Carlos "Patato" Valdes
[1] In 1954, he emigrated from La Habana to New York City where he continued his prolific career as a sideman for several jazz and Latin music ensembles, and occasionally as a bandleader.[8] His father, Carlos Valdés Brito, was a tres player who was part of the seminal coro de clave Los Apaches, and author of the son "Maldita timidez" recorded by Sexteto Habanero.[9] Carlos soon followed his father footsteps, learning to play the tres and a wide variety of percussion instruments, including the marímbula, the botija, the shekere, the tambourine, the cajón and the double bass.He became a master of the instrument at a young age, playing alongside other greats such as Mongo Santamaría, Cándido Camero, Julito Collazo and Armando Peraza.The grueling 14-week tour took place between 12/31/1959 to 4/5/1960 featuring Mann (bandleader, flute and saxophone), Johnny Rae (vibraphone and arrangements), Don Payne (bass), Doc Cheatham (trumpet), Jimmy Knepper (trombone), Carlos "Patato" Valdés (congas) and José Mangual, Sr. (bongos).They toured Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Rhodesia, Tanganyika, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Morocco and Tunisia.[13] During the late 1940s, he helped develop the first tunable congas, as earlier models were tuned by the unwieldy method of heating them with a sterno can.With Art Blakey With Willie Bobo With Alberto Beltrán & Conjunto Casino With Cachao With Rafael Cortijo With Antonio "Chocolate" Díaz Mena With Dizzy Gillespie With Benny Golson With Johnny Griffin & Matthew Gee With Quincy Jones With the Latin Percussion Jazz Ensemble With Johnny Lytle With Machito With Herbie Mann With Johnny Pacheco With Charlie Palmieri and His Charanga "La Duboney" With Duke Pearson With Dave Pike With Tito Puente With Kenny Dorham With Don Ellis With Stan Free With Mike Longo With Johnny Richards With Al Jazzbo Collins With Grant Green With Charlie Rouse With Max Roach With Jorge Dalto With Orchestre Keur Samba With Elvin Jones With Ben Tucker With José Mangual, Sr. With Alfredo Rodríguez With Onelio Scull With Sonny Stitt With Art Taylor With Cal Tjader With Bebo Valdés