Biography
Born April 4, 1928 in Ranchuelo, Santa Clara, within Cuba’s Las Villas Province, Armenteros died January 6, 2016 in Mohegan Lake, New York. A trumpet virtuoso who also handled flügelhorn, composition, arrangement and production, he moved across every variety of Latin horn-led ensemble, from the classic Cuban septeto and conjunto formats—he ranked among the foremost exponents of septeto trumpet—to buoyant big bands, forward-looking salsa orchestras and compact Latin jazz units, even reproducing the trumpet timbre associated with calypso’s classic period.
He took up the trumpet at roughly age ten or eleven. After settling in Havana he made his first recording in May 1949, appearing as a member of singer and composer René Alvarez’s Conjunto Los Astros on the 78 rpm single “Para Niñas Y Señoras.” Later anthologies gathered the late-1940s and early-1950s sides by Alvarez’s two-trumpet group, some featuring Armenteros: Dejame Tranquilo (1974) and the 1976 collection “Mano A Mano” René Alvarez Y Su Conjunto Vs. Conjunto Modelo 1948-56. He next joined the conjunto led by tres master and bandleader Arsenio Rodríguez, then from 1953 to 1956 directed the brass section of Beny Moré’s orchestra. He appeared on Nat “King” Cole’s Cole Español and joined the staff orchestra of Havana’s CMQ radio and television station.
Armenteros first reached New York in the late 1950s alongside José Fajardo. He settled there permanently in 1960; after a stint with Puerto Rican bandleader César Concepción he began, in May of that year, a lengthy tenure with Machito’s orchestra. Subsequent New York associations included Mongo Santamaría, Johnny Pacheco, the Tico All-Stars, Larry Harlow, Osvaldo “Chi Hua Hua” Martínez, Lou Pérez, Charlie Palmieri, Roberto Torres, Ismael Rivera, Joe Quijano, Bobby Capó, Israel “Cachao” López, Chamaco Ramírez, Grupo Folklorico Y Experimental Nuevayorquino and Armando Sánchez Y Su Septeto Son De La Loma—the final two affording further scope for his septeto expertise. Between 1968 and 1978 he contributed to nearly half the new releases by salsa innovator Eddie Palmieri.
His first date as leader, the uneven Chocolate Aquí, appeared in the early 1970s. He returned in stronger form with 1975’s Chocolate Caliente, produced by Louie Ramírez and featuring Brazilian trombonist José Rodrigues, an alumnus of Palmieri’s 1960s band La Perfecta. Rodrigues and Armenteros shared arranging duties and performed together on the 1976 follow-up Chocolate … En El Rincon, which also enlisted percussionist Manny Oquendo and bassist Andy González of Conjunto Libre plus güiro player Osvaldo “Chi Hua Hua” Martínez. In 1979 Armenteros adopted the 1930s–1940s Trinidadian calypso trumpet style on veteran Growling Tiger’s Knockdown Calypsoes. While performing that same year in Caracas with Sonora Matancera he guested on Se Empató El Sonero by the veteran Venezuelan septeto Sonero Clásico Del Caribe. He then recorded three albums for the SAR label from 1980 to 1982. Rodrigues appeared on the first two, Prefiero El Son and y sigo con mi son; the latter introduced lead vocalist Fernando Lavoy to U.S. studios and consisted of extended readings, arranged by pianist Alfredo Valdés Jnr., of six numbers originally associated with Sonora Nacional and Conjunto Bolero, all later compiled on the Areito release Sones, Rumbas Y Guaguanco. In 1981 he played on Chico Alvarez and Orquesta Mayómbe’s Con El Ritmo Del Tambó. Classically trained pianist Alfredo Rodríguez appeared on Armenteros’s final SAR album, Chocolate Dice (1982).
He became a member of the SAR house band, billed as the SAR All Stars, and toured Africa and Europe with the group. Additional SAR, Guajiro and Toboga sessions featured vocalists Roberto Torres, Monguito, Papaíto, Linda Leida, Henry Fiol, Angelo Vaillant, La India De Oriente (Luisa María Hernández), Jorge Maldonado, Chico Alvarez, Laba Sosseh, Alfredo Valdés and Lita Branda, as well as pianist Alfredo Valdés Jnr. In 1983 he issued Chocolate En Sexteto, whose personnel included percussionist Mario Grillo, Dominican saxophonist and flautist Mario Rivera, and keyboardist-arranger Sergio George. The 1984 album Rompiendo Hielo! continued in a similar vein. Also in 1983 he joined pianist Cedar Walton, trombonist Curtis Fuller and other jazz players for the Holland-recorded Eastern Rebellion 4, released the following year. Further Caimán dates encompassed the 1984 Super All-Star session with Tito Puente and Paquito D’Rivera, Alfredo Valdés’s septeto-style Pionero Del Son (1984) and Los Guaracheros De Oriente’s Con Tumbao (1985). Between 1982 and 1984 Armenteros appeared with Machito’s orchestra in London and recorded three albums with the band in Holland; he returned to London alone in 1986 for a five-night engagement at the Bass Clef, supported by Robin Jones’ King Salsa.
