Walfredo Reyes Jr.

Walfredo Reyes Jr. (born Walfredo de los Reyes Palau IV; December 18, 1955) is a Cuban American musician who is an expert in drum set and auxiliary percussion, and a music educator and clinician. He has performed with many jazz, Latin, World music, World fusion, Afro-Cuban, and rock bands as a touring, session recording, and full-time player/performer. Reyes is known for his fusion of many of the world's percussion techniques, including the ability to play a drum set with his hands in addition to the traditional use of drumsticks; it was said that he can "sound like a drummer and a percussionist at the same time"[1] [2][3] He was a long-term member of Santana. He was also a member of Chicago as the percussionist from 2012 to 2018, at which point he took over the drum seat.[4][5][6] He also performed in the band of former Nazareth guitarist Manny Charlton.

Walfredo Reyes Jr.
Photo of Walfredo Reyes Jr. smiling and playing a conga drum, at a live Chicago concert in 2013
Reyes, Jr. in 2018
Background information
Birth nameWalfredo de los Reyes Palau IV
Also known as
  • Wally Reyes, Jr.
  • Walfredo Reyes
Born (1955-12-18) December 18, 1955
Havana, Cuba
Genres
Occupation(s)
Instrument(s)
  • Drums
  • percussion
Years active1972 (1972)–present
Member ofChicago
Formerly of
Websitewalfredoreyesjr.com

Biography

Walfredo Reyes Jr. was born on December 18, 1955, in Havana, Cuba. His native name of Walfredo de los Reyes Palau IV is a traditional Cuban combination of his paternal and maternal surnames. He is a third generation musician in a prolific professional musical lineage on both sides of his family, including several globally recognized percussion experts. His father is percussionist Walfredo Reyes, Sr.; one brother is world music percussionist Daniel de los Reyes; another brother is actor Kamar de los Reyes; and his grandfather is trumpeter and Cuban orchestral organizer, Walfredo de los Reyes II.[7][8]

Reyes has had a lifelong interest in the music of the band Chicago, originally known as Chicago Transit Authority. The first album he purchased as a youth was with his own money was Chicago Transit Authority'.[8]

Walfredo Reyes Jr. and his wife Kirsten were married on March 21, 2020, and live in Greater Cincinnati.[9]

Career

Leading up to his current role with the band Chicago, Reyes had a connection as a lifelong fan of the band, as a long-time friend of and collaborator with former drummer Tris Imboden,[10]: 47  and as brother of Chicago's previous percussionist Daniel de los Reyes.[7][8]

He is the title character of the Phish song "Walfredo".[11]

For the 2021 movie Being the Ricardos, Reyes coached and mentored Javier Bardem in learning the conga drums performed in the film.[12]

Reyes has globally toured and/or recorded with countless international acts, including the following:[4]

Years Artist
1983—1984 Tania Maria
1985—1988 David Lindley’s El Rayo X
1988 Jackson Browne
1988 Jimmy Barnes
1989—1993 Santana
1992 Boz Scaggs
1993 Gloria Estefan
1994 Traffic
1995 Robbie Robertson
1997—2004 Steve Winwood
1998—1999 Joe Sample
2000 Johnny Hallyday
2005 Khaled
2007—2011 Lindsey Buckingham
2008 Mickey Hart
2010—2012 El Chicano[13]
2012—present Chicago[5][6]

Discography
Select discography
Year Artist Title Credits Source
1986 Jackson Browne Lives in the Balance Conductor, conga, drum set [14]
1993 Santana Sacred Fire: Live in South America member [15][16][notes 1]
1995 Frank Gambale Thinking Out Loud Percussion [17][18]
2000 Johnny Hallyday 100% Johnny – Live a la tour Eiffel Percussion, drums [19]
2000 Johnny Hallyday Olympia 2000 – Live a l'Olympia Percussion, drums [20]
2009 Thomas Lorenzo Quartet Spanish Breeze Member [21]
2012 Manny Charlton Band Hellacious Member [22]
2014 Chicago Chicago XXXVI: Now Member, percussion
2020 Johnny Hallyday Happy Birthday – Live au Parc de Sceaux Percussion, drums

Videography
Year Title Artist Credits Source
1981 Pippin: His Life and Times Soundtrack musician, uncredited [26]
1993 Santana: Sacred Fire, Live in Mexico Santana member [27][notes 1]
2000 100% Johnny Live a la tour Eiffel Johnny Hallyday Percussion, drums [28]
2000 Olympia 2000 – Live a l'Olympia Johnny Hallyday Percussion, drums [29]
2003 The Studio Percussionist, Vol. 1 Michael McFall; Dave Witham;
Walfredo de los Reyes;
Larry Klimas; John Peña		 [30]
2005 The Last Great Traffic Jam Traffic [31]
2005 Sound Stage featuring Steve Winwood Steve Winwood member [32]
2005 Global Beats for Drumset & Percussion Walfredo Reyes Jr. author of instructional video [33]
2011 Songs from the Small Machine Lindsey Buckingham Drums
2011 The Road Divides Carl Verheyen Band Drums, percussion [34]
2014 Killer B3 Interviewee, drum set [35]
2020 Happy Birthday – Live au Parc de Sceaux Johnny Hallyday Percussion, drums

Equipment

Reyes uses and has used the following equipment:

See also

Notes
  1. Sacred Fire: Live in South America (CD audio) and Sacred Fire: Live in Mexico (DVD video) are counterparts for the same show.

