Sabor a Puerto Rico, Ruben Rodriguez: February 2021 Issue
Bassist Ruben Rodriguez…

I was fortunate to spend many of my growing years in Puerto Rico and I was exposed to a treasure trove of “Salsa” or as many know it, Latin Jazz. Interestingly, bassist Ruben Rodriguez was growing up on the island at the same time as I was and we were actually living close to each other.
Ruben has played with a massive number of the iconic players of the genre as well as many other acts for over forty-four years. The list is quite extensive and includes Grover Washington Jr. and Roberta Flack, as well as Latin Jazz iconic musicians/bands Tito Puente, Willie Colon, Johnny Pacheco, Fania All-stars, Machito, and many, many more. These were the huge Latin bands that everyone enjoyed, often dancing, learning their lyrics, and sharing with all the neighborhood friends we had.
Join me as we hear Ruben’s musical journey, the details about his gear and his sound and some tentative plans for the future.