Willie Bobo • Uno Dos Tres

William Correa (28 de febrero de 1934 – 15 de septiembre de 1983),1 conocido como Willie Bobo, fue un percusionista estadounidense de jazz.

William Correa creció en el Harlem Español, en Nueva York. Se hizo conocido en el ámbito del jazz latino, especialmente en el jazz afro-cubano, durante los años sesenta y setenta, tocando los timbales, su instrumento favorito. Conoció a Mongo Santamaría poco después de su llegada a Nueva York y estudió con él mientras hacía de traductor para él. Más tarde, con 19 años, se unió al grupo de Tito Puente con el que estuvo cuatro años.

El apodo de «Bobo» se lo puso la pianista de jazz Mary Lou Williams a comienzos de los años cincuenta.

Su primer momento de éxito fue cuando se unió a la banda de George Shearing para grabar el disco The Shearing Spell. Después de Shearing, Cal Tjader pidió a Bobo y a Santamaría que formasen parte del Cal Tjader Modern Mambo Quintet, que grabó varios discos como durante la fiebre por el mambo que se produjo a finales de los años cincuenta. En los sesenta se unió a su mentor Santamaría y realizaron juntos el disco Sabroso! para el sello Fantasy.

Más tarde formó su propio grupo realizando Do That Thing/Guajira con Tico y Bobo's Beat y Let's Go Bobo para Roulette, aunque sin conseguir un gran éxito.

Tras el enorme éxito del disco de Tjader Soul Sauce, en el que participó de forma relevante, Bobo formó una nueva banda con el respaldo de Verve Records, realizando Spanish Grease, cuyo tema principal es probablemente su obra más conocida. Tras este gran éxito, Bobo realizó siete discos más con Verve.

A comienzos de los años setenta, se trasladó a Los Ángeles. Allí se unió a su viejo amigo Richard Sanchez sr. y su hijo Richard Jr., y comenzó a grabar en estudio. Trabajó después como músico de sesión para Carlos Santana, entre otros, y formó parte de forma regular de la banda para la serie de televisión de Bill Cosby Cos. A finales de los setenta, grabó discos para Blue Note y Columbia Records.

Tras una etapa de debilidad por cuestiones de salud, falleció a los 49 años, sucumbiendo a un cáncer.

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Willie Bobo was the stage name of William Correa (February 28, 1934 – September 15, 1983), a Latin and jazz percussionist of Puerto Rican ancestry.

William Correa grew up in Spanish Harlem, New York City. He made his name in Latin Jazz, specifically Afro-Cuban jazz, in the 1960s and '70s, with the timbales becoming his favoured instrument. He met Mongo Santamaría shortly after his arrival in New York and studied with him while acting as his translator, and later at the age of 19 joined Tito Puente for four years.

The nickname Bobo is said to have been bestowed by the jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams in the early 1950s.

His first major exposure was when he joined George Shearing's band on the album The Shearing Spell. After leaving Shearing, Cal Tjader asked Bobo and Santamaría to become part of the Cal Tjader Modern Mambo Quintet, who released several albums as the mambo craze reached fever pitch in the late '50s. Reuniting with his mentor Santamaría in 1960, the pair released the album Sabroso! for the Fantasy label. Bobo later formed his own group, releasing Do That Thing/Guajira with Tico and Bobo's Beat and Let's Go Bobo for Roulette, without achieving huge penetration.

After the runaway success of Tjader's Soul Sauce, in which he was heavily involved, Bobo formed a new band with the backing of Verve Records, releasing Spanish Grease, of which the title track is probably his most well known tune. Highly successful at this attempt, Bobo released a further seven albums with Verve.

In the early 1970s, he moved out to Los Angeles. He again met up with his long-time friend Richard Sanchez Sr. and his son Richard Jr. and began recording in the studio. Bobo then worked as a session musician for Carlos Santana among others, as well as being a regular in the band for Bill Cosby's variety show Cos. In the late '70s, Bobo recorded albums for Blue Note and Columbia Records.

After a period of ill health, he died at the age of 49, succumbing to cancer.

Tracklist
A1 Boogaloo In Room 802 2:30
A2 Come A Little Bit Closer 3:05
A3 Goin' Out Of My Head 3:15
A4 I Remember Clifford 2:03
A5 Rescue Me 3:05
A6 Michelle 3:00
B1 No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In) 2:45
B2 Fried Neck Bones And Some Home Fries 2:50
B3 Old Man River 3:05
B4 1-2-3- (Uno, Dos, Tres) 2:34
B5 Night Song 2:40
B6 The Breeze And I - From Suite "Andalucia" 3:12


Willie Bobo, Percussion, Timbales
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Bobby Brown (2)
Arranged By – Arturo O'Farrill (tracks: B5), Clarence Henry (tracks: A2, A3), Mel Lastie (tracks: A1, A4 to B2, B4)
Bass – Bobby Rodriguez, Jon Hart
Bongos, Guiro – Oswald Martinez
Congas – Carlos Valdes
Cornet – Mel Lastie
Guitar – Sonny Henry
Percussion – Jose Mangual, Victor Pantoja

Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Recorded January & April 1966 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.








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