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Latin Jazz
Latin Jazz
Latin jazz is a genre of jazz with Latin American habanera rhythm included in Will H. Tylers Maori": I
rhythms. Although musicians continually expand its pa- observed that there was a sudden, proud and graceful re-
rameters, the term Latin jazz is generally understood to action to the rhythm...White dancers, as I had observed
have a more specic meaning than simply jazz from Latin them, took the number in stride. I began to suspect that
America. Some Latin jazz typically employs rhythms that there was something Negroid in that beat. After noting
a similar reaction to the same rhythm in La Paloma,
either have a direct analog in Africa, or exhibit an African
inuence. The two main categories of Latin jazz are: Handy included this rhythm in his St. Louis Blues,
the instrumental copy of Memphis Blues, the chorus
1. Afro-Cuban jazzjazz rhythmically based on of Beale Street Blues, and other compositions.[6] Jelly
Cuban popular dance music, often with a rhythm Roll Morton considered the tresillo/habanera (which he
section employing ostinato patterns and/or a clave. called the Spanish tinge) to be an essential ingredient of
jazz.[7] The habanera rhythm can be heard in his left hand
2. Afro-Brazilian jazzincludes bossa nova and jazz on songs like The Crave (1910, recorded 1938).
samba.
Now in one of my earliest tunes, New
Orleans Blues, you can notice the Spanish
1 Afro-Cuban jazz tinge. In fact, if you cant manage to put
tinges of Spanish in your tunes, you will never
1.1 Spanish tingeThe Cuban inu- be able to get the right seasoning, I call it,
ence in early jazz and proto-Latin jazz for jazzMorton (1938: Library of Congress
Recording).[8]
African American music began incorporating Afro-
Cuban musical motifs in the 19th century, when the
habanera (Cuban contradanza) gained international pop-
ularity. The habanera was the rst written music to be
rhythmically based on an African motif. The habanera
rhythm (also known as congo,[1] tango-congo,[2] or tango
[3]
) can be thought of as a combination of tresillo and the
backbeat. Wynton Marsalis considers tresillo to be the
New Orleans clave, although technically, the pattern is
only half a clave.[4]
Tresillo. Play
1
2 1 AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ
jazz musician, is credited with creating the big four, a composed by Mario Bauza and recorded by Machito and
habanera-based pattern. The big four (below) was the his Afro-Cubans the same year, 1943. The tune was ini-
rst syncopated bass drum pattern to deviate from the tially a descarga (Cuban jam) with jazz solos superim-
standard on-the-beat march.[9] As the example below posed, spontaneously composed by Bauz.
shows, the second half of the big four pattern is the ha- The right hand of the Tanga piano guajeo is in the
banera rhythm. style known as ponchando, a type of non-arpeggiated
guajeo using block chords. The sequence of attack-
points is emphasized, rather than a sequence of dierent
pitches. As a form of accompaniment it can be played
in a strictly repetitive fashion or as a varied motif akin to
jazz comping.[11] The following example is in the style of
Buddy Boldens big four pattern a 1949 recording by Machito. 23 clave, piano by Ren
Hernndez.[12]
Dizzy Gillespie sat in with the Machito orches- The rst big band to explore, from an Afro-Cuban
tra, were unrehearsed, uninhibited, unheard- rhythmic perspective, large-scale extended compo-
of-before jam sessions which at the time, mas- sitional works. e.g. The Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite by
ter of ceremonies Symphony Sid called Afro- Chico O'Farill.
Cuban jazz.
The Machito orchestras ten- or fteen- The rst band to successfully wed jazz big band
minute jams were the rst in Latin music to arranging techniques within an original composi-
break away from the traditional under-four- tion with jazz oriented soloists utilizing an authen-
minute recordings. In February 1949, the Ma- tic Afro-Cuban based rhythm section in a successful
chito orchestra became the rst to set a prece- manner. e.g. Gene Johnson - alto, Brew Moore -
dent in Latin music when it featured tenor sax- tenor, composition - Tanga (1943).
ophonist Flip Phillips in a ve-minute record-
ing of Tanga. The twelve-inch 78 RPM, part The rst Afro-Cuban based dance band to overtly
of The Jazz Scene album, sold for $25Salazar explore the concept of clave counterpoint from an
(1997).[13] arranging standpoint. The ability to weave seam-
lessly from one side of the clave to the other without
breaking its rhythmic integrity within the structure
of a musical arrangement.[16]
Afro Blue bass line, with main beats indicated by slashed note-
heads.
