John Santos

Santos, a lifelong resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, is a composer, writer and producer, and has served as faculty and/or resident artist/instructor at several renowned institutions including Stanford, Yale, UCLA, Michigan, Madison, Monterey Bay, Interamericana (Puerto Rico), San Jose, and San Francisco State Universities as well as Boston's Berklee School of Music. He is a member of the Latin Jazz Advisory Board of the Smithsonian Institute. He is also the founder and director of the Grammy-nominated Machete Ensemble (1985-2006), renowned for integrating traditional Afro-Latin forms with contemporary instrumentation and vibrant arrangements. The band performed its all-original repertoire across the country and at the Havana Jazz Festival and also released nine albums. Currently John directs an exciting Latin Jazz Quintet/Sextet under his own name, having released CDs on his own label
in 2007 and 2008.

Santos' passion for Afro-Latin music and its place in history make him a sought-after author, teacher, and speaker (popular lecture topics include "Salsa for Social Change" and "What Is This Thing Called Clave?"). He serves on the faculty of the Stanford Jazz Workshop, contributes frequently to the international music press, and conducts clinics worldwide on polyrhythms from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Brazil.

"My family's house was always filled with music and celebration," says Santos, whose father, grandparents, uncles, and cousins were all musicians. Though he played clarinet first, by age 12 Santos was more interested in congas, and his first gig was with his grandfather's Cuban- and Puerto Rican-style dance band. He was also influenced by the family record collection, which included "all the great interpreters of Cuban and Puerto Rican music"-- Armando Peraza, Patato Valdez, Mongo Santamaria, The Munequitos, Los Papines, Francisco Aguabella, Tito Puente, and Orestes Vilato.

Santos' kinship with LP started with three white congas. One of his favorite instruments today is the LP Bata ("but I don't play it the usual way ... I strap three batas onto an LP Percussion Rack and play them all at once!"). Santos says he values LP's craftsmanship, reliability, and customer service. "When you travel with instruments as much as I do, you occasionally need some minor repair or a replacement part. I can always count on LP for help there. Also -- LP has a special interest in education, which is important to me. Education just widens the family of people interested in this music."

Equipment list: LP Galaxy Giovanni Congas, LP Patato Model Congas, LP Bongos, LP Tito Puente Timbales,Thunder Timbs & Timbalitos, LP Bata Drums, LP Clave, LP Wood Blocks, LP Chimes, LP Vibra Slap II and various LP cowbells

Equipment list: LP Galaxy Giovanni Congas, LP Patato Model Congas, LP Bongos, LP Tito Puente Timbales,Thunder Timbs & Timbalitos, LP Bata Drums, LP Clave, LP Wood Blocks, LP Chimes, LP Vibra Slap II and various LP cowbells