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Part II: Jazz Greats and Great Jazz: An Evolutionary Riff
Orgy in Rhythm, Vols. 1 & 2 (Blue Note) incorporated Latin and Afro-Cuban
rhythms with powerful, percussive music. Blakey also plays a prominent part
on pianist Horace Silver’s recording, Horace Silver Trio, Vol. 1: Spotlight on
Drums (EMD/Blue Note), along with Latin percussionist Sabu Martinez, who
grew up in New York City’s Spanish Harlem neighborhood and got his break
when he succeeded Chano Pozo in Dizzy Gillespie’s band in 1948. Check out
Chapter 7 for more about Blakey.
Woody Herman
Bandleader, clarinetist, and saxophonist Woody Herman (1913–1987) and
his Herd recorded their songwriter Ralph Burns’ Latin-flavored “Bijou” —
a big band piece set to a rumba rhythm — during the 1940s. During the
1950s, Herman teamed with Latin percussionist Tito Puente on Puente’s
Beat/Herman’s Heat (Evidence). The album is a tour de force of Latin jazz,
with Puente providing the percussive power on mambos, cha-chas, and
other tunes set to Latin beats. See Chapter 7 for more about Herman.
Stan Kenton
Pianist, arranger, and bandleader Stan Kenton (1911–1979) experimented
with Latin rhythms by adding Latin musicians to his big band. In 1946, Kenton
and his band sold a million copies of the Latin jazz tune “Tampico,” with June
Christy on vocals. The following year, Kenton and the band recorded Pete
Ruggolo’s “Machito,” a tribute to the Cuban musician and bandleader. Adding
Latin rhythms proved to be both an artistic and commercial success.
Get a hold of The Innovations Orchestra (EMD/Blue Note), with Kenton’s 37piece
ensemble including Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida, conga player
Carlos Vidal, and trumpeter Chico Alvarez. Also check out Cuban Fire (Blue
Note) — another hot Kenton big band session, featuring an oversize ensemble
fueled by five Latin percussionists including Willie Rodriguez on bongos.
See Chapter 7 for more about Kenton.
Perez Prado
Cuban pianist Perez Prado (1916–1983) was known as “The Mambo King,” a
performer and bandleader who helped spark the mambo craze in the 1950s.
But his brand of Latin jazz was much broader than Cuban mambo. He loved
American swing jazz, and he acquired a love of all sorts of Latin rhythms and