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History of Jazz: Latin Jazz

<< Development of Bebop Jazz Fusion >>
Latin jazz is the general term given to music that combines rhythms from African and Latin American countries with jazz harmonies from the United States.

To a jazz musician, a piece of music is often called "Latin" if it has straight 8th-notes instead of the swinging 8th notes common in most jazz music. Many jazz musicians who know a lot about the history of American jazz may be quite unfamiliar with the history or traditions of Latin Jazz, though they probably know a few dozen of the most famous pieces.

Latin jazz comes in two varieties: Brazilian and Afro-Cuban. Afro-Cuban jazz was played in the states directly after the bebop period, while Brazilian jazz became more popular in the 1960s and 1970s.
  • Brazilian jazz can be further subdivided into two most popular types bossa nova and samba. Bossa is generally slow, played around 80 beats per minute or so, while Samba is played at 120 beats per minute or faster. The music uses straight eighths, rather than swing eighths, and also uses difficult polyrhythms. Certain sambas and bossas are considered to be part of the modern day jazz players gig-bag.
  • Afro-Cuban started as a movement after the death of Charlie Parker. Notable bebop musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Billy Taylor started Afro-Cuban bands at that time. Gillespie's work was mostly with big bands of this genre. While the music was influenced by Cuban musicians like Tito Puente, there were many Americans who were drawing upon Cuba's fascinating rhythms for their work.
Latin jazz music, like most types of jazz music, can be played in small or large groups. Small groups, or combos, often use the Be-bop format made popular in the 1950's in America, where the musicians play a standard melody, many of the musicians play an improvised solo, and then everyone plays the melody again. In Latin jazz bands, percussion solos are much more common, and they are more structured than in swing bands, where drum solos are rare and often more freeform.
<< Development of Bebop Jazz Fusion >>

also in 'History of Jazz':-
Jazz Roots | Early 20th Century Jazz | Jazz in 1920s to 1950s | Development of Bebop | Jazz Fusion | Recent Developments in Jazz

Related topics:-
blue notes | syncopation | swing | call and response | polyrythms
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