That Jazz - Monkey Max Music and File Download

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Part II: Jazz Greats and Great Jazz: An Evolutionary Riff
Figure 9-1:
Machito
helped
create the
form of Latin
jazz known
as Cubop.
Latin musicians who played a role in Cubop’s evolution include Mario Bauza,
Machito, Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo, and Chico O’Farrill. I cover these musicians
in the following sections.
Mario Bauza and Machito
Mario Bauza (1911–1993) was a key player in the early 1940s’ fusion of jazz
with Latin influences. Bauza played trumpet in swing bands led by Don
Redman and Cab Calloway, and he acted as musical director in drummer
Chick Webb’s band (see Chapter 6 for more on these guys). Bauza and his
brother-in-law Machito (given name: Frank Grillo) were both Cubans who
came to the U.S. Three years after Machito (1912–1984) arrived in the U.S. in
1937, he started his own band called The Afro-Cubans. The next year, 1941,
Bauza joined The Afro-Cubans as writer, arranger, and trumpeter.
Collaborating with American jazzmen like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker,
Machito (see Figure 9-1) and Bauza helped create Cubop. Cubop encompasses
some of the most amazing and underappreciated jazz.
©William P. Gottlieb, www.jazzphotos.com