Language of the Masters: Etudes and Transcriptions of 10 Great Latin Percussion Artists

First of all, anything that Michael Spiro is involved in is worth checking out! He consistently puts forth material that is not just highly educational and fun, but done professionally and always with a refreshingly logical progression of ideas. In this book, he presents transcribed solos from various masters of several latin percussion instruments. As a conga player, I have learned SO much about the styles of the Tata Guines, Mongo Santamaria, and Ray Barreto. By studying the solos, you gain tremendous insight into their 'signature licks', how everything fits into clave, and most importantly, you learn the common language shared by all these master musicians. And the etudes are wonderful, they really capture the individual style of each artist. Can't recommend this more if you are studying latin music and especially if you are trying to learn how to express yourself on your chosen instrument. It's about standing on the shoulders of those who came before you, and this book will help you do that.

excellent acquisition

This book is not a bag of coffee, but it is a detailed book full of great transcriptions, etudes, and instruction on percussion soloing in Salsa music.

Terrible! Its not a dark roast to me. It tastes very weak and mild.