Hey Tony
We have talked about those things in the band and I'm happy to share. I asked if the questions were rhetorical because I thought maybe you were just stressing to me the importance of addressing those issues, rather than actually offering to hear my responses and advise me further. Also, I could see this getting long and detailed, and I wasn't sure if you really wanted to go there. But since you are willing then I'd be very happy to hear what you (and anyone) have to say on these matters and many thanks in advance.
So:
Instrumentation:
Piano, Contra Base, Trumpet, Congas (me), Bata. We might add a singer. There's no intention to add more percussion.
Tunes:
I can't tell you much other than names. I am not familiar with much of this music and for the moment I just sit down and play a tumbao from beginning to end (including appropriate variations for A,B etc) at whatever tempo is suggested. The charts come from The Latin Real Book. So far we've looked at tunes called: Obsessión, Little Sunflower, Tin Tin Deo, Solamente Una Vez and I'll Remember April.
Experience of the musicians:
-The pianist and basist are in their 40s, have been playing professionally for many years and are very adept. The trumpeter is younger but also professional from a young age. These are the guys who have the experience and know the music, though I think they haven't played Latin Jazz etc for some time and are keen to get back into it.
-The percussion section come from a folkloric and less experienced background. Although we are adept at our instruments we're not at the same level as the piano, base or trumpet. We have less playing experience in general, and very little with popular cuban music.
-The Batalero is 26 and is now beginning a career in music. He was previously playing various middle eastern percussion and a couple of years ago spent a year in cuba learning Bata.
-Me, the conguero, I have previously described. 34, with about 8 years on the congas and almost no previous musical experience. My conga playing only really took off once I first went to cuba 5 years ago. I am not a professional musician, I have another career, but I am serious about playing and do practice. I'm no master, and not very fancy, but I play well. This is the first time I am playing with professional and experienced working musicians. This is a 'step up' for me, and so far I think they are happy.
Band Intention:
We've only met twice, so it's early days and the intention is still developing. It's to be a working/paying band. And we're saying things like 'Latin Jazz' or 'fusion'. We're beginning with standards and sticking fairly close to the charts, but that's really just for the short term in order to get going and as a way of getting to know each other etc. We sometimes do a bolero at double time, or play in 6/8 instead of the chart's 4/4. It should be obvious from the slightly unusual percussion that we're looking for a different sound from absolute straight chart obediance, and that there is freedom to find something new. We realise, of course, that we're not the first people to put Bata and Congas together. The idea is that although Bata + Congas is not the normal percussion arrangement, they should nevertheless be able to create an appropriate groove to support, with base, the piano and trumpet.
One significant issue at the moment is the percussion, and the Bata in particular I suppose, as we don't really know what to do with them yet. The short term intention is that if it's a Son (for example), then we will play Son and stick quite close to the chart, but the Batalero with try to find something that compliments (tricky). Congas + Bata is a lot of similar percussion and at the moment the congas have always struck up an appropriate tumbao while the Batalero searches for something that works. This makes my job quite easy and the Bata's job more difficult. We might try it the other way round sometimes or look for other ways of building the rhythm section.
My Personal Intention:
I am just happy to be playing regularly with quality individuals who are serious about making something that works. I am following rather than leading, though I do pitch in regularly. I am enjoying being tested by the effort to play for extended periods of time, often at faster tempo than I am used to, and having to keep good time while the trumpet, base and piano go nuts and do complicated stuff that could easily throw me. I enjoy the feeling of providing a good base that enables the other musicians to feel free enough to solo etc, and I like being in amongst the music. And I would like to do all that for an audience, and that the audience would dance, or at least smile, listen, tap their feet and clap at the end. That is enough for me.
Hope that wasn't too much detail, and that I haven't bored you or other members
And I hope you will find some useful suggestions to make.
Thanks