Cubop '93 on Verve; Cubop City '92 on Tumbao  
collects sessions recorded at NYC's Royal Roost and Bop City  
nightclubs '49-50 featuring McGhee, Moore and Phillips; Carambola '92  
on Tumbao compiles three live broadcasts from NYC's Birdland club '51  
featuring Zoot Sims and Moore.)

JIC: Mario Bauzá may have been the inventor of Afro-Cuban jazz, but  
it has been said that the band's popular trademark sound was provided  
by the consistently jazz-inflected arrangements of René Hernández,  
Machito's arranger and pianist from 1945 to 1966. Would you like to  
comment?

MG: I believe the expression is: "The pen is mightier than the  
sword." In the case of René, he was "the pen." Machito, Mario and the  
band were the sword.

JIC: Let's move next to talking about the first of your four  
favourite Machito albums before you joined the band, Kenya (Roulette,  
1957), the title of which was inspired by the newly formed African  
republic. José Madera, who attended the recording at the age of  
seven, has described Kenya as the greatest record ever done in the  
Afro-Cuban jazz genre. Please could you share your views?

MG: Well, when you have great musicians and arrangers and composers  
at the peak of their musical abilities, how can you go wrong?! It is  
indeed a groundbreaking performance that has stood the test of time,  
I truly doubt whether it could ever be equalled in my lifetime. But  
we will keep trying…

JIC: Your next favourite album, Mi Amigo, Machito (Tico, 1958), was  
released the year after Kenya and couldn't be more different. While  
Kenya was very much for the jazz crowd, Mi Amigo, Machito has always  
struck me as a "commercial" crossover project aimed at the mainstream  
market. The definite highlight for me is the sublime "Sunny Ray"  
composed and arranged by Ray Santos. I am looking forward to hearing  
your views?

MG: I was in Virgin Records a while back and saw that Mi Amigo,  
Machito was re-issued on CD. I bought it and put it on in the car on  
my way home. Geez, I had forgotten what a great album it was. I spoke  
to Ray Santos and he made me a fresh copy of "Sunny Ray." It is one  
of my favourite Ray Santos compositions that I still play with both  
the Machito Orchestra and the Big 3 Palladium Orchestra. There are  
"commercial" tunes on the record, which of course are geared for a  
broader audience, but they are all swinging and very well played…a  
classic Machito album.

JIC: Mi Amigo, Machito was made in the day when it was customary not  
to provide personnel credits on the album sleeve. Can you help out  
with credits for the musicians, arrangers, producer, studio,  
recording date, etc?

MG: Please check with José Madera on this question of personnel, but  
I believe it's José Mangual Sr., Uba Nieto and Johnny "La Vaca"  
Rodríguez Sr. on percussion. The horns I believe were José "Pin"  
Madera, Leslie Johnakins, Lenny Hambro and Ray Santos. Mario was  
still in the trumpet section…

JIC: I understand that your father always paid attention to popular  
musical tastes and what sold the best?

MG: He always listened to everything, both Titos of course, Count  
Basie and the Beatles. He wanted to know what people found  
interesting enough to go out and pay their hard earned money for on a  
record.

JIC: During the early '60s charanga / pachanga craze and while still  
under contract to Tico's parent company, Roulette Records, the  
Machito band made two albums for the West Coast GNP label. The first,  
Machito At The Crescendo (1961), Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros's  
recording debut with the band, is another of your favourites. Tell me  
about this project and this phase in the band's history?

MG: This was a period of transition and new blood. Mario had moved to  
the sax section and Choco was now the lead player with Fred Zito,  
John Audino and Emilio Reales. The band was on fire. Leslie Johnakins  
on baritone sax is the ultimate soloist on "Varsity Drag Mambo," a  
truly awesome album from start to finish.

JIC: The same question: can you help out with credits for the  
musicians, arrangers, producer, recording date, etc, for Machito At  
The Crescendo?

MG: Check with José Madera, he is the "Shell Answer Man" when it  
comes to personnel.

