On the back of the original Verve record jacket, the promotional copy quotes him extensively about Uno Dos Tres 1•2•3. One passage in particular is telling, with Bobo bemoaning his typecasting in the jazz world: “If you’re Latin, people expect you to play only Latin.” A byproduct of years of working under American and British bandleaders eager to explore or cash in on Afro-Caribbean derivations, that sentiment hangs like an albatross around Bobo’s neck. Too often, then and now, the polyrhythmic powers of Latin percussion find themselves restricted by cultural expectations. With others at the helm, Bobo’s timbales mastery served their immediate needs but limited his artistry. So when it came time to record for himself, he chose to stick with the instrument he knew best, the instrument he played best, genre be damned.