Oregon Music News

Bobby Torres Band

Has it really been eighteen years since percussionist Bobby Torres started his band? Sure has. Eighteen years with no signs of slowing down.  He is Portland’s best known and most beloved percussionist. It’s not news that he was in Joe Cocker’s band at Woodstock, or that he was a very busy session player in L.A., playing on lots of hits with lots of hit makers–from Jackson Browne to Tom Jones to The Captain & Tennille (he was actually on “Do It To Me One More Time” to Kenny Rogers and Gladys Knight among many others.

That’s part of Torres lore.

He has two of his children regularly playing in his band. Reinhardt Melz, the drummer and Juliana Torres. His other son Carmelo Torres lives out of state, but visits and plays with Bobby when he can. He can on Saturday, February 11 at Jimmy Mak’s where the eighteenth anniversary party will be held at 8pm, $10.

We talked with Bobby at his NE Portland home:

Here is one of his band’s most memorable performances, from the 2005 Cathedral Park Jazz Festival. Listen to “Bepo Latinos.”

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Listen to an unreleased track called, “Bobby Torres/Jimmy Mak!”

Listen:

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Luis Conte, Carmelo Torres, Karla Harris and Bobby Torres.

About it, Torres says, “It was December 20, 2008. We had a gig…I flew Luis Conte from L.A., Carmelo was here from Austin. We rehearsed and it started snowing the day we were supposed to play. We did drum clinic and hardly anyone showed up. We were constantly on the phone with J.D. (Stubenberg) from Jimmy Mak’s. “Isn’t looking good, Bobby.”

“By six-thirty we had a hundred cancellations on the reservations. I said, “We’ll can it. We’ll have more people in the band than in the audience. We’re hanging around at home wondering what to do, drinking wine. Carmelo played piano, bass drums, everything… He starts playing piano, Luis says “Hey, that’s great! Let’s make up a song with that.” We started adding.

“‘Bobby Torres/ Jimmy Mak, that’s it!’ We started making up stuff. Reinhardt was saying, “Please cancel my reservation,” it was hilarious. You can hear me laughing my ass off. Reinhardt and Carmelo were laughing the way I was laughing. It was a great night, I’m glad we captured it on tape.

“Reinhardt is saying, “Jimmy, open the door, Jimmy!” Carmelo’s saying, “I got my skis, let’s go!” We worked on it till four in the morning. I kept falling asleep. Luis is going to put it on his CD.”

Watch the band at Cathedral Park Jazz Festival 2010: