Raymundo "Ray" Barretto Pagán (April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) was an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent. Throughout his career as a percussionist, he played a wide variety of

Latin music Latin music (Portuguese language, Portuguese and es, música latina) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America (including Music of Spain, Spain and Portuguese music, Portugal) ...

styles, as well as

Latin jazz Latin jazz is a genre of jazz with Latin American rhythms. The two main categories are Afro-Cuban jazz, rhythmically based on Cuban popular dance music, with a rhythm section employing ostinato patterns or a clave, and Afro-Brazilian jazz, whic ...

. His first hit, "El Watusi," was recorded by his Charanga Moderna in 1962, becoming the most successful

pachanga Pachanga is a genre of music which is described as a mixture of son montuno and merengue and has an accompanying signature style of dance. This type of music has a festive, lively style and is marked by jocular, mischievous lyrics. Pachanga o ...

song in the United States. In the late 1960s, Barretto became one of the leading exponents of

boogaloo Boogaloo or bugalú (also: shing-a-ling, Latin boogaloo, Latin R&B) is a genre of Latin music and dance which was popular in the United States in the 1960s. Boogaloo originated in New York City mainly among teenage African Americans and Latinos ...

and what would later be known as

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: ...

. Nonetheless, many of Barretto's recordings would remain rooted in more traditional genres such as

son cubano Son cubano is a genre of music and dance that originated in the highlands of eastern Cuba during the late 19th century. It is a syncretic genre that blends elements of Spanish and African origin. Among its fundamental Hispanic components are th ...

. A master of the

descarga A descarga (literally ''discharge'' in Spanish) is an improvised jam session consisting of variations on Cuban music themes, primarily son montuno, but also guajira, bolero, guaracha and rumba. The genre is strongly influenced by jazz and it wa ...

(improvised jam session), Barretto was a long-time member of the

Fania All-Stars The Fania All-Stars is a musical group formed in 1968 as a showcase for the musicians on Fania Records, the leading salsa music record label of the time. History Beginnings In 1964, Fania Records was founded in New York City by Jerry Masucci, a ...

. His success continued into the 1970s with songs such as "Cocinando" and "Indestructible." His last album for Fania Records, ''Soy dichoso'', was released in 1990. He then formed the New World Spirit jazz ensemble and continued to tour and record until his death in 2006.

Life and career

Early years

Barretto was born on April 29, 1929, in New York City. His parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico in the early 1920s, looking for a better life. His father left their family when Barretto was four, and his mother Delores moved the family to the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

, and from a young age he was influenced by his mother's love of music and by the

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

and

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

. In 1946, when Barretto was 17 years old, he joined the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

. While stationed in Germany, he met Belgian vibraphonist

Fats Sadi "Fats" Sadi Pol Lallemand (23 October 1927, Andenne, Belgium – 20 February 2009, Huy) was a Belgian jazz musician, vocalist, and composer who played vibraphone and percussion. He chose the name "Sadi" because he disliked his last name, which mea ...

. However, it was when he heard

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

's " Manteca" with

Gil Fuller Walter Gilbert "Gil" Fuller (April 14, 1920, Los Angeles, California – May 26, 1994, San Diego, California) was an American jazz arranger. He is no relation to the jazz trumpeter and vocalist Walter "Rosetta" Fuller. In the 1930s and 1940s, Fu ...

and

Chano Pozo Luciano Pozo González (January 7, 1915 – December 3, 1948), known professionally as Chano Pozo, was a Cuban jazz percussionist, singer, dancer, and composer. Despite only living to age 33, he played a major role in the founding of Latin jazz. ...

that he realized his calling.

Beginnings as a sideman

In 1949, when Barretto returned home from military service, he started to visit clubs and participated in jam sessions, where he perfected his

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

playing. On one occasion

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

heard Barretto play and invited him to play in his band. Later, he was asked to play for José Curbelo and

Tito Puente Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz ...

, for whom he played for four years. It was in 1958, while playing for Puente, that Barretto received his first recording credit. Barretto developed a unique style of playing the conga and soon he was sought by other jazz band leaders. Latin percussionists started to appear in jazz groups with frequency as a consequence of Barretto's musical influence.

Charanga Moderna and rise to fame

In 1960, Barretto was a house musician for the

Prestige Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical co ...