Top: opening measures of "Manteca" melody. Bottom: common
mambo bell pattern (2-3 clave).
largely from the eorts of Brazilians Antonio Carlos Jo-
bim and Joo Gilberto, and American Stan Getz. Its most
is considered by some to be the rst Latin jazz record- famous song is arguably "The Girl from Ipanema" sung by
ing by American jazz musicians. The Kenton band was Gilberto and his wife, Astrud Gilberto. While the mu-
augmented by Ivan Lopez on bongos and Eugenio Reyes sical style evolved from samba, it is more complex har-
on maracas. Later, on December 6 the same year, Stan monically and less percussive. Bossa nova emerged pri-
Kenton recorded an arrangement of the Afro-Cuban tune marily from the upscale beachside neighborhoods of Rio
"The Peanut Vendor" with members of Machitos rhythm de Janeiro as opposed to sambas origins in the favelas
section. of Rio. Certain similar elements were already evident,
even inuencing Western classical music like Gershwins
Cuban Overture which has the characteristic 'Latin' clave
rhythm. The inuence on bossa nova of jazz styles such
as cool jazz is often debated by historians and fans, but a
similar cool sensibility is apparent.
Bossa nova was developed in Brazil in the mid-1950s,
with its creation being credited to artists including Johnny
Alf, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joo Gilberto. One of
the rst songs was "Bim-Bom"(Gilberto). Bossa nova
was made popular by Dorival Caymmi's Saudade da
Bahia and Elizete Cardoso's recording of "Chega de
Saudade" on the Cano do Amor Demais LP, composed
by Vincius de Moraes (lyrics) and Antonio Carlos Jobim
(music). The song was soon after released by Gilberto.
The initial releases by Gilberto and the internationally
popular 1959 lm Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus, with
score by Luiz Bonf) brought signicant popularity of
this musical style in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin Amer-
ica, which spread to North America via visiting American
jazz musicians. The resulting recordings by Charlie Byrd
and Stan Getz cemented its popularity and led to a world-
Mongo Santamaria 1969 wide boom with 1963s Getz/Gilberto, numerous record-
ings by famous jazz performers such as Ella Fitzgerald
Cuban percussionist Mongo Santamaria rst recorded his (Ella Abraa Jobim) and Frank Sinatra (Francis Albert
composition Afro Blue in 1959.[17] Afro Blue was Sinatra & Antnio Carlos Jobim). Since that time, the
the rst jazz standard built upon a typical African three- bossa nova style maintains a lasting inuence in world
against-two (3:2) cross-rhythm, or hemiola.[18] The song music for several decades and even up to the present.
begins with the bass repeatedly playing 6 cross-beats per
The rst bossa nova single to achieve international pop-
each measure of 12/8, or 6 cross-beats per 4 main beats
ularity was perhaps the most successful of all time, the
6:4 (two cells of 3:2). The following example shows the
1964 Getz/Gilberto recording "The Girl From Ipanema",
original ostinato Afro Blue bass line. The slashed note-
edited to include only the singing of Astrud Gilberto,
heads indicate the main beats (not bass notes), where you
Gilbertos then wife. The genre would withstand sub-
would normally tap your foot to keep time.
stantial watering down by popular artists throughout the
next four decades.
1.3 Bossa nova An early inuence on bossa nova was the song "Dans mon
le" by French singer Henri Salvador, featured in the 1957
Bossa nova is a hybrid form based on the samba rhythm, Italian movie Europa di notte by Alessandro Blasetti; the
but inuenced by European and American music from song was distributed in Brazil and covered later by Brazil-
Debussy to US jazz. Bossa nova originated in the 1950s, ian artists Eumir Deodato (Los Danseros en Bolero -
1.4 Beyond Latin jazz 5
2 Comparing Latin jazz with [7] Roberts, John Storm 1979. The Latin tinge: the impact of
Latin American music on the United States. Oxford.
straight-ahead jazz
[8] Morton, Jelly Roll (1938: Library of Congress Record-
ing) The Complete Recordings By Alan Lomax.
