Gibby Ross y sus Rumberos

Latin Beat Magazine, April, 2004 by Jesse Varela

GIBBY ROSS Y SUS RUMBEROS: It was a treat to hear Gibby Ross y sus Rumberos at the Glas Kat. Ross grew up on the bandstand playing with his father Joe and their band Alma del Barrio. Joe was a NYC native of Puerto Rican heritage who settled in Oakland where Gibby was born on Sept. 5, 1965.

He began playing percussion as a boy and his first major showcase was in New York where he was on the same bill as Celia Cruz. "El Niño Prodigio de Puerto Rico" is how he was introduced. Celia liked him and gave him a set of congas. Tito Puente heard him play at age six and began to mentor him with timbal-playing tips.

Ross is a strong but silent bandleader with a firm timbal hand. Setting up in the back of the band, with Richie Veles out front on congas and Eric Rangel at his side on bongó, he directs the band via percussion cues he throws in at particular times in the arrangements.

The other lead vocalist for the night was Orlando Torriente who sings with John Santos & Machete. On Mirándote, he delivered a solid performance with his booming, resonating tenor voice. As a vocalist, he has all the pieces in place: Intonation, phrasing but most importantly, a wit that links together spontaneous stories in his improvisations.

A highlight of the night was Eddie Palmieri's Un Puesto Vacante. Ramón García handled the lead vocals, but allowed the instrumentalists to shine, it was Ross who exploded out the gate after the theme and chorus. Unlike Nicky Marrero's original solo on the Palmieri recording, Ross created a Five-minute percussion mosaic that was an ode to drumming excellence.

Throughout, the two trumpet and trombone horn section was impressive with its strong ensemble cohesion and top-notch solos. Patrick Morehead (piano) held down the montuno more than ably and Chip Boas (bass) displayed a solid tumbao.

Currently, Ross tours with Journey and works with Malo when his schedule permits.

¡Hasta la próxima! Paz. chuyvarela@aol.com