José in 1970 at a James Brown recording at A&R recording in New York City.

I began LP with the philosophy of uniqueness in design with authenticity in sound and LP is continually bringing in percussion masters to check their latest innovations. Some of the things we discuss are bold and radical designs. Others are subtle changes. We sweat the little things and in doing so, we continue to elevate the standards of the percussion products that go into the LP catalog I first met José Madera in 1969 when he was playing timbales with the great Machito Orchestra. This was a big band and José had to play real loud. He was using the brass shelled timbs (to this day, LP is the only company still making SOLID BRASS shell timbales) and through the constant playing on the sides of the drums, he wound up cracking the shells. In time he switched to stainless steel (LP again is the only company that makes stainless steel shells) and the cracking problem went away. What makes Madera so unique is that he is the only percussionist that can do arranging for big bands like Tito's.

During the 1970's, his arrangements created hits for the Willie Rosario Orchestra and launched the careers of Gilberto Santa Rosa and Tony Vega. José learned his craft from his father Pin Madera, who was the first arranger for the Machito Orchestra. In 1974 I produced of my first serious recording, Understanding Latin Rhythms, Vol. I and I called upon Madera to prepare the musical notation for this groundbreaking album. This album, featuring Patato, José Mangual (Junior and Senior), Manny Oquendo and Milton Cardona was a means by which so many people learned authentic Afro-Caribbean rhythms. It was in 1974 that LP sponsored it's first percussion workshop. This took place in Indian Hills High School in New Jersey and involved José Madera, José Mangual, Jr. and Milton Cardona. The occasion for the presentation was a jazz weekend featuring the likes of Clark Terry and Arnie Lawrence and Madera borrowed from the Machito book, the charts for the famous tune Kenya. A tune that José had the chance to hear the original Machito recording of when he was 8 years old. He rehearsed the band and they had a ball playing this exciting material.

José  Madera is soon to be entering into a collaboration with LP to bring big band Latin Jazz to the Universities of the world. What he did back in 1974 will be repeated around the world, showing the interaction of Latin percussion with the orchestra. He is currently managing to squeeze into his globe-trotting touring schedule, teaching his crafts to the students of Boy's Harbor in New York City.>