LJC Community Conversations are designed to explore major ideas in the Latin Jazz world together as a community and inspire conversation through comments. My main motivator here is my belief that LJC readers hold a great deal of knowledge and passion around Latin Jazz, and I think that we can learn something from everyone. Whether you’re a seasoned Latin Jazz performer or a newcomer to the music, leave a comment and let your voice be heard!

Today’s conversation looks at big bands in Latin Jazz . . .

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The big band presence in jazz has changed significantly throughout its history; while it has always been valued as a major piece of the style, it has not always been the most practical instrumentation. When jazz garnered major attention in the pop music market, big band performance served as the norm - big bands worked regular gigs in clubs and traveled across the country. As rock stole the nation’s musical preferences away from jazz, the financial realism of paying large groups of musicians forced artists to explore other instrumentations. At the same time, musicians became more interested in the improvisational freedoms inherent in small groups, and the cutting edge artists utilized this format extensively. Jazz became a music primarily performed in small groups while the big band became a luxury reserved for artists with large budgets. As jazz education moved slowly from the bandstand into the college, educational institutions kept the big band tradition alive, rotating students through the ensembles and encouraging the creation of new works. While jazz festivals and institutions sometimes funded the ongoing support of professional big bands, they stood in the background of the larger jazz world, overshadowed by the practicality of small group performance.

Latin Jazz shared an early history rich in big bands that transitioned slowly into a preference for combos. Cuban groups followed the musical trends from the United States before the 1960s, and many musicians got experience performing in big bands. Musicians traveling between the United States and Cuba maintained a familiarity with the stylistic norms of big bands. When Cuban musicians found themselves in the midst of New York’s jazz scene, they not only got work in established jazz big bands, they were able to blend Cuban music and big band instrumentation. Machito and his Afro-Cubans and the Tito Puente Orchestra incorporated big band approaches into their music, and Dizzy Gillespie brought Cuban rhythms into his be-bop big band. Latin Jazz established its roots through big bands; these groups created many of the conventions that we value today. As the music world evolved, these groups faced the same economic issues as traditional jazz big bands, and they fought the audience’s desire for more commercially oriented salsa. Their battles also led to small groups outnumbering big bands in the Latin Jazz world. Yet Latin Jazz didn’t find a sanctuary in academic institutions; instead, colleges shunned it as the jazz world’s less serious cousin. Focused Latin Jazz education has only recently found its way into colleges - previously the Latin Jazz big band needed to be self-funded, a rare occurrence.

The tides are turning though - the Latin Jazz world has recently seen a revival of the big band instrumentation with a string of strong releases and performances. In the past month, big band Latin Jazz releases have included Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra’s Song For Chico, Marooned/Aislado from Papo Vazquez and the Mighty Pirates, and the Caribbean Jazz Project’s self-titled collaboration with the Afro Bop Alliance. Percussionist Bobby Sanabria released the exemplary album Big Band Urban Folktales last year and plans to record and release the Manhattan School of Music’ Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra’s Kenya Revisited later this year. Arturo Sandoval released Rumba Palace last year, and since then, he has made several appearances with his Mambo Maniacs Big Band. Tito Puente’s former band continues to tour as The Latin Giants of Jazz, and their 2007 album Trip To Mamboland contained the same fire that made Puente successful. Jose Rizo brought Los Angeles’ thriving Latin Jazz community together several years ago as The Jazz on the Latin Side All-Stars, and last year, they released Tambolero, an outstanding collection of big band works. This list gets longer continuously, as Latin Jazz artists continue their love of the big band instrumentation.

I’m personally thrilled to see Latin Jazz big bands becoming a reality again, but honestly, the reason for this sudden resurgence escapes me. The financial realities of the jazz world haven’t improved significantly, making the struggle to pay strong musicians in a large ensemble difficult. Some colleges have included Latin Jazz into their programs, but very few dedicated Latin Jazz big bands exist. As far as I can see, musicians are being driven artistically to bring Latin Jazz big bands to life - an effort I support whole heartedly!

Here’s some food for thought:
* Have you Heard Any of The Latin Jazz Big Band releases Mentioned Above and What Do You Think About Them?

*Do You Have A Preference Between Latin Jazz Big Band or Small Group Combo Work?

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Do you have an idea for a future Community Conversation? As much as I enjoy exploring my own interests with this weekly post, I’d prefer to have this forum address the overall interests of the entire community. Do you have an issue that effects Latin Jazz? Do you have an idea for a fun topic? Let me know so that we can throw it out to the whole community - Leave a Comment or e-mail me.

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