, and

Riverside Riverside may refer to: Places Australia * Riverside, Tasmania, a suburb of Launceston, Tasmania Canada * Riverside (electoral district), in the Yukon * Riverside, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Alberta * Riverside, Manitoba, a former rural m ...

labels. He also recorded on

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

with Jazz flautist

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet (incl ...

. New York had become the center of Latin music in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and a musical genre called

was the Latin music craze of the early 1960s. In 1962, Barretto formed his first group, Charanga La Moderna, and recorded his first hit, "El Watusi" for

Tico Records Tico Records was a New York City record label that was founded in 1948. It was originally owned by George Goldner and later acquired by Morris Levy and incorporated into Roulette Records. It specialized in Latin music and was significant for introd ...

. He was quite successful with the song and the genre, to the point of being typecast (something that he disliked).

Boogaloo and early salsa

In 1965, Barretto signed with the Latin division of

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...

, UA Latino, and began recording a series of albums in the

genre, which merges

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

with

. On his album ''El Ray Criollo'', Barretto explored the modern Latin sounds of New York, combining features of charanga and conjunto to birth a new style which would later be known as

. After recording four albums for the United Artists label, Barretto joined the Fania record label in 1967, and his first recording for the new label was the 1968 album ''Acid'', which is often cited as one of the most enduring boogaloo albums, with songs such as "A Deeper Shade of Soul" and the title track was included in the soundtrack of the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories on the fictitious Latin music radio station "Radio Espantoso". During this period,

Adalberto Santiago Adalberto Santiago (born April 23, 1937, in Pozas barrio, Ciales, Puerto Rico) is an internationally known salsa singer. Career Adalberto's relaxed and flawless lead vocals are among the best in the salsa genre of Latin music. His early influ ...

was the band's lead vocalist.

Success with Fania

In 1972 Barretto's ''Que viva la música'' was released. "Cocinando," a track from the album, opened the soundtrack of the Fania All Stars film ''

Our Latin Thing ''Our Latin Thing'' ( es, Nuestra Cosa Latina) was a 1972 documentary film directed by Leon Gast about the burgeoning Latin music scene in New York City. It focused on a concert put together by the management of Fania Records at Manhattan's Cheeta ...

'' in which Barretto had a role. After a number of successful albums, and just as his Afro-Cuban band had attained a remarkable following, most of its members left it to form

Típica 73 Típica 73 was an American charanga and salsa band in the 1970s and early 1980s, that was formed by musicians from Ray Barretto's band. "Típica" refers to the typical configuration of a Cuban chararanga while "73" refers to the year that group ...

, a multinational

conglomerate. In 1973, Barretto recorded the album ''Indestructible'', in which he played "La familia", a song written by José Curbelo in 1953 and recorded by the sonero Carlos Argentino with the Cuban band

Sonora Matancera La Sonora Matancera is a Cuban band that played Latin American urban popular dance music. Founded in 1924 and led for more than five decades by guitarist, vocalist, composer, and producer Rogelio Martínez, musicologists consider it an icon of ...

; Tito Allen joined as new vocalist. Allen left the band after "Indestructible". The series of departures left Barretto depressed and disappointed with salsa; he then redirected his efforts to jazz, while remaining as musical director of the

Fania All Stars The Fania All-Stars is a musical group formed in 1968 as a showcase for the musicians on Fania Records, the leading salsa music record label of the time. History Beginnings In 1964, Fania Records was founded in New York City by Jerry Masucci, a ...

. In 1975 he released ''Barretto'', also referred to as the ''Guararé'' album, with new vocalists Ruben Blades and Tito Gomez. Barretto played the conga in recording sessions for the

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

and the

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...

. In 1975, he was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for the album "Barretto". From 1976 to 1978, Barretto recorded three records for Atlantic Records, and was nominated for a Grammy for ''Barretto Live...Tomorrow''. In 1979, he recorded ''La Cuna'' for CTI records and produced a

record for Fania, titled ''Rican/Struction'', which was named 1980 "Best Album" by Latin N.Y. Magazine, with Barretto crowned as Conga Player of the Year.

New World Spirit

In 1990, Barretto won his first Grammy for the album ''Ritmo en el corazón'' ("Rhythm in the Heart"), which featured the vocals of

Celia Cruz Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a naturalized Cuban-American singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during t ...

