Pedrito Martinez

With the rhythms of his hands in conversation with his booming voice, percussionist Pedrito Martinez bobs through the Afro-Cuban tradition with the knowledge and verve of someone who lives it without rest (Martinez is a devotee of the Caribbean religion of Santería, spoken in the African language of Yoruba). Since arriving in NYC in ’00, Martinez has played with the who’s who of jazz: Wynton Marsalis, John Scofield and Steve Gadd (those are just on his most recent LP). But Martinez doesn’t need co-credits to hype his name. Once his rumba and batá rhythms get going, good luck staying still.