References
  1. "Walfredo Reyes Jr on Audix". Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  2. "Mapex Artists: Walfredo Reyes Jr". Mapex. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  3. Walfredo Reyes Jr. – Setup Tour (A/V stream). SabianVault at YouTube. Event occurs at 0:02:12. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  4. "Walfredo Reyes Jr". DrumSoloArtist.com. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  5. "Walfredo Reyes Jr". Walfredo Reyes Jr. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  6. "Walfredo Reyes Jr". Chicago. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  7. "Daniel de los Reyes". Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  8. "LA Rocks Ep. 104 FULL". LA Rocks. Episode 104. February 17, 2013. YouTube. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  9. Varias, Chris (September 22, 2020). "Chicago's drummer bought a house in Newport, he's already addicted to Graeter's". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  10. Imboden, Tris (December 1995). "Chicago's Tris Imboden". Modern Drummer (Interview). Interviewed by Robyn Flans. Clifton, New Jersey: Modern Drummer Publications. ISSN 0194-4533. OCLC 4660723. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  11. "Walfredo History - Phish.net". phish.net. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  12. "Being The Ricardos - Javier Bardem". December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  13. "Walfredo Reyes Jr.: Photos". Walfredo Reyes Jr. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
  14. Lives in the Balance, credits at AllMusic at AllMusic. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  15. Carlos Santana, Walfredo Reyes Jr. et al. (1993). Santana: Sacred Fire, Live in South America (music CD audio). New York, N.Y.: Polydor. OCLC 29554116. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
  16. Sacred Fire: Live in South America, credits at allmusic at AllMusic. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  17. Thinking Out Loud, credits at AllMusic at AllMusic. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  18. Gambale, Frank (1995). Thinking Out Loud (audio CD). Los Angeles, CA: JVC Musical Industries. OCLC 36459877. JVC-2045-2. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  19. Hallyday, Johnny (2000). 100% Johnny Live a la tour Eiffel (CD music audio) (in French). France: Mercury. OCLC 48658620. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  20. Hallyday, Johnny (2000). Olympia 2000 – Live a l'Olympia (CD music audio) (in French). France: Universal Division Mercury. OCLC 658971947. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  21. Spanish Breeze, credits at Allmusic at AllMusic. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  22. Manny Charlton Band. "Hellacious". Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  23. Pop Pop, credits at Allmusic at AllMusic. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
  24. "The Best Blues Money Can Buy – Willie Lomax – Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  25. The Road Divides, credits at Allmusic at AllMusic. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  26. actors Ben Vereen and William Katt; musical score including the uncredited Walfredo Reyes Jr. (2000) [originally produced for television and published on VHS in 1981]. Pippin: Life and Times (DVD video). Tulsa, Oklahoma: VCI Home Video. OCLC 45309648. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  27. Santana: Sacred Fire, Live in Mexico (DVD video). Island Def Jam Music Group. 1993. OCLC 47982489. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
  28. Hallyday, Johnny; Pullicino, Gerard (2000). 100% Johnny Live a la tour Eiffel (DVD music video) (in French). France: Mercury. OCLC 795968970. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  29. Hallyday, Johnny (2000). Olympia 2000 – Live a l'Olympia (DVD music video) (in French). France: Mercury. OCLC 729408481. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  30. McFall, Michael; Witham, Dave; de los Reyes, Walfredo; Klimas, Larry; Peña, John (2003). The Studio Percussionist (DVD video). Vol. 1. Mark Cohen, Wayne Cohen (Executive Producers); Michael McFall (Producer and Director); Luis Conte (featured). Garfield, New Jersey: Latin Percussion Inc. ISBN 9780757915598. OCLC 58037979.
  31. Traffic (2005). The Last Great Traffic Jam (DVD music video). Sony BMG Music Entertainment. OCLC 315118980. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  32. Sound Stage featuring Steve Winwood. Koch Vision. 2005 [originally published on DVD in 2003]. ISBN 9781417227563. OCLC 61769330. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  33. Global Beats for Drumset & Percussion (DVD video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation. 2006. ISBN 9780634087288. OCLC 76835644. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
  34. Carl Verheyen, guitar, vocals ; Dave Marotta, bass ; Walfredo Reyes Jr. , drums, percussion (2011). The Road Divides (DVD video). Topanga, CA: Cranktone Entertainment. OCLC 809217357.
  35. "Killer B3: A documentary film about the Hammond Organ: Behind Scenes Gallery Photos". Retrieved May 1, 2013. Tom Leobold sets up a "drumcam" for Walfredo Reyes Jr.
  36. "Walfredo Reyes Jr dw drums". Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  37. "Walfredo Reyes Jr Vic Firth Zildjian". Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  38. "Walfredo Reyes Jr Drum Bags". Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  39. Dom Famularo, Chris Pennie, Rashid Williams, Walfredo Reyes Jr. (May 28, 2010). Falcon by Mapex pt.1 of 2 (A/V stream). Mapex. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  40. "Sabian Drumset Artists: Walfredo Reyes Jr". Sabian. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  41. "Sabian Artists: Walfredo Reyes Jr". Sabian. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  42. "LP Artists: Walfredo Reyes Jr". LP. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
  43. "Walfredo Reyes Jr". Remo. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
  44. "Walfredo Reyes: .600" x 16"". Regal Tip. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  45. "Artist Info: Audix Microphones: Walfredo Reyes Jr". Audix. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  46. "Walfredo Reyes Jr". Big Bang Distribution. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
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