In comparison with straight-ahead jazz, Latin jazz em-
ploys straight rhythm (or even-eighths), rather than [9] Marsalis, Wynton (2000: DVD n.1). Jazz. PBS
swung rhythm. Early Latin jazz rarely employed a
backbeat, but contemporary forms fuse the backbeat with [10] Schuller, Gunther (1968: 19) Early Jazz; Its Roots and
Musical Development. New York: Oxford Press.
the clave. The conga, timbale, giro, bongos, and claves
are percussion instruments often used in place of the [11] Pealosa, David 2010. The Clave Matrix; Afro-Cuban
drum kit. Rhythm: Its Principles and African Origins p. 256. Red-
way, CA: Bembe Inc. ISBN 1-886502-80-3.
[15] Notes from The Mambo Inn -The Story of Mario Bauza.
PBS documentary (1998).
4 Quotation [16] Bobby Sanabria, posting to the Latinjazz discussion list
(2008). http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/latinjazz/
We play jazz with the Latin touch, thats all, you know. -
Tito Puente[23] [17] Afro Blue, Afro Roots (Mongo Santamaria) Prestige CD
24018-2 (1959).
8 External links
Latin jazz at DMOZ
8 9 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES
9.2 Images
File:Afro_blue_bass.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Afro_blue_bass.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: Own work Original artist: Dr clave
File:Airto_Moreira.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Airto_Moreira.jpg License: CC BY-SA 2.0
Contributors: Airto Moreira Original artist: Daniel Shen Taipei, Taiwan
File:Basic_habanera_rhythm,_Orovio_1981_237.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Basic_
habanera_rhythm%2C_Orovio_1981_237.png License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ricardovacilon (talk)
(Uploads)
File:Big_four_Buddy_Bolden.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Big_four_Buddy_Bolden.png Li-
cense: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Dr clave (talk)
File:Bossa_nova_pattern.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Bossa_nova_pattern.png License: CC
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File:Conga.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Conga.svg License: CC0 Contributors: Open Clip Art
Library images page Original artist: pacofsm
File:Dizzy_Gillespie_playing_horn_1955.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Dizzy_Gillespie_
playing_horn_1955.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Van Vechten Collection at Library of Congress Original artist: Carl Van
Vechten
File:Loudspeaker.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Loudspeaker.svg License: Public domain Contrib-
utors: New version of Image:Loudspeaker.png, by AzaToth and compressed by Hautala Original artist: Nethac DIU, waves corrected by
Zoid
File:Machito_and_his_sister_Graciella_Grillo.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Machito_and_
his_sister_Graciella_Grillo.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://memory.loc.gov/music/gottlieb/05000/05800/05871v.jpg
Original artist: William P. Gottlieb
File:Manteca_=_bell_pattern.tif Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Manteca_%3D_bell_pattern.tif Li-
cense: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Dr clave
File:Mongo_Santamaria_1969.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Mongo_Santamaria_1969.JPG Li-
cense: Public domain Contributors: eBay item Original artist: Associated Booking Corporation (management); photographer: Ronnie
Brathwaite
File:MortonBricktopRowCropMortonFace.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/
MortonBricktopRowCropMortonFace.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Photograph from 1917 or 1918, scanned from
reprint in book Oh, Mister Jelly by William Russell, JazzMedia Aps, 1999 Original artist: Photographer not credited.
File:Nan_Vasconcelos.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Nan%C3%A1_Vasconcelos.jpg License:
CC BY 2.0 Contributors: Nan Vasconcelos Original artist: Gerardo Lazzari
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tributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Son_clave_cut-time_3-2_&_2-3.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Son_clave_cut-time_3-2_
%26_2-3.png License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Dr clave
File:Tanga_piano_guajeo.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Tanga_piano_guajeo.jpg License: CC
BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Dr clave
File:Tresillo_divisive.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Tresillo_divisive.png License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: Own work Original artist: Dr clave