Sam Ulano – Follow The Leader Bongos

 

SAM ULANO.

 

A bongo instructional LP that has fallen between the cracks? By a drummer who recorded with Moondog.

Looking back in my digital library Sam was on a WFMU comp (Count me in) and a few of Johan Dava Vis's Radio Fantastica's.

 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Solomon Paul "Sam" Ulano (August 12, 1920 – January 1, 2014) was an American jazz drummer and teacher. He is often called by the nickname "Mr. Rhythm."

Ulano began playing drums at age 13 and opened his first drum studio four years later. He wrote many instruction books for the drums and appeared on several television programs, including Tonight Starring Steve Allen. He recorded with Moondog, and was also for one night in 1981 a member of the English post-punk band Public Image Ltd. He was a life long native of New York City.

 

 

There is a hip "DRUM'S FAIRY TALES (The Three Bears)" is on Archive

He had a long career in NYC, was the drummer on the Steve Allen show..

This is the black and white version of "Follow The Leader Bongo" Sam's Education, Spoken Word LP from 1961. Released the same year as Jack Costanzo – "Learn, Play Bongos "With Mr. Bongo". Jack's is more popular and flashy that Sam Ulano's more instructional LP suited to more serious musicians? With Sam speaking instead of the smooth announcer on Jack's Liberty release. Sam definitely sounds like a New Yorker. The Gretsch  article mentions "Sam’s publications had almost comically “lo-fi” production values, but they were nonetheless high in informational content."

 

The Modern Drummer interview and obit described Sam as "the Energizer Bunny of the drumming world" .. "a beloved yet controversial player and instructor who Modern Drummer readers will recognize from the many ads he ran in the magazine over the years, passed away last week, at the age of ninety-three.

 

 Sam Ulano – Follow The Leader Bongos
Genre:    Latin, Non-Music
Style:    Education, Spoken Word
Year:    1961

Side 1:
        Bongo Warm-Up    
        Basic Latin Rhythms    \

Side 2:
        Follow The Leader Ad-Libs Solos

 

Included is the Discogs art work. Also digitized the complete instructional booklet. and copied some content from the internet.

 

Was exciting discovering the Exotica.Lounge.Space Age world and the Ultra-Lounge Bongoland comps. Along with downloading compilations from early Influencers on the Exotica Mailing List like "Belly Bongo" and "Xtabay". If your interested in putting together your own mix tape maybe you will find plenty of sound-bites to put in-between tracks or even MASHUP.  Sam did not spring for an orchestra. It's voice and bongos.  Someone might want to flash this up.....

 

Bonus tracks :

Sam Ulano - Doing The ABC

Sam Ulano -  S.S. Rhythm

Sam Ulano - The story of Santa Claus