(NOTE: According to José Madera, the personnel on Machito At The  
Crescendo are: Pedro Chaparro, Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros, Jimmy  
Zito and John Audino Trumpets; Mario Bauzá, Joe Livramento, Aaron  
Sachs, (one whose name I don't remember) and Leslie Johnakins  
Saxophones; René Hernández Piano; Sarrail Archilla Bass; Armando  
Albertini Conga; Henry Rosa Bongo; Ubaldo Nieto Timbales; Carlos  
Montiel, Machito and Graciela Coro. He adds: "The entire Gene Norman  
Presents recording project was all done at one time. They recorded  
about 23 or 24 tunes that GNP later released under the guise of two  
separate albums: Machito At The Crescendo and The World's Greatest  
Latin Band.")

JIC: In 1968 the boogaloo craze was raging and Machito was without a  
recording contract. George Goldner stepped into the breach and signed  
him to his new Cotique label. The result, after a false start, was  
the Soul Of Machito (1969), which is the final selection in your  
quartet of favourite albums. The title was reissued in 2006 with  
excellent liner notes by José Madera together with previously  
unpublished personnel credits. Please share your comments about this  
project?

MG: I went to that recording as a kid, it was Machito keeping with  
the times and following the philosophy: If you can't beat 'em, join  
'em. But the album is terrific. "Ahora Si," a boogaloo, written by  
Joey Pastrana (a major player in the boogaloo era), put Machito on  
the map again with the youth of the day, who only knew Machito from  
their parents and grandparents record collections. Now, Machito was  
hip and the tunes like "El Santo En Nueva York," "Jammin' With  
Machito" and "Donde Aprendiste" were dynamite and kept the dancers on  
the ballroom floor all night.

JIC: Am I right in believing that the Grammy nominated Dizzy  
Gillespie y Machito: Afro-Cuban Jazz Moods (Pablo, 1975) with Chico  
O'Farrill was your recording debut with the Machito orchestra?

MG: Yes, and what a first recording. Dizzy Gillespie and Machito,  
need I say more! I had already been doing jingles for Chico in New  
York City and knew my way around the studio scene. This was my coming  
out party, and I will never forget it. I also recorded with the  
Village People, Patrick Jouvet, the Ritchie Family and hundreds of  
percussion over-dubs for the disco music of the day.

JIC: Are you in a position to comment on the details of the  
reportedly acrimonious split that occurred between your father and  
Mario Bauzá in late 1975?

MG: It was not acrimonious. It was a business decision. Do we go to  
Europe with an ensemble or do we wait for another point in time to go  
with the full orchestra? Mario Bauzá said no, we don't go. Machito  
and I, Mario Grillo, said yes, we would go. We were right, he was  
wrong. Period.

JIC: You replaced Mario Bauzá as musical director on 1977's Grammy  
nominated Fireworks for Harvey Averne's Coco label. This was a major  
stylistic departure for the Machito band and featured Lalo Rodríguez,  
who composed three tracks, as co-lead singer. Pleas tell me about  
this project?

MG: Just like the boogaloo era, this was a chance for Machito to  
reach a new and young audience; Lalo was very hot at that point  
having had great success with Eddie Palmieri. It was a no-brainer,  
the album was well received and provided us with a ton of work.  
Again, this was Machito saying yes instead of no.

JIC: Jorge Millet, who also arranged three tracks and played electric  
piano on his self-penned descarga "Macho," conducted the two sessions  
for Fireworks. I am interested in finding out more about Jorge.  
Please could you share your knowledge of him?

MG: Jorge was a gifted arranger, pianist and composer who died way  
too soon. He had the pulse of the music and had great love and  
respect for Machito, as such his arrangements were on the money. A  
true talent and a gentleman.

JIC: Did the band perform the material from Fireworks live with Lalo  
Rodríguez?

MG: Yes, Lalo was with us for performances in the USA coast to coast,  
Puerto Rico and Venezuela. A musical genius, beautiful voice,  
delivery and interpretation skills. As they say: one of a kind. I  
would love to do a Fireworks Volume 2.

JIC: Bearing in mind that in the second half of the '70s, the New  
York salsa boom had already peaked and smaller bands were the order  
of the day, was the Machito orchestra working much?

MG: Yes! We worked. I played places like the Corso, La Mancha,  
Chateau Madrid, NY Casino, D's Den, Honka Monka, Cork and Bottle,  
Hipocampo, Barney Google's, The Penthouse, Jupiter's, the Crazy  
Dungeon, Barbara's Club, "My Way" and weddings and bar mitzvahs, and  
corporate events…

JIC: Tell me the story behind the band's increasing number of  
European engagements that began in the mid-'70s?

MG: 1975 was the door opener for Machito, with concerts in Berlin and  
Paris. All of a sudden there was a demand for us. We went to Helsinki  
for three weeks at the Hesperia Hotel and the rest, as they say, is  
history. Our promoter, Antti Einiu, put us together with Wim Wigt of  
Timeless Records and that was the beginning of our long tours and  
recordings.

One summer we did ten weeks in Europe. We covered thirteen countries  
and 35 cities, and did enough miles on the bus to go from New York to  
California three times. Through it all, Machito was the first one on  
the bus every morning. He was a trouper and put all the young kids in  
the band to shame. Without his leadership, we would have been cooked.  
He was already in his 70s. But like they say, there is nothing more  
tenacious than an old lion, they can still roar and BITE! (Laughter)  
If memory serves me right, we did 55 gigs in 66 days. Incredible!

JIC: Give me some insight into the decision to re-brand the orchestra  
"Machito and his Salsa Big Band," which was very much a family affair  
with your sister Paula also providing vocals?

MG: Well the term salsa is generic and basically describes music of  
Cuban origin, mambo, cha cha, montuno, rumba and guaguancó. So it was  
more for the purpose of identification more than anything else.

JIC: Performances by the Tito Puente and his Latin Septet and Machito  
and his Salsa Big Band at London's now defunct Venue in November 1981  
and February 1982 respectively paved the way for increasingly  
frequent gigs by visiting Latin acts during the 1980s and subsequent  
decades. Machito and his Salsa Big Band followed this with five  
residencies at London's Ronnie Scott's club and a trio of albums for  
the Dutch Timeless label between 1982 and 1984. Before we talk about  
the Timeless records, please share your memories about the London  
residencies and the band's other international dates?

(NOTE: London dates by Machito and his Salsa Big Band: Monday 1  
February 1982, The Venue;
Monday 31 May - Wednesday 2 June 1982, Ronnie Scott's;
Monday 28 June - Saturday 3 July 1982, Ronnie Scott's;
Monday 8 September - Saturday 20 November 1982, Ronnie Scott's;
Monday 20 June - Saturday 2 July 1983, Ronnie Scott's; and...
Monday 12 April - Saturday 17 April 1984, Ronnie Scott's [probable  
'84 dates].)

MG: All it took was one gig in London and it then became our home  
base. I love London and so did Machito. We would stay up to two weeks  
at Ronnie's (in my opinion the greatest club in the world). Pete King  
and Ronnie were out of this world and treated us like royalty. I will  
always love them so much and especially my dear friend Brian Theobald  
of www.bprmusic.com.

JIC: Chocolate was a regular fixture with the Salsa Big Band in  
London. Unless my memory is playing tricks, I seem to remember that  
Nicky Marrero was with the band during one Ronnie Scott's residency.  
Probably June / July 1983? Can you confirm this?

MG: Yes, Nicky came out with us to do a summer tour that featured  
Dizzy Gillespie as our guest. Nicky is one of my idols, a dynamic  
player who gives 110% every time out. He was on bongo, Frank Valdés  
Jr. on conga. One of my all-time favourite rhythm sections. Another  
one of my favourite sections featured conguero Arturo Puerto, aka  
"Papo Conga," and Little Ray Romero on bongo. That was the rhythm  
section that went to Finland the first time in 1979. I was at the  
Pori Jazz Festival with the Big 3 last year. Mina Rakastan Suomi  
(translation: I Love Finland).

JIC: Moving to the Timeless albums, the Grammy winning Machito and  
his Salsa Big Band 1982 (recorded the weekend after the band's first  
London gig), Live At North Sea (1982) and Machito!!! (1983), all made  
in Holland and featuring Chocolate. They mainly reprised classic  
numbers from the Machito book - an exception being "Ronnie Scott  
Mambo" from the last album. How did the hook-up with Timeless come  
about and what are your reminiscences and opinions of these recordings?

