Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms have always felt natural to me. I was introduced to bossa nova when I was pretty young, and the first time I learned the clave pattern, I was drawn in by how hypnotic and grounding it felt. That early curiosity stuck with me. As I got older, I started exploring even more Latin styles, often trying to incorporate those rhythms into bands that weren’t necessarily rooted in that sound. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, but I kept coming back to it.
With Yellow Couch Music, I’ve finally had the freedom to lean into these rhythms more intentionally. I don’t come from a Latin background, and I’m not exactly sure why this music resonates so deeply with me. But ever since I was a teenager, it’s been something I keep reaching for.
The groove in “No Preface” is based on a Cuban cascara rhythm that my friends Loisel Machin-Rodriguez (
@lmachinrodriguez1 ) and Roberto Poveda (
@brooklyn_troubadour ) showed me back in 2019. I hadn’t heard it before, but once they played it, I immediately connected with it and knew I wanted to use it.
Playing with bassist Jo Hyun (
@jhyunm ) has been another highlight of this project. We met through our mutual friend Jay Mumford (
@jaymumfordmusic ), who connected us after I put the word out that I was looking for a bassist for the album release. From our first rehearsal, her feel and approach were such a great match. Tight, pocket-focused, and completely in sync with how I play drums.
And not to mention, having Isai Florez (
@fl0r.ez ) on percussion during the Nublu show was like icing on the cake. His presence brought even more authenticity and depth to the Latin grooves I love, and it made the whole set feel elevated.
Even though Jo and I had only known each other for about a month before the show, the chemistry was there right away. It felt easy and musical from the start, and I’m really excited to keep building on that connection this year. When the rhythm section is locked in like that, everything else just flows.
🎵 “No Preface” from Tidings In The Rough exclusively on Bandcamp!
🎥 by
@shuhei_hayashi
#livemusic #cascara #jazz
