In the Havana Barrio where Armando Peraza was born (no date available!) young boys learn to play the congas as nturally as their United States or European counterparts might learn to play ball. But if the ability is commonplace, the special depth or power that always separates a star from the crowd is rare. Armanzo Peraza was one of the rare ones and his boyhood friendship with two other gifted players, Mongo Santamaria and Patato, only served to hone his skills to greater magnitude and strength. Peraza went to the US in the late forties and joined Slim Gallard’s band in San Francisco, Subsequently, he played with many groups in the area and frequently sat with Dave Brubeck’s early group of which Cal Tjader was a member. He worked with Tjader again when they were both members of George Shearing’s band. But while Tjader left to form his own group, Peraza stayed with Shearing for eleven years, his reputation growing all the while. In the mid 60’s he joined Cal Tjader’s group. It was Tjader who felt Peraza’s skills demanded an album that would put them into full focus. In two days of June 1968 he got together in the studio with the best musicians anyone could dream off. His friends; Johnny Pacheco (f); Sadao Watanabe (f,as); Sol Schlinger (bar); Mike Abene (p.el-p,arr); Chick Corea (p); Chuck Rainey (el-b); Bobby Rodriguez (b); Donald MacDonald (d); Tommy Lopez, Cal Tjader (perc); Gary McFarland (arr). Armando’s talent lies in the complexity and originality of the rhythms he develops. On this album, with other percussionist handling the basic rhythm, he is free to explore, punctutate and build as he sees fit. Interestingly, the effect is not that of a series of drum solos but rather strangely melodic in the most exciting Latin Tradition. This is Armando’s one and only album as leader. He thrived in progressive settings that combined Jazz and Afro-Cuban idioms and was at the vortex of a new musical expression named “Cubop.” He has performed on more than 100 albums and is the songwriter of more than 40 songs. Some of these works include collaboratorations with Mongo Santamaria, George Shearing, Cal Tjader and Carlos Santana. During his long and prolific career, which has spanned more than 60 years, Armando Peraza has performed and recorded with such musical icons as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Machito, Josephine Baker, Art Tatum, Dave Brubeck, Eric Clapton, Linda Ronstadt, Frank Zappa, Rick James, Aretha Franklin Peggy Lee, Jaco Pastorius… It’s been noted that this cumulative, wide ranging, eclectic musical experience has arguably made Armando Peraza the most traveled and widely-heard percussionist.