MG: These recordings came about when we played in a place called Nick  
Vollebrechts Jazz Café in Laren, Holland. It went out live over the  
radio to all of Holland and neighbouring countries. Wim Wigt asked us  
to go into the studio the next day and record the set of music we  
played at Nick's. We started recording and Wim went out to get  
Chinese food for the band. When he came back to the studio we were  
gone. We recorded that Grammy Award winning album in four hours,  
basically one take per tune. A couple of tunes we took two shots at.  
Done.

Live At North Sea was a follow-up, and I always love to record live.  
What it is, is what it is - you just go out and play.

The last one was also done in four hours, mostly one take, and a  
couple of takes for a couple of the tunes. It took four hours because  
we would mix the tune right after we put it on tape. Otherwise we  
would have done it in two hours.

JIC: Then, when the Salsa Big Band (which I recall was reduced in  
size) were in London in April 1984 for a residency at Ronnie Scott's,  
your father fell ill. Please could you pick up the rest of the story?

MG: We were at the start of a European tour; Holland was first and  
then on to London and the rest of the cities on our hit list. Machito  
suffered a stroke and died in London. My brother and sisters and  
family doctor, Dr. Manuel Sanchez Acosta, came out immediately and  
they had a chance to say goodbye. A very difficult moment in our  
lives. I don't think that after 20 years, the shock of his loss has  
left us.

He was the Alpha and Omega of our lives. My dad made us breakfast,  
lunch and dinner every single day, and we never had the same meal. He  
would take our orders like a restaurant, steak for Mima, chicken for  
Frank, pork chops for me, veal for Barbara and a burger for Paula.  
And my mother (Hilda Grillo) would watch him and laugh. We were quite  
spoiled in this regard, but he didn't care, he just wanted to make us  
what we wanted. Awesome. His silver dollar pancakes in the morning  
were my favourite and I still make them for my family, with  
blueberries, or sliced bananas and whipped cream on top. His French  
toast was also killer.

(NOTE: Machito passed away on Monday 19 April 1984 at University  
College Hospital, London.)

JIC: I believe you returned to Ronnie's after Machito's death?

MG: Yes, I finished out the week of performances at Ronnie's and came  
home for the funeral. Machito said: "The show must go on, you are in  
charge, take care of business." I later returned to Ronnie's with my  
ensemble called Machito Jr. and Piscean Dreamer.

JIC: Thereafter, Ronnie's pursued an almost exclusive policy of  
staging acts from Cuba. In my view, this tended to promote and  
reinforce a very one-dimensional perception of Latin music in the UK,  
which still holds sway to a significant extent. I would be interested  
in your opinion?

MG: Everything at Ronnie's is always first class. The bands like  
Irakere, Los Van Van, etc, are top shelf, it is still the place to  
hear the very best in music: Cuban, jazz, fusion, etc.

JIC: Meanwhile, you made three Latin jazz albums with Chocolate for  
the Caimán label: Chocolate en Sexteto (1983), Rompiendo Hielo!  
(1984) and Chocolate y Amigos (recorded in the '80s, but not released  
until 1995). Tell me about these recordings and did they generate  
live work?

MG: These recordings were fun to do, Choco always liked my drum set  
playing, and having Andy González, Mario Rivera, Sergio George and  
Frank Valdés Jr., made it a magical experience. We played gigs and  
had a great time at the same time.

JIC: Your father's career was commemorated in the award winning film  
Machito: A Latin Jazz Legacy (1987), directed and produced by Carlos  
Ortiz. It had its premiere at London's National Film Theatre in  
November 1987 and was broadcast on the UK's Channel 4 in January  
1989. What are your memories of the making of this film, which I  
understand attracted some controversy?

MG: It was a wonderful film because it showed Machito as he truly  
was, humble and always appreciative of the land of milk and honey,  
America. Where else can you go with a dream and have it become  
reality? As for controversy, I don't remember anything other than  
positive reviews and the desire for people to see the film worldwide.  
Carlos Ortiz did a fantastic job and captured on film the essence of  
Machito: the man, the musician, the humanitarian, the father.

