Lord... You know all things.... Thank you for being with me and all the decisions in both my music and life. I was in line for stardom in music, and although I worked hard in my early years, there were those that stepped in front of me to make sure I would not go forward. My music was supported by very few in my family and with very few friends. My daughter Jessica and Brother Eddie were always behind me. I was given the opportunity to at least twice meet with Pacheco to produce Kin Kon, sort of a variety tune like El Negrito Bembon, Perico en la via... I even had a chance to be produced with Cotique Records, had a chance at being a house band for Playboy Club downtown. I had become some what dissolution in 1973 when I had left the LeBron Bros who reneged in paying me for the recording... Picadillo A La Criolla, and it took me a while to trust any another bands in the early 70s. Bobby Rodriguez asked me to record with his brother Ray, which I did record on Mi Timbal, was paid for this one... And remember sitting in at the Nest in East Harlem with Ray Rodriguez Y Orq. Duro. But, being unable to hang out with the many other musicians from Fania and other record labels was a norm I had to get used to, yes, I spoke and had a drink with many of them, but I was never given leads for jobs or shows. I then met Neil Diamond, when I was hired by Pinkerton as a supervisory Sergeant to bring Neil in and out of the Winter Gardens, Joe was champion then. I would come to work early and walk through the whole theater, the same one that Al Jolson performed, I was in good campany. There was a night, opening night to be exact, and I had found this cat walk that ran across the stage... Neil was playing Sweet Caroline, and I was blown away at the sound, the showman ship. I was hooked with my music again, which I was going to leave for a career in loss prevention security, and that is another story of racism and indifference. Thanks Neil for filling up my sails again... Neil has a picture of me, my other half Norma, when she was pregnant with Jessica, thats the only proof that I was with him, picture was taken by Dakmar, and I know hell remember me, because I used to get his powered donuts and coffee from chuck full of nuts. Christine, if you are still with us... Thanks for your kindness and almost helping get in with Neil and the band, it would have been a long career, but Fritz got in the way, he was the producer or agent for Neil Diamond. Im posting all this, so all can get a feel of opportunities lost, and how others set traps and barricades in our way to stop us from succeeding with our dreams, and theres no time to cry over spilled milk, because even the ones that have held me back, and dont consider me a good musician are no where near where they thought they were going to be in the music business, many left, many has passed, and few are still angry with there decisions to be greedy and spread lies about me. I came back with a vengeance to make up for lost time, but it was not to be... After a brief run with Orq. Cimarron as Co-Leader if you want to call it that with Pete Maldonado, and Ron Davis who was cheating us with our pay every chance he got, and got I believe 8 to 10 in jail, everyone that has done anything to me has paid for it. Next, My good friend Fernando Rivera, which I want to be very personal about... I literally learn to play the saxophone with the help of his first album, Orchard Beach Shilgaling, which by the way Louie Maldonado and Herman Saldana who were fixtures in my beginning to play Latin Music as was my older brother Eddie, rest his soul... He recorded and followed me around in my recording dates and gigs, taking pictures... King Nando was making a come back in 1976-77, I had just left Cimarron at the corner of 222nd by the Bruckner Expy, a gig at the Epoca II where we had just finished. TR records had just announced that a few our musicians were going to be substituted with what we call ringers. I thought it was unfair to do such a thing to the musicians that paid their dues coming to rehearsals, and paying for our music and playing the gigs. If they were not ready, the whole was not ready. It didnt matter, they got shelved with their first album, justice is sweet, but lost a few bucks with the money I paid for our music. Nando and I head down to alphabet city by 12th street, trying to get Herman back to play sax with me, but it never happened, Louie had already given up playing, and living in LA Cali... Working as a plumbers helper, and did well, very well. Nando had some very good tunes for his come back, and when we were playing at the Garden of Roses, Manchito comes in to the club, sees me... You, I know you... Let me see, ahhh the Commodore Hotal, Orq. Cimarron, he remembered me, from a solo I was given on Picadillo that night, he said my Soprano sounded like it was singing. Manchitos 2nd tenor sax was out sick, and I was invited to sit in on that chair, but Cimarron saw it as a conflict of interest, or was it jelousy, do not let anything get in your way, if a better opp comes your way take it and let the dominos fall where theyll fall. Never forgave myself for that one, now Machito just heard Justicia by King Nando, and I wish I still had the recording of a few tune my brother Eddie had recorded, but they are lost recordings and may be in my sisters house...I also had a run with Chino DeJesus known as Melao, Jose Febles, and Val Venezuela and La Diferente... Man did Jose Febles have some good stuff, but I was only playing about two years when I left the LeBron Brothers flat at the Phyco Room on 14th Street. I was supposed to record, but since Fania was producing the recording, they brought in the ringer... Chombo Silver to record, and another opportunity lost, but the band had too many stars and drug problems, they also got shelved after one album... Chino however, went on to be very successful with Melao, Jose Febles went on to become a very prolific Latin Music Arranger, and I was very sadden when I heard of his death, because I knew him as Josie as he was affectionately called. Theres other bands that I played with in the 70s, like Ray Rodriguez when Bobby was still in the band, Steve Colon, when at the Chez Sansual Club here on Westchester off Zerega, Chombo Silver came over to me, and said, your alright kid... And he did not play his sax for the rest of the night, but picked up his Violin and remained on that instrument for the rest of the nights gig. So, now you know what my musical career has been like, with its up and downs, successes and failures, but most of all the under handedness that many a band leader practiced on their musicians. In or about, 1978-79, I had become a born again Christian and played with the first Christian Salsa band, but, let me tell you that the leaders and some musicians in the Christian bands I played with, made all the others leaders in the world look like Choir Boys... No lie.. I met with much more jealousy and greed in church than with bands that played the club circuit. If you watch Ray, the movie, its exactly like that, the lies, the back stabbing, and under paying, if not being paid at all, and we were not blind... So, a tribute to all the musicians I played with that are no longer here, my hats off to you my good friends and enemies... Louie Maldonado, Herman Saldana, Gabe Gill, Jose Febles, Milton bongos, Pete Alvarado Ben, Franklin Senior Band, Chino Melao Dejesus, Ron Davis, Pablo Lebron who was going to be a very well known singer in Salsa, Ray Maldonando, Chombo Silver, Bobby Rodriguez, King Nando, Ray Caban, Tito Puente who said to me, you are going to leave this music for something White (The Church), Stevie Wonder who I met in the stairway at the Apollo Theater, Sad Sam who followed me around with his trombone where the lucky bark stomp fell when I touched it, because I was the last one on stage with Jerry & The Impalas...Benny Bonachio, Broadway Musician and first music teacher, Horace Donnell High School Senior Band and first recording, Peaches and Herb, Ed Moen, Betty White music teacher, Harriet Laidman, Mario Rivera music teacher at Johnny Colons music school, Pete Maldonado, Luciano Jr first church band, Joe Tex, The Decendents, Herman Wright, Joe Acosta, Ralph Picard got me in La Differente, Francisco Pantoja, Chino Moreno helped me produce Kin Kon, Eliot Rivera lead singer for the LeBron Brothers, and now the band I perform with, NY Boogaloo and Salsa Orq, Tito Ocasio, Ray Feliciano, Roy Roman, Kent Gomez, Manu Dibango, Manchito, Gilberto El Pulpo, Omar Castano. Next time, Ill list all the clubs I performed in, youll be surprised... This is some my legacy, if anything should happen to me... May it be the Lords will...
Posted on: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 05:10:07 +0000