Armando's Rhumba 🎹 I may have been ignorant about my distaste for jazz violin 🎻

Reader,

When I was in music school, I had a brief stint over the summer playing with a touring afro-cuban group when their family pianist came down with a bad case food poisoning. (It wasn't easy, they didn't speak much english. Also, the rhythms were hard.)

That's why today we are transcribing the Cuban stylings of a man born in Boston from two Italian immigrants. Chick Corea.

Today's 2-5-1

Each week, I share 2 transcribed phrases, 5 ideas observed from 1 featured jazz recording. Clever, I know...

Here's a summary of what I loved about this track and why I think you should care.

1. The Son Montuno feel between the minor i chord (Cm) and the dominant II (D7) is just so darn cool. I wish I were that cool.
2. Apparently at one point someone from Hal Leonard declared that Armando's Rhumba is not actually a rhumba, but rather an energetic samba. Am I educated enough to resolve this disagreement? No.
3. The repeated 2 bar clapping pattern is key to this groove. I've heard some people call the clapping "sloppy." I wouldn't go that far, but I would say "intentionally imprecise." And to be honest, the impreciseness is what I love about it.
4. Throughout the tune, Chick alternates between 8th notes and quarter note triplets in the melody and improvisation. No doubt, this is to fit the rhumba groove, or energetic samba, whichever camp you are in.
5. I'm normally quite vocal about my dislike for jazz violin. But, Jean-Luc Ponty's performance on this tune is astounding and makes me reconsider how ignorant my perspective can be at times.

Submit a Recording - Have a suggestion for a track I should include in a future 2-5-1? Send it over by replying to this email.