. His 1968 song "A Deeper Shade Of Soul" was sampled for the 1991 ''Billboard'' Hot 100 #21

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

" Deeper Shade of Soul" by Dutch band

Urban Dance Squad Urban Dance Squad was a Dutch rap rock band formed after what was originally intended as a one-time jam-session at a festival in Utrecht on December 20, 1986. The band consisted of a guitarist, bassist, drummer, rapper, and DJ. Urban Dance Squ ...

. Also in the 1990s, a Latin agent,

Chino Rodríguez Chino Rodriguez (b February 2, 1954 - d November 5, 2022) is an American musician and impresario specializing in Latin music, salsa and Latin jazz. Biography Chino was born James Mui in New York City on February 2, 1954, in the Little Italy/ C ...

, approached Barretto with a concept he also pitched to Larry Harlow. The idea was "The Latin Legends of Fania", and Barretto, Harlow, Yomo Toro, Pete "el Conde" Rodríguez, Junior González, Ismael Miranda, and Adalberto Santiago came together and formed "The Latin Legends of Fania", booked by Chino Rodríguez of Latin Music Booking.com. However, in 1992 Barretto left the Legends to focus on his new jazz ensemble, New World Spirits, with which he recorded several albums for the

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the j ...

label. In 1999, Barretto was inducted into the

International Latin Music Hall of Fame The International Latin Music Hall of Fame (ILMHF) was an annual event established in 1999 and held in New York City to honor artists who have largely contributed to the Latin music genre. In addition to the induction into the Hall of Fame, the a ...

. In 2006, the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

awarded Barretto its Jazz Masters Award. Barretto lived in New York and was an active musical producer, as well as the leader of a touring band which embarked on tours of the

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

and

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

Death

A resident of

Norwood, New Jersey Norwood is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 5,711,heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...

and complications of multiple health issues on February 17, 2006, at

Hackensack University Medical Center Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) is a 781-bed non-profit, research and teaching hospital providing tertiary and healthcare needs located seven miles (11 km) west of New York City, in Hackensack, Bergen County, New Jersey. As of 2 ...

in New Jersey. His body was flown to Puerto Rico, where Barretto was given formal honors by the

Institute of Puerto Rican Culture The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture ( es, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña), or ICP, for short, is an institution of the Government of Puerto Rico responsible for the establishment of the cultural policies required in order to study, preser ...

; his remains were cremated.

Discography

As leader

* ''Barretto para bailar'' (

, 1961) * ''Latino!'' (Riverside, 1962) * ''Charanga Moderna'' ( Tico, 1962) * ''Moderna de Siempre'' (Tico, 1963) * ''On Fire Again (Encendido otra vez)'' (Tico, 1963) * ''The Big Hits Latin Style'' (Tico, 1963) * ''Guajira y guaguancó'' (Tico, 1964) * ''Viva Watusi!'' (

, 1965) * ''Señor 007'' (United Artists, 1966) * ''El Ray Criollo'' (United Artists, 1966) * ''Latino con Soul'' (United Artists, 1966) * ''Fiesta En El Barrio'' (United Artists, 1967) * ''Acid'' ( Fania, 1968) * ''Hard Hands'' (Fania, 1968) * ''Together'' (Fania, 1969) * ''Head Sounds'' (Fania, 1969) * ''Barretto Power'' (Fania, 1970) * ''The Message'' (Fania, 1971) * ''From the Beginning'' (Fania, 1971) * ''Que viva la música'' (Fania, 1972) * ''Indestructible'' (Fania, 1973) * ''The Other Road'' (Fania, 1973) * ''Barretto'' (Fania, 1975) * ''Tomorrow: Barretto Live'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

, 1976) * ''Energy to Burn'' (Fania, 1977) * ''Eye of the Beholder'' (Atlantic, 1977) * ''Can You Feel It?'' (Atlantic, 1978) * ''Gracias'' (Fania, 1978) * ''La Cuna'' (CTI Records/CTI, 1979) * ''Rican/Struction'' (Fania, 1979) * ''Giant Force'' (Fania, 1980) * ''Rhythm of Life'' (Fania, 1982) * ''Todo se va poder'' (Fania, 1984) * ''Aquí se puede'' (Fania, 1987) * ''Irresistible'' (Fania, 1989) * ''Ritmo en el Corazón'' (Fania, 1990) * ''Handprints'' (Concord Picante, 1991) * ''Soy Dichoso'' (Fania, 1992) * ''Live in New York'' (Messidor, 1992) * ''Salsa Caliente de Nu York'' (Universe, 2001) * ''Fuerza Gigante: Live in Puerto Rico April 27, 2001'' (Universe, 2004) * ''Standards Rican-ditioned'' (

