This combination certainly resulted in some great music, but it’s only one piece of a larger picture. When we looked back across the first decade of the twenty-first century, we discovered the reoccurring theme of “What Is Latin Jazz?,” a question forced upon us by new representations of Latin culture in the jazz world. The high profile emergence of multitudes of artists pushing the limits of the genre brought the issue into the forefront of our attention in the 2000s, but it’s hardly a new idea. Latin influences and musicians have helped shape the jazz world since it’s beginnings.
Musical exchange between African-American, Caribbean, and South American musicians has been a cornerstone of jazz since it’s inception. Jazz came to life in New Orleans during the early 1900s, but only with the help of Cuban music. Pianist Jelly Roll Morton often referred to the essential “Spanish Tinge” that made jazz complete, and he showed it in his compositions through a specific left hand figure, the habanera.
Puerto Rican musicians filled the ranks of Puente and Machito’s fiery Afro-Cuban big bands, building the now legendary Palladium sound; at the same time, some of those musicians found their way into Duke Ellington’s band. Trumpet player Fats Navarro, a Cuban born trumpet player, burned his way through a short but memorable life during the bebop era.
Numerous Brazilian and Puerto Rican percussionists fueled the heavy grooves of fusion bands during the seventies, giving the music a “world jazz” sound. At every turn of jazz’s evolution, Latin music and musicians helped build the style into the major art form that we know today. In most cases though, Latin culture wasn’t the focus, it was just a piece of the bigger puzzle, so the essential connection to Latin music generally goes unnoticed.
JUAN TIZOL
One musician who shaped the course of jazz history celebrated their 110th birthday this week - valve trombonist Juan Tizol was born on January 22, 1900 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Born into a musical family, Tizol gained a solid musical foundation on the island, emerging as a highly trained classical musician. In 1920, Tizol made his way into Washington D.C., smuggled into the city by boat to work a steady theater gig. Nine years later, after a variety of musical jobs and an investment in a deli, Tizol gained a spot in Duke Ellington’s band.
Being a fully trained musician, Tizol became a key player in the group, transposing parts, doing copywriting, and providing a distinct contrast to the rough bluesy voices in the band. Ironically, Tizol encounter race issues in the band, but not because of his Caribbean heritage - his light skin gave him the appearance of being caucasian, which led to a well-known conflict with Charles Mingus and more.
Tizol began composing for the band in the early thirties, inserting a “Latin” edge into some songs, while staying with the group’s swing feel on others. 1944 marked the end of an era as Tizol left Ellington to pursue a job with Harry James in Los Angeles, bringing him closer to his wife. Tizol made a brief return to the Ellington band in 1951, only to leave again after three years. He bounced between several prominent big bands over the next ten years, retiring to Los Angeles during the sixties. Tizol lived to a ripe age of 84, dying in Los Angeles on April 23, 1984.
Sitting Between Jazz And Latin Culture
Tizol’s career presents a perfect example of the foggy relationship between traditional jazz and Latin culture - he was a musician that easily “sat between” jazz and Latin music. His legacy remains firmly attached to Ellington, one of the most influential voices in tradition jazz. His contributions to the group behind the scenes, as a performer, and as a composer helped the group stake their place in history and create some of the world’s most memorable music. Ellington respected Tizol and his abilities, a fact reinforced by his willingness to include several Tizol compositions into the group’s repertoire, which was dominated by Ellington and Billy Strayhorn pieces.
His composition “Perdido,” a swing tune, caught the imagination of jazz musicians and listeners around the world; it continues to be a highly played standard. Many Latin Jazz musicians remember Tizol as a ground breaking Puerto Rican musician that connected Latin culture with the Ellington band. Another famous Tizol composition, “Caravan” sits among the most cherished Latin Jazz standards in the genre, recorded hundreds of times, using countless creative arranging techniques. He made significant strides on both sides of the fence, gaining respect and notoriety among the jazz audience and Latin musicians alike.
http://www.chipboaz.com/blog/2010/01/24/sitting-between-jazz-and-latin-culture-celebrating-juan-tizol/
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