He took up the trumpet at roughly age ten or eleven. After settling in Havana he made his first recording in May 1949, appearing as a member of singer and composer René Alvarez’s Conjunto Los Astros on the 78 rpm single “Para Niñas Y Señoras.” Later anthologies gathered the late-1940s and early-1950s sides by Alvarez’s two-trumpet group, some featuring Armenteros: Dejame Tranquilo (1974) and the 1976 collection “Mano A Mano” René Alvarez Y Su Conjunto Vs. Conjunto Modelo 1948-56. He next joined the conjunto led by tres master and bandleader Arsenio Rodríguez, then from 1953 to 1956 directed the brass section of Beny Moré’s orchestra. He appeared on Nat “King” Cole’s Cole Español and joined the staff orchestra of Havana’s CMQ radio and television station.
Armenteros first reached New York in the late 1950s alongside José Fajardo. He settled there permanently in 1960; after a stint with Puerto Rican bandleader César Concepción he began, in May of that year, a lengthy tenure with Machito’s orchestra. Subsequent New York associations included Mongo Santamaría, Johnny Pacheco, the Tico All-Stars, Larry Harlow, Osvaldo “Chi Hua Hua” Martínez, Lou Pérez, Charlie Palmieri, Roberto Torres, Ismael Rivera, Joe Quijano, Bobby Capó, Israel “Cachao” López, Chamaco Ramírez, Grupo Folklorico Y Experimental Nuevayorquino and Armando Sánchez Y Su Septeto Son De La Loma—the final two affording further scope for his septeto expertise. Between 1968 and 1978 he contributed to nearly half the new releases by salsa innovator Eddie Palmieri.
His first date as leader, the uneven Chocolate Aquí, appeared in the early 1970s. He returned in stronger form with 1975’s Chocolate Caliente, produced by Louie Ramírez and featuring Brazilian trombonist José Rodrigues, an alumnus of Palmieri’s 1960s band La Perfecta. Rodrigues and Armenteros shared arranging duties and performed together on the 1976 follow-up Chocolate … En El Rincon, which also enlisted percussionist Manny Oquendo and bassist Andy González of Conjunto Libre plus güiro player Osvaldo “Chi Hua Hua” Martínez. In 1979 Armenteros adopted the 1930s–1940s Trinidadian calypso trumpet style on veteran Growling Tiger’s Knockdown Calypsoes. While performing that same year in Caracas with Sonora Matancera he guested on Se Empató El Sonero by the veteran Venezuelan septeto Sonero Clásico Del Caribe. He then recorded three albums for the SAR label from 1980 to 1982. Rodrigues appeared on the first two, Prefiero El Son and y sigo con mi son; the latter introduced lead vocalist Fernando Lavoy to U.S. studios and consisted of extended readings, arranged by pianist Alfredo Valdés Jnr., of six numbers originally associated with Sonora Nacional and Conjunto Bolero, all later compiled on the Areito release Sones, Rumbas Y Guaguanco. In 1981 he played on Chico Alvarez and Orquesta Mayómbe’s Con El Ritmo Del Tambó. Classically trained pianist Alfredo Rodríguez appeared on Armenteros’s final SAR album, Chocolate Dice (1982).
He became a member of the SAR house band, billed as the SAR All Stars, and toured Africa and Europe with the group. Additional SAR, Guajiro and Toboga sessions featured vocalists Roberto Torres, Monguito, Papaíto, Linda Leida, Henry Fiol, Angelo Vaillant, La India De Oriente (Luisa María Hernández), Jorge Maldonado, Chico Alvarez, Laba Sosseh, Alfredo Valdés and Lita Branda, as well as pianist Alfredo Valdés Jnr. In 1983 he issued Chocolate En Sexteto, whose personnel included percussionist Mario Grillo, Dominican saxophonist and flautist Mario Rivera, and keyboardist-arranger Sergio George. The 1984 album Rompiendo Hielo! continued in a similar vein. Also in 1983 he joined pianist Cedar Walton, trombonist Curtis Fuller and other jazz players for the Holland-recorded Eastern Rebellion 4, released the following year. Further Caimán dates encompassed the 1984 Super All-Star session with Tito Puente and Paquito D’Rivera, Alfredo Valdés’s septeto-style Pionero Del Son (1984) and Los Guaracheros De Oriente’s Con Tumbao (1985). Between 1982 and 1984 Armenteros appeared with Machito’s orchestra in London and recorded three albums with the band in Holland; he returned to London alone in 1986 for a five-night engagement at the Bass Clef, supported by Robin Jones’ King Salsa.
Albums