Zoho Music Zoho Music is a Latin jazz independent record label based in New York, founded by Joachim Becker in 2003. In 2005, the label expanded to blues, R&B, Southern and classic rock on the Zoho Roots imprint. The catalog consists of over 180 CD releases ...

, 2006) With New World Spirit * ''Ancestral Messages'' (Concord Picante, 1992) * ''Taboo'' (Concord Picante, 1994) * ''My Summertime'' (Owl, 1995) * '' Contact!'' (Blue Note, 1998) * ''Portraits in Jazz and Clave'' (RCA, 2000) * ''Trancedance'' (Circular Moves, 2001) * ''Homage to Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers'' (Sunnyside, 2003) * ''Hot Hands'' (Concord Picante, 2003) * ''Time Was - Time Is'' (O+ Music, 2005)

As sideman

With

Gene Ammons Eugene "Jug" Ammons (April 14, 1925 – August 6, 1974), also known as "The Boss", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. The son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons is remembered for his accessible music, steeped in soul and ...

* ''

Blue Gene Blue Gene is an IBM project aimed at designing supercomputers that can reach operating speeds in the petaFLOPS (PFLOPS) range, with low power consumption. The project created three generations of supercomputers, Blue Gene/L, Blue Gene/P, ...

'' (

, 1958) * ''

Boss Tenor ''Boss Tenor'' is an album by saxophonist Gene Ammons recorded in 1960 and released on the Prestige label.Up Tight! ''Uptight'' (also known as ''Up Tight!'') is a 1968 American drama film directed by Jules Dassin. It was intended as an updated version of John Ford's 1935 film '' The Informer'', based on the book of the same name by Liam O'Flaherty, but the s ...

'' (Prestige, 1961) * ''

Boss Soul! ''Boss Soul!'' is an album by saxophonist Gene Ammons recorded in 1961 and released on the Prestige label.Twisting the Jug ''Twisting the Jug'' is an album by saxophonist Gene Ammons with trumpeter Joe Newman and organist Jack McDuff recorded in 1961 and released on the Prestige label.

'' (Prestige, 1961) with Joe Newman and

Jack McDuff Eugene McDuff (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era ...

* ''

Soul Summit Vol. 2 ''Soul Summit Vol 2'' is an album by saxophonist Gene Ammons with vocalist Etta Jones and organist Jack McDuff recorded in 1961 and 1962 and released on the Prestige label.962 Year 962 ( CMLXII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * December – Arab–Byzantine wars – Sack of Aleppo: A Byzantine e ...

* ''

Late Hour Special ''Late Hour Special'' is an album by saxophonist Gene Ammons compiling sessions recorded in 1961 and 1962 and released on the Prestige label in 1964.

'' (Prestige, 1961 964 * ''

Velvet Soul ''Velvet Soul'' is an album by saxophonist Gene Ammons compiling sessions recorded between 1960 and 1962 and released on the Prestige Records, Prestige label in 1964.

'' (Prestige, 1961 964 * ''

Goodbye Goodbye, Good bye, or Good-bye is a parting phrase and may refer to: Film * ''Goodbye'' (1918 film), a British drama directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Goodbye'' (1995 film) (''Tot Ziens!''), a Dutch film directed by Heddy Honigmann * ''Goodbye'' ...

'' (Prestige, 1974) With

* ''

Main Course A main course is the featured or primary dish in a meal consisting of several courses. It usually follows the entrée ("entry") course. Typically, the main course is the meal that is the heaviest, heartiest, and most intricate or substantial o ...

'' (RSO, 1975) With

Ray Bryant Raphael Homer "Ray" Bryant (December 24, 1931 – June 2, 2011) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Early life Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 24, 1931. His mother was an ordained minister who had tau ...

* ''

Dancing the Big Twist ''Dancing the Big Twist'' is an album by pianist Ray Bryant released on Columbia Records in 1961 to capitalise on the Twist dance craze.

'' ( Columbia, 1961) With

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 ...

* '' Bluesy Burrell'' (Moodsville, 1962) with

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first p ...

* ''

Midnight Blue Midnight blue is a dark shade of blue named for its resemblance to the apparently blue color of a moonlit night sky around full moon. Midnight blue is identifiably blue to the eye in sunlight or full-spectrum light, but can appear black under ...

'' (

, 1963) * ''

Crash! ''Crash!'' is a 1977 film directed by Charles Band. It starred José Ferrer, Sue Lyon, John Ericson, Leslie Parrish, John Carradine and Reggie Nalder. Synopsis Jealous invalid husband (Ferrer) tries to kill sexy blond wife (Lyon), who uses occ ...

'' (Prestige, 1963) with

Brother Jack McDuff Eugene McDuff (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era ...

* '' Soul Call'' (Prestige, 1964) * '' God Bless the Child'' (CTI, 1971) With

Arnett Cobb Arnett Cleophus Cobb (August 10, 1918 – March 24, 1989)
accessed July 2010. was an American tenor saxophonist, somet ...

* '' Party Time'' (Prestige, 1959) With

Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian Americans, Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was indu ...

* ''

Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors i ...

'' (

, 1973) With

* ''Tremendo Trío!'' (Fania, 1983) * ''Ritmo en el Corazón'' (Fania, 1989) With

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, pla ...

* ''

The Other Side of Abbey Road ''The Other Side of Abbey Road'' is a 1970 studio album by American guitarist George Benson of songs from the Beatles' 1969 album ''Abbey Road''. It was his last album for A&M Records. The front cover is a photograph of Benson by Eric Meola in ...

'' (A&M Records, 1970) With

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Edward F. Davis (March 2, 1922 – November 3, 1986), known professionally as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. It is unclear how he acquired the moniker "Lockjaw" (later shortened in "Jaws"): it is either said that ...

* '' Bacalao'' (Prestige, 1959) with

Shirley Scott Shirley Scott (March 14, 1934 – March 10, 2002) was an American jazz organist. Her music was noted for its mixture of bebop, blues and gospel elements. She was known by the nickname "Queen of the Organ". Life and career Scott was born in Phi ...

* ''

Misty Misty may refer to: Music * ''Misty'' (Ray Stevens album), an album by Ray Stevens featuring the above song * ''Misty'' (Richard "Groove" Holmes album), an album by Richard "Groove" Holmes featuring the above song * ''Misty'' (Eddie "Lockjaw" ...

'' (Moodsville, 1960

963 Year 963 ( CMLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 15 – Emperor Romanos II dies at age 25, probably of poison admini ...

with Shirley Scott * ''

Afro-Jaws ''Afro-Jaws'' is an album by saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis recorded in 1960 and released on the Riverside Records, Riverside label.Lock, the Fox'' (

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

, 1966) With Deodato * '' Prelude'' (CTI, 1972) With

Bill Doggett William Ballard Doggett (February 16, 1916 – November 13, 1996) was an American pianist and organist. He began his career playing swing music before transitioning into rhythm and blues. Best known for his instrumental compositions "Honky Tonk" ...

*''

Doggett Beat for Dancing Feet ''Doggett Beat for Dancing Feet'' is an album by American organist Bill Doggett released by the King label in 1957.Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her ec ...

* ''

True Stories and Other Dreams ''True Stories and Other Dreams'' is the ninth studio album by American singer and songwriter Judy Collins, released by Elektra Records in 1973. It peaked at No. 27 on the ''Billboard'' Pop Albums charts. The album included Valerie Carter's " ...

'' (Elektra Records, 1973) With

Lou Donaldson Lou Donaldson (born November 1, 1926) is an American retired jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop ...

* '' Swing and Soul'' (Blue Note, 1957) * '' Blues Walk'' (Blue Note, 1958) * '' Light-Foot'' (Blue Note, 1959) * '' The Time Is Right'' (Blue Note, 1959) * ''

Midnight Sun The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months in places north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle, when the Sun remains visible at the local midnight. When the midnight sun is seen in the Arctic, t ...