JIC: There is one incredible sequence in the film featuring Dizzy  
Gillespie, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto and Candido performing with  
Machito. A young Mario Grillo can be seen in the background playing  
campana. Tell me about this performance?

MG: Dizzy, Ray and Candido as well as Tito Puente and Celia Cruz  
joined the festivities that glorious day at City Hall. I was blown  
away by the energy and love displayed on and off the bandstand. One  
of my favourite times, for sure. By the way, Mayor Koch renamed the  
four corners of 111th Street and 3rd Avenue Machito Square. We were  
all born in El Barrio. My brother Frank felt it would be a fitting  
tribute to our father.

JIC: Tell me about the continuing story of the Machito Orchestra  
following your father's death?

MG: This is our 67th year of business and I see no reason why we  
can't make it to 100. My dad told me: "We made this band to last  
forever," and I truly believe that. I do my very best to get the best  
players to interpret this unique music, and take it around the world:  
Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, England, France, Germany, Holland,  
Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Japan, Austria, Panama,  
Colombia, Peru, Venezuela and places I don't remember…

JIC: Has Paula continued to perform?

MG: Paula has dedicated her life to the world of academia, but still  
has a gorgeous voice, a true gift from above. Machito always used to  
say: "Music is from the inside out, not the outside in."

JIC: The Machito Orchestra did not record again until October 19,  
1995, when it performed at a concert tribute to Machito recorded at  
the Hostos Community College of Arts & Culture. Three numbers were  
included in the CD Jammin' In The Bronx (Tropijazz, 1996). Tell me  
more about this event?

MG: Two dear friends, Robert Sancho and René López, put this event  
together. They wanted to pay tribute to Machito in his home borough,  
the Bronx. Ralph Mercado loved Machito and loved the performance that  
night. Ralph then released the CD on his Tropijazz label and it was a  
big success. I will forever be in debt to these three fans of Machito  
and his music.

JIC: Despite no new recordings, the orchestra enjoyed somewhat of a  
renaissance thanks to the U.S. swing revival, and marked its 60th  
anniversary with dates in Amsterdam, Paris, Hamburg, Helsinki,  
Stockholm and Copenhagen during January and February 2000. Tell me  
about this period?

MG: The music speaks for itself and people want to hear the roots. I  
love to play on the road, it's where I have always felt I play my  
best and the band sounds its best. I am also the typical tourist,  
shopping, museums and points of interest. I'm the first one on the  
tour bus, so was Machito. I dig the bus, train, plane, ferry and any  
means of transportation it takes to make it to the next gig.

JIC: Let's focus for a while on your personal activities outside the  
Machito Orchestra. I understand that you used to manage the Windows  
on the World venue at the top of the World Trade Center, and fate  
intervened on September 11, 2001 to delay your departure for a  
business breakfast scheduled for that morning.

MG: I have been involved in the food and beverage industry for many  
years and was on the opening team for the Windows on the World. I had  
gone out to California to play concerts in L.A. and San Francisco the  
week before 9/11. I broke my ankle on the trip and missed work that  
morning. I now wake up and smell the roses like never before and  
thank the good Lord for letting me stick around a bit longer and  
enjoy my family and friends. Without the support and love of my wife  
Antoinetta, I would never have made it this far.

JIC: There is a saying about London buses: you wait for ages and then  
two come along at the same time! Something similar happened with two  
New York big band CDs, The Latin Giants Play The Music of the  
Palladium (Gigante Records) and the Big 3 Palladium Orchestra's Live  
At The Blue Note (Rumba Jams), both released around the same time in  
2004. You co-led the latter, José Madera acted as musical director on  
both and there are some overlapping personnel. Then the Lincoln  
Center Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra entered the fray in 2005 with Noche  
Inolvidable (An Unforgettable Night) - Jazz At Lincoln Center's Afro- 
Latin Jazz Orchestra With Arturo O'Farrill (Palmetto Records). Surely  
economics militate against "the more the merrier" in terms of  
opportunities for gigs for big bands? What is your take on the  
situation?

MG: "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." Everybody is now  
playing the music of Machito, Puente and Rodríguez. There is a band  
in Maui called Johnny Coco and his Royal Hawaiians. They are  
recording the music of the Big 3 with ukuleles, so I say: "Jump in,  
the water's fine."

