Leyenda of Latin Jazz, 76 year old Ray Baretto is recovering at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey after heart surgery. Brooklyn born Baretto is a Grammy-winning Latin jazz percussionist played with Tito Puente’s band in the late ’50′s and recorded with such musical greats as Dizzy Gillespie and Celia Cruz. Barretto was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and is credited with introducing the integrating the conga drum into jazz. VL wishes this maestro a speedy recovery so that he can keep cocinando suave.

Via / Newsday.com