'' (Blue Note, 1960) * '' Cole Slaw'' (Blue Note, 1964) With

Art Farmer Arthur Stewart Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him. He and his identical twin brother, double ...

* '' Listen to Art Farmer and the Orchestra'' (

Mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

, 1962) With

Jimmy Forrest James, Jim or Jimmy Forrest may refer to: Sports * James Forrest (rugby union) (born 1907), Scotland international rugby union player * James Forrest (baseball) (1897–1977), American baseball player * James Forrest (basketball) (born 1972), Ame ...

* ''

Most Much! ''Most Much!'' is an album by saxophonist Jimmy Forrest recorded in 1961 and released on the Prestige label.Soul Street'' (New Jazz, 1962) With The

Red Garland William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. (May 13, 1923 – April 23, 1984) was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in jazz ...

Trio * ''Manteca'' (Prestige, 1958) With

Ben E. King Benjamin Earl King (né Nelson; September 28, 1938 – April 30, 2015) was an American soul and R&B singer and record producer. He is best known as the singer and co-composer of " Stand by Me"—a US Top 10 hit, both in 1961 and later i ...

* ''

Spanish Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or and historically known as Italian Harlem, is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York City, roughly encompassing the area north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, Fif ...

'' (Atco, 1961) With

* '' Carnegie Hall Concert'' (

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...

, 1961) With

Al Grey Al Grey (June 6, 1925 – March 24, 2000) was an American jazz trombonist who was a member of the Count Basie orchestra. He was known for his plunger mute technique and wrote an instructional book in 1987 called ''Plunger Techniques''. Care ...

* '' The Al Grey - Billy Mitchell Sextet'' (

Argo In Greek mythology the ''Argo'' (; in Greek: ) was a ship built with the help of the gods that Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece. The ship has gone on to be used as a motif in a variety of sour ...

, 1961) with

Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, command ...

With

Slide Hampton Locksley Wellington Hampton (April 21, 1932 – November 18, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. As his nickname implies, Hampton's main instrument was slide trombone, but he also occasionally played tuba and flugelho ...

* ''

Jazz with a Twist ''Jazz with a Twist'' is an album by American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger Slide Hampton which was released on the Atlantic label in 1962.

'' (Atlantic, 1962) With

Eddie Harris Eddie Harris (October 20, 1934 – November 5, 1996) was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ. His best-k ...

* '' Mean Greens'' (Atlantic, 1966) * ''

The Electrifying Eddie Harris ''The Electrifying Eddie Harris'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Eddie Harris recorded in 1967 and released on the Atlantic Records, Atlantic label.

'' (Atlantic, 1967) With

Jake Holmes Jake Holmes (born December 28, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and jingle writer who began a recording career in the 1960s. Holmes is the author of the song " Dazed and Confused", later reworked by Led Zeppelin. Holmes also composed the ...

* ''How Much Time'' (Columbia, 1972) With Willis Jackson * ''

Thunderbird Thunderbird, thunder bird or thunderbirds may refer to: * Thunderbird (mythology), a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples' history and culture * Ford Thunderbird, a car Birds * Dromornithidae, extinct flightless birds ...

'' (Prestige, 1962) With

Clifford Jordan Clifford Laconia Jordan (September 2, 1931 – March 27, 1993) was an American jazz tenor saxophone player. While in Chicago, he performed with Max Roach, Sonny Stitt, and some rhythm and blues groups. He moved to New York City in 1957, after ...

* ''

Soul Fountain ''Soul Fountain'' is an album featuring jazz saxophonist Clifford Jordan which was recorded in 1966 and but not released on the Atlantic Records subsidiary Vortex label until 1970.Vortex In fluid dynamics, a vortex ( : vortices or vortexes) is a region in a fluid in which the flow revolves around an axis line, which may be straight or curved. Vortices form in stirred fluids, and may be observed in smoke rings, whirlpools in th ...

, 1966

970 Year 970 ( CMLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 970th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' designations, the 970th year of the 1st millennium, the 70th yea ...

With

Yusef Lateef Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in America. Although Lateef's main instruments ...

* '' Yusef Lateef's Detroit'' (Atlantic, 1969) * '' In a Temple Garden'' (CTI, 1979) With

Johnny Lytle Johnny Dillard Lytle (October 13, 1932 in Springfield, Ohio – December 15, 1995 in Springfield) was a jazz drummer and vibraphonist. Life and career Lytle grew up in Springfield, Ohio in a family of musicians, the son of a trumpeter father ...

