Latin Jazz Music Playlist: The Best of the Best

From the classic sounds of Machito to the contemporary vibes of Poncho Sanchez, this Latin Jazz playlist features the best of the best.

Introduction

Latin Jazz music is a smooth, sensual and exotic blend of traditional Afro-Cuban rhythms with North American Jazz harmonies and improvisation. It’s perfect for any occasion, whether you’re hosting a party, relaxing at home or enjoying a romantic evening.

This playlist features some of the best Latin Jazz songs ever recorded, by artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Carlos Santana, Tito Puente and Cal Tjader. So sit back, relax and enjoy the beautiful sounds of Latin Jazz!

The Best of the Best

There are a lot of great Latin Jazz musicians out there, but who are the best of the best? In this playlist, we’ll countdown the top 10 greatest Latin Jazz musicians of all time. From legends like Dizzy Gillespie to modern greats like Wayne Wallace, this list has something for everyone.

Tito Puente

With a career that spanned almost 50 years, Tito Puente was one of the most important musicians in Latin jazz. He began his professional career in the early 1940s, playing conga drums with the big bands of Machito and Xavier Cugat. In the 1950s, he began to make his mark as a solo artist, recording a series of successful albums for RCA Victor. He also appeared in several films, including “The Hot Spot” and “mambo Kings.”

Puente was a master of many different Latin musical styles, including mambo, cha-cha-cha, and Afro-Cuban jazz. He was also an skilled bandleader, and his group, the Tito Puente Orchestra, was one of the most popular ensembles in Latin music. Puente continued to perform and record until his death in 2000.

Today, Puente’s music remains popular with fans of Latin jazz. If you’re new to this style of music, Tito Puente is a great place to start. Check out our playlist of some of his best tracks below.

Cal Tjader

Cal Tjader was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 16, 1925. His father, Harry, was a Swedish immigrant and his mother, Hattie Glanville, was from Arkansas. Tjader’s family moved to San Mateo, California when he was a child. He began playing the piano at age eight and the vibraphone at fourteen. He attended San Mateo High School, where he played in the school band. After graduation, he enrolled at San Francisco State College intending to study medicine.

Mongo Santamaria

Mongo Santamaria was born in 1922 in Havana, Cuba. He is a percussionist, composer and bandleader of Afro-Cuban jazz. He is best known for his hit rendition of “Afro Blue,” which has been covered by many artists including John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Abbey Lincoln. Santamaria’s musical career began in the 1940s, when he played conga with Cuban big bands like those of Arsenio Rodriguez and Antonio Machin. He toured the United States with Machin’s orchestra in the early 1950s and eventually settled in New York City, where he became a member of Tito Puente’s band. In 1961, Santamaria made his recording debut as a leader with the album Afro Roots. He went on to record more than 30 albums over the course of his career. Santamaria died in 2003 at the age of 80.

Dizzy Gillespie

Dizzy Gillespie was an American trumpeter, bandleader and composer who was a leading figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz. He was born in South Carolina in 1917, and his career spanned more than four decades. Gillespie’s unique style of playing emerged from his ability to fuse elements of African-American music with the harmonic and melodic traditions of Western classical music. In addition to his work as a musician, Gillespie was also a prolific composer and arranger, penning such classics as “A Night in Tunisia” and “Manteca.” He also wrote several orchestral works, including the Concerto for Trumpet and Symphony Orchestra. Gillespie died in 1993 at the age of 75.

Chick Corea

Chick Corea is one of the most prolific and influential jazz musicians of our time. He has released over 70 albums as a leader and has been awarded 23 Grammy Awards. He is a master of many different styles of jazz, but he is perhaps best known for his work in the Latin jazz genre.

Corea was born in Massachusetts in 1941 and started playing piano at a young age. He began his professional career as a member of the jazz group Miles Davis Quintet in 1968. He left Davis’ group after only two years, but he continued to explore different styles of jazz on his own. In the 1970s, he became interested in Latin American music, and he began to incorporate these influences into his own playing.

Corea has had a tremendous impact on the Latin Jazz genre, and his music has been enjoyed by fans all over the world. If you’re looking for some great Latin Jazz to add to your playlist, be sure to check out some of Chick Corea’s best work.

Machito

Machito was a Cuban orchestra leader and singer who was one of the first to bring Afro-Cuban rhythms to jazz and popular music. He is best known for his work with Afro-Cuban jazz, and for his collaborations with American jazz musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Kenton.

Ray Barretto

Ray Barretto ( April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) was a Puerto Rican musician and bandleader who played conga drums, as well as timbales and percussion. Barretto first came to prominence as a percussionist with the flute and conga player Machito’s “Afro-Cubans” in the 1950s, adding an important Afro-Cuban tradition to Tito Puente’s big band jazz. He recorded more than thirty albums under his own name, ranging from jazz to Latin soul to salsa.

Eddie Palmieri

Eddie Palmieri is a celebrated Latin jazz musician who has won nine Grammy Awards throughout his career. He is known for his creative interpretations of Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican music, and his ability to fuse different genres together.

Palmieri was born in New York City in 1936 to Puerto Rican parents. He started playing piano at a young age, and by the 1950s he was leading his own bands. In the 1960s, he began experimenting with fusing different genres of music together, including Latin jazz, salsa, and R&B. This experimentation led to some of his most famous recordings, such as “The Afro-Latin New York Connection” and “The Sun of Latin Music.”

Throughout his career, Palmieri has won nine Grammy Awards, including five for Best Latin Jazz Album. He was also awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in 2014.

Poncho Sanchez

One of the best things about Latin jazz is that it’s constantly evolving. While the classic sounds of artists like Mongo Santamaria and Cal Tjader will always be revered, there’s always room for new blood to keep the genre fresh. Poncho Sanchez is one of the key figures in modern Latin jazz, and his heavily percussive style has helped to shape the sound of the genre in the 21st century. If you’re looking for a taste of what Latin jazz sounds like in the 21st century, Poncho Sanchez is a great place to start.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed our Latin Jazz Music Playlist: The Best of the Best. This genre of music is truly unique and special, and we feel privileged to have been able to share it with you. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out to us. