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ROBERTO "BOBBY" RODRIGUEZ (Tampa, Florida 2 de Mayo 1927 - 29 de Julio 2002)

Hijo de padres cubanos y puertoriqueños y uno los mas importantes Maestros del Contrabajo y del bajo electrico.
Radico en NY y empezo su carrera con el Cuarteto Marcano, después entra a la banda de Machito y sus Afrocubans reemplazando a Julio Andino. Participa en grabaciones con Dizzy Guillespie, Cal Tjader, Charlie Palmieri, Joe Cuba, Eric Dolphy, Alegre All Stars (banda de NY que responde a las Descargas Cubanas de Cachao a comienzo de los 60'), Tito Rodriguez, Charlie Palmieri y muchas otras participaciones maestras, siendo la mas reconocida su participacion con la Orquesta de Tito Puente.
Bobby fue poseedor de un groove muy personal y sonido que le valio el apelativo de " Dedo Gordo", por tocar el bajo electrico con esa tecnica, que busca asemejarse al sonido del Ampeg Baby Bass; otro sello caracteristico también era el de tocar la clave con el pie mientras tocaba el bajo. Su contribucion a la musica latina es muy notable por incorporar un sentido melodico mas "Jazzistico", debido a su participacion con musicos de Jazz de la epoca del los 40' en adelante: Machito y sus Afrocubans "Cubop City" "Afrocuban Grooves", Tito Rodriguez "El Doctor de la Salsa", Cal Tjader and Eddie Palmieri "Cuban Fantasy", Charlie Palmieri "El Gigante del Teclado" "Echoes of an Era", Tito Puente "Dancemenia" "Cuban Carnival"

Articles and other information where Bobby Rodriguez is mentioned

Descarga.com "A conversation with bassist Ruben Rodriguez"

Article on Mongo Santamaria "The turning point":

Congahead.com Interviews Ruben Rodriguez:

The bassist Ruben credits with being his biggest influence is the legendary Bobby Rodriguez. "Bobby is a god to me. And to a lot of bass players in my generation and maybe the generation before me too. He just had what epitomizes the New York sound. He was born in 1927 and grew up during the Be Bop Era. He's one of the few guys I know who actually got to see Jimmy Blanton, one of the true bass innovators in jazz, play with Duke Ellington. Bobby played very melodically as opposed to Cachao style, which is more a rhythmic style like a melodic conga. To me it was like solo statements in his accompaniment, which is what I like to try and do. One of the main things I learned from Bobby was how to say something without having to take a solo. When he was growing up it was in the Be Bop era. He was hanging out with guys like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, and the cats of that time, and he was influenced by them and by the jazz bassists of that era. So he had all that, and he brought it over to what he was doing, which was Afro-Cuban music, Latin music."

Latin Jazz Corner article 5 Latin Jazz Bass players that you must hear !

Allaboutjazz.com reports Bobby Rodriguez' Death

Bobby Rodriguez died on Sunday, July 28th, 2002 at 3:00 p.m.

He was a Tampa native, of cuban heritage, who spent most of his long and productive life in New York. He was one of the all-time leading Hispanic bass players who distinguished himself through several decades of music making with most, if not all, of the premiere Hispanic musical figures of New York such as Machito, Tito Puente, Charlie Palmieri, Tito Rodriguez, Kako, The Alegre All Stars, and others. Rodriguez might have been the premier bassist of the famed Palladium era and his sure footed graceful notes will be forever missed.