MisterRubato on SoundBetter

Marimba, Vibes, Steel Drums, and Percussion available for your project!

I can solo, comp, read and record all mallet instruments for projects. Do you need a marimba for a nice world beat groove? Maybe vibes for a jazzy song you're working on! Steel pan adds a sweet Caribbean sound to a project too. I can read charts if needed or improvise solos and chord comping as required.

My Percussion assortment includes Congas, Bongos, Timbales, Doumbek, Frame Drum, Gongs, misc. percussion (shakers, clave, triangle, cowbells, various cymbals, etc.) and very basic Tabla.

I have lots of songs registered for licensing through music libraries Pond5 and MusicGrid that demonstrate these and other textures I can provide. When I was performing with 3 Leg Torso (a world music ensemble) we opened for Pink Martini on a west coast tour in San Francisco's Great American Music Hall and LA's huge Water Park, among others. At that time I was playing vibes, xylophone and tons of hand percussion with the band.

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Credits

3 Leg Torso

10 Reviews - 2 Repeat Clients

Endorse MisterRubato

by Lee N.
Verified
Rob is a 5 star pro on SoundBetter. He took my direction and delivered the goods. Highly recommended artist to work with. He made the track come together with his playing!
by Michael S.
Verified
Thank you so very much Rob! I appreciate your talents. The Vibe and Marimba parts were a perfect fit for my Christmas project. I look forward to working with you again soon!
by Arcenio A.
Verified
I really enjoyed working with MisterRubato, communication was great, he's a wonderful musician and contributed to our song in a very creative way!
by Maximilian H.
Verified
Mr Rubato pas proven both: true skills on his mallet instruments and also patience and endurance, as i'm a picky producer with high expectations, but he updated my request super fast what led to super nice project including real recorded marimbas + steel pans
by Jed D.
Verified
MisterRubato is amazing... he brought a track to life with vibes and even added some unexpected steel pan! The turnaround was super-quick and he made everything easy and fun.
by Matthew Weiss
Verified
Great musician, super fast, really great communication. Will absolutely hire again.
by todd s.
Verified
You are in good human hands with MisterRubato. First off, I actually chose him for his moniker. I mean, if you are that clever, you have to have great musical ideas as well. And of course his playing is top notch. The instruments are recorded well, parts are very creative, he is open to suggestions but comfortable with a lot freedom. I like people to bring their personality to a project because it makes the music better. This has definitely been the case here. Will def. use him again.
by Lawrence T.
Verified
He was awesome to work with! Very skilled, and fast at getting it done. I'd definitely love to work him again in the future...
by Adri L.
Verified
Very cool vibes and awesome communication - quick on answering and delivering. MisterRubato performed Marimba on one of my tracks - it was a great addition to the project and would recommend him for Marimba for future projects
by Jaguar S.
Verified
Beautiful work from a master! Thank you.

Interview with MisterRubato

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Snarky Puppy! They have such a variety of song styles to draw from and always include improvisation. It just sounds like so much fun being had by such a large group.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Don't be afraid to use the subtractive process rather than the additive. Always be ready to remove parts even when you love them, if they don't truly make the song sound better.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Jazz, World Beat (Global), Latin (Cuban & Brazilian), and Pop.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: A high degree of improvisation whether its a solo required or simply an underlying groove or secondary melody. Because I'm a drummer first, all of my parts tend to groove and have a nice rhythmic feel to them.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Listening to the song I am asked to enhance, making no judgments and trying to see if there is anything "missing" that I can add creatively without distracting from what is already there.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I'm currently recording at my home studio where all of my instruments live. I have Marimba, Vibraphone, Steel Pans, Drum set, and loads of percussion: congas, bongos, frame drums, shakers, etc.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Snarky Puppy, with their incredible layered approach to recording and performing! Their arrangements are highly original and exciting.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Adding an extra layer of mallet percussion to an artist's recording: vibes, marimba or steel drums for an exciting textural enhancement.