Jun 9, 2026 10:54 AM
In Memoriam: James Blood Ulmer, 1940–2026
With deep sorrow and profound love, we announce the passing of James Blood Ulmer, a boldly innovative guitarist,…
Bassit Carlos Henriquez has recorded The South Bronx Story, both live and in the studio, and RodBros Music is set to issue the material later this year.
(Photo: Lawrence Sumulong)He recalled getting his first bass—an Ampeg baby bass preferred by players on the salsa/Latin jazz scene—when he was 12 or 13 years old. “I had a bass teacher named Victor Venegas, who worked with Cal Tjader and Mongo Santamaría. He lived in Hunts Point, and I used to go there and hang with him and check out music. Victor drove me out to New Brunswick, New Jersey, in his blue Volvo to buy my first baby bass. In fact, I had a church tax-exempt form, which the pastor signed, so I didn’t have to pay taxes on it. The church actually gave me the money for the bass—$800. And then my mom gradually paid it back.”
Venegas soon introduced young Henriquez to Joe Santiago, a bassist who had played with Machito. “Both [Venegas and Santiago] fell in love with my total devotion to music, and they wanted to help me,” Henriquez recalled. “They gave me all the tools I needed.”
Santiago would pick Henriquez up at junior high school and take him out to lunch, before making the rounds with his young charge. “Basically, I was cutting class to hang with Joe. He would pick me up at noon, I would have lunch with him, and then he would give me an hour bass lesson. Then he would take me to Mario Bauzá’s house. We’d hang out with Mario and [Machito’s sister, the vocalist] Graciela. And then we would go hang with [conguero] Patato Valdés a bit before he finally took me home. It’s crazy ... all the cats I used to see back then. And that was an important part of my education.”
Venegas introduced Henriquez to Fort Apache Band bassist Andy Gonzalez and to New York Philharmonic bassist John Schaeffer, with whom Henriquez ended up studying for 15 years. “All these great bass players were my teachers. They gave me the knowledge of this music, the historical references and the key to understanding it. And they spoke about this music as the Holy Grail, which was inspiring to me. It all gave me the feeling that music was a higher calling.”
Today, as a 40-year-old father and resident of West Orange, New Jersey, Henriquez prizes his musical upbringing and cherishes the moments he spent with his South Bronx mentors.
“You can read a book about the history of this music, but if you hear it from somebody directly and you see how passionate they are about it, it registers a lot deeper. I’ve passed on many stories myself about playing with Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Nieves. Those stories are very important to tell. Sure, the music gets recorded, and we have all of those great albums to check out, but also it’s important to know, ‘Who was this person? What was he like?’ I think being a part of that oral tradition is fundamental in the development of any young musician.” DB
To the world, James Blood Ulmer was a legend, a visionary and a musical force whose sound was distinctive and unique. To his family, he was their teacher, their storyteller and a source of strength.
Jun 9, 2026 10:54 AM
With deep sorrow and profound love, we announce the passing of James Blood Ulmer, a boldly innovative guitarist,…
Clockwise from top left, Mary Halvorson, Patricia Brennan, Adam O’Farrill, Keith Jarrett’s At the Deer Head Inn: The Complete Recordings, Sheila Jordan and Jaki Byard.
Jul 16, 2026 1:34 PM
The DownBeat Critics Poll never ceases to amaze! And the 74th Edition offered plenty of accolades for poll veterans and…
Ibrahim was an early jazz acolyte, studying the music via 78s he would buy from soldiers stationed in South Africa — who also gave him the nickname “Dollar.”
Jun 30, 2026 3:19 PM
Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, the NEA Jazz Master from South Africa who helped fuse the folk music of his home country with…
A drummer’s drummer, Rodney Holmes gigged with everyone from Joe Zawinul and Carlos Santana to Steve Kimock and the Brecker Brothers.
Jul 22, 2026 12:37 PM
Drummer Rodney Holmes, a powerful presence behind the kit who emerged as an in-demand player on the New York scene…
“There was something about her tone and sound and phrasing — an intimacy, a vulnerability, an honesty,” says Joshua Redman, who produced Cavassa’s record after she toured with his band.
Jun 16, 2026 1:27 AM
Gabrielle Cavassa is an avowed perfectionist. So when she failed to place despite becoming a finalist in the 2018 Sarah…
