10 Seconds: Will Fry

www.willfrypercussion.com/

1. Manny Oquendo & Conjunto Libre - Little Sunflower (5'24" - 5'34")

from Manny Oquendo & Conjunto Libre - Ritmo, Sonido Y Estilo (1983)

"Like any good band leader, Oquendo was seemingly the least of it, with regard to the simplicity of his parts but it was his musical intentionality and intensity that shaped the collective sound and feel. Distinctly New York music, you hear the brashness, hustle and hurt within the warm embrace of it all. Steve Turre’s solo and backing on conch shells brings in the expanse of nature, whilst everything is so delicately held by Oquendo, Andy Gonzales (bass) and Jerry Gonzales (congas) who then overdubbed the flugelhorn solo."

2. Esperanza Spalding - Ponta De Areia (0’00” - 0’10”)

from Esperanza Spalding - Esperanza (2008)

"Jamey Haddad opens the track on a clay udu drum. The unique design and playing technique of this particular instrument allows for a variety of pitches to be played. Spalding speaking of Haddad, "Your heartbeat changes around him. You become more grooving and fluid in step and articulation. "I love the interplay of the udu melody with Esperanza Spalding’s acoustic bass and Otis Brown III’s bass drum. Not an easy thing to do with all three covering the same frequency range. This Milton Nascimiento (who Spalding later goes on to collaborate with in 2024) cover culminates in a thick textural flow of percussion, which I revisit when I want to slow my heartbeat down."

3. José Alberto " El Canario " - La Paella (1'16" - 1'26")

from José Alberto " El Canario " - Back To The Mambo / Tribute To Machito (1997)

"I have my teacher David Pattman to thank for turning me onto this album when I was still a teenager. I’m a firm believer that listening to one track 1000 times can teach you more than listening to 1000 different albums once and the percussion section of Ray Colon (bongos), Eric Velez (congas) and Pablo “Chino” Nuñez (timbales) is impeccable in both playing and orchestration. This ten-second grab is a good-humoured way to move as a section into the piano solo. I had the opportunity to sneak backstage and meet Chino Nuñes in person when I was young, skinny and easy to miss. He gave me his time, a hug and a sandwich as big as my head, which he insisted on making me from the dressing room rider. The supportiveness and warm personalities of all three players shines through in their playing as a unit."

4. Jamiroquai - Light Years (0’00” - 0’10”)

from Jamiroquai - The Return of the Space Cowboy (1994)

"Maurizio Ravalico is a dear friend, upstairs neighbour and continuous source of inspiration. His playing on this album pushed the level of percussion in popular music and this clip is a great example - essentially a duet between percussion and lead vocal. Marui is playing a Domincan guira, more akin to a kitchen box grater to most people’s eyes than a musical instrument. It’s an audacious move to challenge both the musical territory of the vocalist in a pop song and the expressive limitations of such a simple instrument. It works so well!"

5. Fabiano Do Nascimento - Forro Brasil (0’24” – 0’34”)

from Fabiano Do Nascimento - Danca Dos Tempos (2015)

"Ricardo "Tiki" Pasillas, there’s just so much personality in his playing and before this I had only known him as a percussionist, not a kit player and certainty not one of this level. Hard to believe this is just a duo recorded live as there is such a full sound. I love how he carries the excitement of just the triangle onto the whole drum set. It’s as if he’s sitting above, simply introducing and encouraging all the separate personalities of the kit to get along with each other, like a great host at a party."

6. Doudou N'Diaye Rose - Rose Rhythm (0'50" - 1'00")

"Tudor Parfitt, a British historian, proposed that the biblical Ark of the Covenant was actually a portable war drum, carried into battle, acting as a "voice of God." Senegalese Sabar has never been used in this way, as far as I know, but this is what I imagine God might sound like, if God was trying to make a point about something serious. Sabar played in this way reminds me of the unpredictability of the ocean and the sound of waves crashing… or starlings flying in formation, suddenly changing direction en masse."

7. Issac Delgado - La Mujer Que Mas Te Duele Feat. Victor Manuelle (2’51” – 3’01”)

from Issac Delgado - En Primera Plana (2007)

"This cowbell moment."

8. Salif Keita - Yamore (4’06” - 4’16”)

from Salif Keita - Moffou (2001)

"This album introduced me to Mino Cinelu, who had previously worked with Miles, Sting and Weather Report. There’s no drum kit and the textures are made up of Minu’s signature combination of djembe (edge with a finger), egg shaker, little tambourine, springs, bells, chimes, a belly dancer’s scarf and a 90s Korg Wavedrum. He blends with Mamadou Kone on calabash who plays very simply, giving the kick and backbeat sound in an unobtrusive way. Lots going on whilst still leaving space for Salif Keita’s unmistakable voice."

9. Dizzy Gillespie and the United Nations Orchestra - Moody's Mood For Love (1’02” - 1’12”)

from Dizzy Gillespie - Live From the Royal Festival Hall, London (1989)

"The entire gig feels so relaxed, with in jokes and smiles amongst the musicians. This concert has my favourite Giovanni Hidalgo conga solo but it’s James Moody who steals the show, along with the bass player’s incredible feel. I love his look to Airto who plays this single cowbell hit in reference to “heaven in your eyes.” It’s all silly and light, whilst still being deeply meaningful."

10. Aretha Franklin - Let Me in Your Life (1’15” - 1’25”)

from Aretha Franklin -- Let Me in Your Life (1974)

"Aside from Aretha Franklin’s incredible voice, it’s the arranging I love. The strings move from tight rhythmic passages to moments of luscious held notes and the bass runs (Stanley Clark) and moose call on the conga (Ralph Macdonald) in the reflective moments of the song are guided out by Rick Marotta’s drum fill back into such an infectious and positive groove. It’s such healing music and this record (and Bill Withers who wrote the original) have gotten me through some rough days. There is real happiness in the sadness and vice versa but it’s always uplifting."