Willie Bobo

William Correa (February 28, 1934 – September 15, 1983), better known by his stage name Willie Bobo, was an American Latin jazz percussionist and jazz drummer of Puerto Rican descent. Bobo rejected the stereotypical expectations of Latino music and was noted for his versatility as an authentic Latin percussionist as well as a jazz drummer easily moving stylistically from jazz, Latin, and rhythm and blues music. His father played the cuatro, a ten stringed guitar-like instrument. As a teenager, Bobo taught himself the bongos and later the congas, timbales, and drums. In 1947, Bobo started working as a band boy for Machito in order to gain entrance to the band's concerts, sometimes filling in on percussion.

Discography As leader Do That Thing/Guajira (Tico, 1963) Bobo's Beat (Roulette, 1964) Let's Go Bobo! (Roulette, 1964) Spanish Grease (Verve, 1965) Uno Dos Tres 1•2•3 (Verve, 1966) Feelin' So Good (Verve, 1966) Juicy (Verve, 1967) Bobo Motion (Verve, 1967) Spanish Blues Band (Verve, 1968) A New Dimension (Verve, 1968) Do What You Want to Do (Sussex, 1971) The Drum Session (Philips, 1975) with Louie Bellson, Shelly Manne, Paul Humphrey Tomorrow Is Here (Blue Note, 1977) Hell of an Act to Follow (Columbia, 1978) Bobo (Columbia, 1979) Lost & Found (Concord Picante, 2006) Dig My Feeling (Nacional Records, 2016)

As sideman With Nat Adderley Autobiography (Atlantic, 1965) With Dorothy Ashby The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby (Atlantic, 1965) With Bob Brookmeyer Trombone Jazz Samba (Verve, 1962) With Dave Burns Warming Up! (Vanguard, 1964) With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Goin' to the Meeting (Prestige, 1962) With Miles Davis Quiet Nights (Columbia, 1964) Sorcerer (Columbia, 1967) With Victor Feldman Latinsville! (Contemporary, 1960) With José Feliciano Angela (Private Stock, 1976) With Benny Golson Killer Joe (Columbia, 1977) With Dexter Gordon Landslide (Blue Note, 1962 ) With Grant Green The Latin Bit (Blue Note, 1962) With Chico Hamilton Chic Chic Chico (Impulse!, 1965) El Chico (Impulse!, 1965) The Further Adventures of El Chico (Impulse!, 1966) With Slide Hampton Explosion! The Sound of Slide Hampton (Atlantic, 1962) With Herbie Hancock Inventions and Dimensions (Blue Note, 1964) With Eddie Harris Bad Luck Is All I Have (Atlantic, 1975) With Bobby Hutcherson Montara (Blue Note, 1975) With Herbie Mann Right Now (Atlantic, 1962) Brazil, Bossa Nova & Blues (United Artists, 1962) Herbie Mann Live at Newport (Atlantic, 1963) My Kinda Groove (Atlantic, 1965) Latin Mann (Columbia, 1965) Our Mann Flute (Atlantic, 1966) The Beat Goes On (Atlantic, 1967) With Les McCann McCanna (Pacific Jazz, 1964) Much Les (Atlantic, 1968) With Gary McFarland Soft Samba (Verve, 1963) With Buddy Miles Chapter VII (Columbia, 1973) With Wes Montgomery Movin' Wes (Verve, 1964) With Oliver Nelson Skull Session (Flying Dutchman, 1975) With Dave Pike Limbo Carnival (New Jazz, 1962) Manhattan Latin (Decca, 1964) With Tito Puente Cuban Carnival (RCA Victor, 1956) With Ike Quebec Soul Samba (Blue Note, 1962) With Terry Reid River (Atlantic, 1973) With Dannie Richmond "In" Jazz for the Culture Set (Impulse!, 1965) With Charlie Rouse Bossa Nova Bacchanal (Blue Note, 1963) With A. K. Salim Afro-Soul/Drum Orgy (Prestige, 1965) With Mongo Santamaria Mighty Mongo (Fantasy, 1962) Viva Mongo! (Fantasy, 1962) With Doc Severinsen Rhapsody For Now! (RCA, 1973) With Sonny Stitt Stitt Goes Latin (Roost, 1963) With Gábor Szabó Spellbinder (Impulse!, 1966) With Clark Terry Mumbles (Mainstream, 1966) With Cal Tjader Latino (Fantasy, 1958) Cal Tjader's Concert by the Sea (Fantasy, 1959) Cal Tjader's Latin Concert (Fantasy, 1959) West Side Story (Fantasy, 1960) Plays Harold Arlen (Fantasy, 1961) Live and Direct (Fantasy, 1962) Breeze from the East (Verve, 1964) Soul Sauce (Verve, 1965) With Don Wilkerson Elder Don (Blue Note, 1962)

Filmography 2008 Willie Bobo: King Conga

Popular culture Bobo's song Fried Neck Bones and Some Homefries (from the 1966 album Uno Dos Tres 1•2•3) is featured in the 2006 video game Scarface: The World Is Yours.