* '' Moon Child'' ( Jazzland, 1962) * '' The Soulful Rebel'' (

Milestone A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway line, canal or boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks; or they can give their position on the route relative to so ...

, 1971) With

Junior Mance Julian Clifford Mance, Jr. (October 10, 1928 – January 17, 2021), known as Junior Mance, was an American jazz pianist and composer. Biography Early life (1928–1947) Mance was born in Evanston, Illinois. When he was five years old, Mance st ...

* '' I Believe to My Soul'' (Atlantic, 1968) With

* '' Flute, Brass, Vibes and Percussion'' (Verve, 1959) * '' The Common Ground'' (Atlantic, 1960) * '' The Family of Mann'' (Atlantic, 1961) * ''

Herbie Mann Returns to the Village Gate ''Herbie Mann Returns to the Village Gate'' is a live album by American jazz flautist Herbie Mann recorded in 1961 for the Atlantic label but not released until 1963.963 Year 963 ( CMLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 15 – Emperor Romanos II dies at age 25, probably of poison admini ...

* ''

Our Mann Flute ''Our Mann Flute'' is an album by American jazz flautist Herbie Mann released on the Atlantic label in 1966.The Herbie Mann String Album ''The Herbie Mann String Album'' is an album by American jazz flautist Herbie Mann recorded for the Atlantic label and released in 1967.Glory of Love "Glory of Love" is a 1986 song performed by Peter Cetera, which he wrote and composed with his then-wife Diane Nini and David Foster. The song was recorded by Cetera shortly after he left the band Chicago to pursue a solo career. Featured in the ...

'' (A&M/CTI, 1967) * ''

Discothèque A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

'' (Atlantic, 1975) * ''

Waterbed A waterbed, water mattress, or flotation mattress is a bed or mattress filled with water. Waterbeds intended for medical therapies appear in various reports through the 19th century. The modern version, invented in San Francisco and patented in 1 ...

'' (Atlantic, 1975) With

* ''

Somethin' Slick! ''Somethin' Slick! is an album by organist Jack McDuff recorded in 1963 and released on the Prestige label.Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for an unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a dist ...

* '' SO Much Guitar!'' (Riverside, 1961) With

Crosby, Stills & Nash Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) were a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young as a fourth member, ...

* ''

CSN ''CSN'' may refer to: Companies * CSN Stores, former name of Wayfair, American e-commerce company * CSN International (Christian Satellite Network), religious radio broadcaster based on radio station KAWZ in Twin Falls, Idaho * ''Centrala Studies ...

'' (Atlantic, 1977) With

Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album '' The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signifi ...

* ''

Impressions of Phaedra ''Impressions of Phaedra'' is an album by saxophonist/composer/arranger Oliver Nelson recorded in 1962 and released on the United Artists Jazz label.Dave Pike David Samuel Pike (March 23, 1938 – October 3, 2015) was an American jazz vibraphone and marimba player. He appeared on many albums by Nick Brignola, Paul Bley and Kenny Clarke, Bill Evans, and Herbie Mann. He also recorded extensively as lea ...

* ''

Limbo Carnival ''Limbo Carnival'' is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Dave Pike which was recorded in 1962 for the New Jazz label.Michel Sardaby Michel Sardaby (born 4 September 1935) is a French jazz pianist. Background and career Born in Fort-de-France, Martinique, he moved to Paris, where in March 1967, he was one of the pianists, the others being Joe "Stride" Turner, Errol Parker, C ...

* ''Michel Sardaby in New York'' (Sound Hills, 2002) With

Johnny "Hammond" Smith John Robert "Johnny Hammond" Smith (December 16, 1933 – June 4, 1997) was an American soul jazz and hard bop organist. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he was a renowned player of the Hammond B-3 organ so earning "Hammond" as a nickname, whi ...

* ''

Talk That Talk ''Talk That Talk'' is the sixth studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna, released on November 18, 2011, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. It was recorded while traveling for the Loud Tour between February and November 2011, and was origina ...

