October 6, 2021- Today's Topic: The Latin Jazz of the Hard Bop Era
Beginning in the nineteen fifties a number of well known jazz musicians recorded albums with a latin theme.
Ray Barretto appeared on numerous Blue Note, Riverside and Prestige sessions throughout the fifties and sixties and was more or less the house latin percussionist. His conga drum
provided a latin feel to many recordings by Lou Donaldson, Gene Ammons, Red Garland, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Herbie Mann, Horace Parlan, Ray Bryant, Oliver Nelson and many more.
Today we focus on a variety of latin themed recordings including such classics as Kenny Dorham’s 1955 album titled Afro-Cuban that features Carlos Patato Valdes.
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers 1957 albums Orgy in Rhythm and Cu-Bop both featuring Sabu Martinez. Red Garland’s Manteca. A 1958 session for Prestige with Ray Baretto.Herbie Mann’s 1959 Flautista with Patato Valdes and Jose Mangual. The Jazz Crusaders Chili Con Soul from 1965 with Carlos Vidal plus individual tracks by Horace Silver, Billy Taylor, Donald Byrd, Wes Montgomery, Joe Henderson, Grant Green and many more.