Description

Azteca

Level: advanced

Solos: alto, percussion

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Ranges: trumpet – D above staff, trombone – C above middle C

Instrumentation: combo (septet), alto sax, trumpet, trombone, rhythm (4)

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Marty Sheller Bio

Marty Sheller was born on March 15, 1940, in Newark, NJ. He started playing the snare drum at age ten, later switching to the trumpet. He made his professional debut in 1958 at the Woodbine Hotel in the Catskills. Sheller then joined a band led by tenor saxophonist Hugo Dickens, performing jazz, R&B, and Latin music in Harlem. He later teamed up with percussionist Louie Ramirez to interpret jazz songs with a Latin rhythm section, working with conguero Frank Malabé as an early influence. Sheller played with conga master Sabu Martinez and met Mongo Santamaria in 1961. Santamaria shifted his band to a Latin jazz sound, and Sheller’s first rehearsal featured an arrangement of “Watermelon Man” by Herbie Hancock. The song became a Top Ten hit, showcasing Sheller’s trumpet solo and was released on Riverside Records.

Sheller worked with Santamaria as a composer, arranger, and musical director until 1968 when embouchure problems forced him to stop playing the trumpet. He continued to collaborate with Santamaria until 2003. He produced the Grammy-winning album Amanecer and became a sought-after arranger for salsa music at Fania Records. Sheller contributed to many famous recordings and began writing for Tito Puente in 1993. His music is known for its richness and deep understanding of Afro-Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Caribbean rhythms in jazz, making him one of the leading arrangers in this genre.