If you’re looking to understand the driving groove of the mambo, you’ve got to spend some time with the bass lines of Bobby Rodriguez. He spent decades playing some deep tumbao grooves behind the Mambo King himself, Tito Puente. Sometimes his lines were simple and right in the pocket; other times he pushed the groove forward with rhythmic intensity and embellishment. At every moment, Bobby knew what to play in service of the groove, and ultimately, in service of the dancers. This is a great lesson for all of us that want to play in a salsa setting, so I’ve dug deep into Bobby’s playing. I’ve recently transcribed and learned his line on the Tito Puente classic, “Mambo Gozon” from the legendary album Dance Mania. It’s a great line with a deep groove and some challenging bits of music – enjoy!

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