'' (New Jazz, 1960) * '' Open House!'' (Riverside, 1963) With

Jeremy Steig Jeremy Steig (September 23, 1942 – April 13, 2016)Peter Keepnews, "Jeremy ...

and

Eddie Gómez Edgar Gómez (born October 4, 1944) is a Puerto Rican jazz double bassist, known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio from 1966 to 1977. Biography Gómez moved with his family from Puerto Rico at a young age to New York, where he was raised. ...

*''

Rain Forest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainforest ...

'' (CMP, 1980) With

Sonny Stitt Edward Hammond Boatner Jr. (February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982), known professionally as Sonny Stitt, was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his ...

* ''

Stitt Meets Brother Jack ''Stitt Meets Brother Jack'' (also released as Nother Fu'ther'') is an album by saxophonist Sonny Stitt with organist Jack McDuff recorded in 1962 and released on the Prestige Records, Prestige label.Jack McDuff Eugene McDuff (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era ...

* '' The Matadors Meet the Bull'' (

Roulette Roulette is a casino game named after the French word meaning ''little wheel'' which was likely developed from the Italian game Biribi''.'' In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the ...

, 1965) With

Cal Tjader Callen Radcliffe Tjader Jr. ( ; July 16, 1925 – May 5, 1982) was an American Latin Jazz musician, known as the most successful non-Latino Latin musician. He explored other jazz idioms, even as he continued to perform music of Afro-Jazz, ...

* ''Along Comes Cal'' (Verve, 1967) * ''Hip Vibrations'' (Verve, 1967) With

Julius Watkins Julius Watkins (October 10, 1921 – April 4, 1977) was an American jazz musician who played French horn. Described by AllMusic as "virtually the father of the jazz French horn", Watkins won the ''Down Beat'' critics poll in 1960 and 1961 for Mi ...

* ''

French Horns for My Lady ''French Horns for My Lady'' is an album by horn player Julius Watkins which was originally released on the Philips Records, Philips label in 1962.Smith, P. GJulius Watkins and the Evolution of the Jazz French Horn Genre accessed November 17, 201 ...

'' (

Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters i ...

, 1962) With

Weather Report Weather Report was an American jazz fusion band active from 1970 to 1986. The band was founded in 1970 by Austrian virtuoso keyboardist Joe Zawinul, American saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Czech bassist Miroslav Vitouš, American drummer and vocali ...

* ''

Mysterious Traveller ''Mysterious Traveller'' is the fourth studio album by the jazz ensemble Weather Report and was released in 1974. This was their final recording with founding bassist Miroslav Vitouš, who left due to creative differences. Vitouš was replaced ...

'' (Columbia, 1974) With

Frank Wess Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013) was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. In addition to his extensive solo work, Wess is remembered for his time in Count Basie's band from the early 1950s into the 1960s. Critic ...

* ''

Southern Comfort Southern Comfort (often abbreviated SoCo) is an American, naturally fruit-flavored, whiskey liqueur with fruit and spice accents. The brand was created by bartender Martin Wilkes Heron in New Orleans in 1874, using whiskey as the base spirit. W ...

'' (Prestige, 1962) With Charles Williams * ''

Stickball Stickball is a street game similar to baseball, usually formed as a pick-up game played in large cities in the Northeastern United States, especially New York City and Philadelphia. The equipment consists of a broom handle and a rubber ball, ...

'' (

Mainstream Mainstream may refer to: Film * ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film Literature * ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine * Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher * ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso Mu ...

, 1972)

References

External links

Ray Barretto
Discography at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

Ray Barretto
at

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

Photographs and sound
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barretto, Ray 1929 births 2006 deaths 20th-century American drummers 20th-century American male musicians American male drummers American jazz drummers American salsa musicians American people of Puerto Rican descent American male jazz musicians Atlantic Records artists Avant-garde jazz musicians Conga players CTI Records artists Cuban charanga musicians Grammy Award winners Fania Records artists Jazz fusion musicians Jazz musicians from New York (state) Jazz percussionists Musicians from New York City Puerto Rican jazz musicians Puerto Rican Army personnel The Blackout All-Stars members Tico Records artists United States Army soldiers People from East Harlem People from Norwood, New Jersey Zoho Music artists

Life and career

Early years

Beginnings as a sideman

Charanga Moderna and rise to fame

Boogaloo and early salsa

Success with Fania

New World Spirit

Death

Discography

As leader

As sideman

See also

References

External links