JIC: What is the current state of play with the Big 3 Palladium  
Orchestra?

MG: We are doing great, with concerts in Belleayre, New York City,  
Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco,  
Knoxville, Pori in Finland, Rome and Milan, Italy, Vic-Fezensac in  
France and more on the list to come. The goal was to play "one gig  
for the history books." We have surpassed our goal by a country mile.  
Working alongside both Tito Rodriguez Jr. and Tito Puente Jr. and  
José Madera has been a truly fantastic voyage. We battle it out on  
stage, but then go out to dinner afterwards. Ina Dittke and Brian  
Theobald made all of it possible through their incredible belief in  
the project. They had faith in us and in the band, and without them,  
we would be nowhere.

JIC: Notwithstanding the Big 3 Palladium Orchestra, I sense that you  
are re-launching the Machito Orchestra. For instance you have a new  
website: machitoorchestranyc.com. Tell me more?

MG: I re-launch the Machito Orchestra every week. As Art Blakey used  
to say: "If you're not appearing, you're disappearing."

JIC: Are there any plans to record the Machito Orchestra?

MG: Yes, I will be going into the studio soon to record "new"  
material. One composition I wrote for my daughter, that is titled  
"Francesca Marie," will also serve as the CD title.

JIC: Now my usual closing questions. Please tell me what projects you  
have been working on recently and what you have in the pipeline?

MG: I am doing a lot of teaching and have written a drum book titled  
As Easy As Pie which is available through the Machito Orchestra  
website. I was blessed to have studied as a kid with Henry Adler, Ted  
Reed, Sam Ulano, Joel Rothman and many other fine drummers and  
authors. I hope to pass on what they gave me.

JIC: Is there anything else that you would like to add that we have  
not talked about?

MG: The mission statement is easy: "Play the music as honestly and as  
true to the tradition as possible, you get the horses and you let  
them run, but you keep your 'stick hand' ready at all times."

JIC: What title would you choose for this interview?

MG: The Machito Orchestra: Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow.

JIC: In the light of what your dad said about creating the band for  
perpetuity, maybe it should be: The Machito Orchestra: Yesterday,  
Today And Forever! Thank you for sparing the time to talk to me.

Check out these related pieces in The Descarga Journal Archives:

Profile: Machito
by John Child November 18, 1999
A discographic profile of the popular Cuban bandleader, singer and  
composer.

Interview: José Madera: "Who is that guy?"
by John Child September 23, 2004
Well, that guy of the title suggested by José Madera, was born in New  
York City September 30th, 1950 to José "Pin" Madera (1911-2001), who  
was the first arranger for the Machito orchestra. The multitalented  
José Madera started playing timbales with Machito as a teenager and  
went on to become Tito Puente's conguero for 30 years. He was also  
Tito's musical director for 14 years and became a staff arranger with  
Fania Records in the 1970s. Here José speaks with John Child about  
his remarkable career with New York's legendary Mambo Kings; his  
involvement in the salsa industry and his latest project, The Latin  
Giants Play The Music of the Palladium

© Descarga.com and John Child. John Child produces and selects the  
contents of the totallyradio show Aracataca. He is an editor and  
journalist for the Descarga.com Latin music website, and a  
contributor to the MusicWeb Encyclopedia of Popular Music and Penguin  
and Guinness Encyclopedias of Popular Music, and has prepared  
compilations for the Union Square and Nascente labels.

Significant links...

• Recent the most current Editor's Picks Reviews
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• The new wave of remastered classic FANIA reissues
• The complete 2006 Descarga Update Archives: 2006
• The Descarga Homepage
• Browse our growing inventory of DVDs

FANIA in transition... The recent acquisition of the Fania related  
labels (Fania, Alegre, Cotique, Vaya, Tico, Inca, Barbaro etc.) will  
mean that this large, historically significant, catalog of titles may  
be in scarce supply until they are reissued. They are going fast. We  
strongly urge those of you who are considering any of the following  
titles to place your order while supplies last. Click below for a  
list of currently available old stock...
old_fania

• Dance salsa now with the best instructional 2-DVD set...
Eddie Torres Teaches Salsa Nightclub Style

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