The rich sounds of Latin jazz the early years

Latin Beat Magazine, April, 2003 by Nelson Rodriguez

While the argument continues from all corners of the world, on what to actually call the sounds generated when you combine Latin rhythms with jazz, the fact still remains that Latin jazz is one of today's most creative and innovative forms in music. Many will argue that you either have jazz or Latin and nothing else, and others prefer to call it Afro-Cuban or Afro-jazz music. Whatever you choose to call it, this music is becoming more and more popular throughout the world.

For me, the sounds of Latin jazz are broken into two categories. One is jazz Latino executed by Latin music musicians incorporating jazz into their recordings, and Latin jazz, executed by jazz musicians who add Latin rhythms to their sound.

The early years of Latin jazz brought forth many recordings that were basically jazz compositions with Latin overtones. Every now and then, an entire Latin composition was turned into a jazz project.

Many have heard of Mario Bauzá's involvement with Dizzy Gillespie that led to Dizzy meeting Chano Pozo, which led to the start of a beautiful musical relationship. Gillespie's 1947 recording with Chano Pozo of Manteca was just the first of many where Diz would experiment with the fusion of jazz and Afro-Cuban percussion rhythms.

In 1954, a new version of Manteca (also known as Afro) was produced by Chico O'Farrill, and included percussionists Candido, Mongo Santamaría and the Machito rhythm section.

In 1959, he recorded Have Trumpet, Will Excite with Patato Valdés on conga, and the following year, Diz recorded Gillespiana with percussionists Ray Barretto and Candido.

In his 1961 Carnegie Hall Concert, he featured Ray Barretto and Julito Collazo. In the rhythm section for his 1970-71 Portrait of Jenny, he utilized Patato, Jerry and Andy González, and Nicky Marrero.

In 1975, on Giant and The Source, conguero Humberto Canto was featured. And in that very same year, Dizzy Gillespie & Machito: Afro-Cuban Jazz Moods was comprised of an all-star, who's who, with Mario Grillo (Machito's son), Papo Pepín, Jorge Dalto, José Madera Sr. & Jr., Victor Paz, Manny Duran, Julito Collazo, Mario Rivera, Mario Bauzá and Lewis Kahn. In essence, the Machito Afro-Cuban band backing Dizzy that became a historic recording.

Many Latin percussionists recorded and traveled the world with famous jazz artists and bands throughout the '60s and '70s that featured Ray Barretto, Candido, Sabú Martínez, Patato Valdés, Armando Peraza, Willie Bobo and Johnny Pacheco.

Stan Kenton began his venture into Latin sounds on January 2, 1947 with the recording His Feet Too Big For De Bed, featuring José Mangual St. and Pedro Allende. Although his February 13, 1947 recording of Machito contained no Latin instrumentation, a second version recorded on March 31 featured Ivan López on bongó and Eugenio Reyes on maracas.

On the tracks Cuban Carnival, The Peanut Vendor, Prologue Suite and Bongo Riff (recorded on December 6, 1947) he utilized José Mangual, Machito, Costanzo and Carlos Vidal. On his 1959 Viva Kenton album, percussionist Willie Rodríguez, who played with Kenton for many years, is featured. Mike Pacheco was also a member of the Kenton Big Band.

In 1948, saxophonist James Moody & the Modernists recorded New Sounds with Chano Pozo that resulted in the recording of Tin Tin Deo.

Charlie Parker was no stranger to Latin music and jammed with the best in the late '40s and early '50s, and while his album South of the Border (1948-50) may not be one of his best, it did include Machito & his Afro-Cubans (José Mangual, René Hernández, Bobby Woodlen, Paquito Davila, Uba Nieto, Bobby Rodriguez, Luis Miranda, Mario Bauzá, Gene Johnson, Leslie Johnakins, José Madera and Fred Skerritt), along with Flip Phillips from the 10" release Machito Jazz with Flip Phillips and Bird. It also included Chico O'Farrill's conducting and arrangement of the 17-plus minutes Afro-Cuban jazz Suite.

Pianist/vocalist Nat King Cole was originally known for his jazz trios before becoming a jazz/pop vocalist who experimented with Latin music and even traveled to Cuba to record. His Nat King Cole Trio recording Go Bongo (1949-52) featured Jack Costanzo on bongó.

George Shearing recorded a slew of albums with Latin flavors starting in 1953 with Latin Satin, featuring Armando Peraza, Candido, Cal Tjader and Toots Thielemans. From there, emerged the recordings Satin Latin (Candido, Peraza and Al McKibbon); The Shearing Spell (Willie Bobo, Peraza and McKibbon); Latin Escapade (Emil Richards and McKibbon); Latin Lace, Latin Affair, George Shearing On Stage, Shearing and Dakota Staton's In The Night, On the Sunny Side of the Strip, George Shearing and Peggy Lee's Beauty and the Beat, san Francisco Scene, George Shearing and Nancy Wilson's The Swinging's Mutual, and George Shearing and the Montgomery Brothers, all with Armando Peraza on percussion. Mood Latino and Latin Rendevous included Peraza, joined by flutist Rolando Lozano. Many of these musicians subsequently became part of Cal Tjader's band in the '60s.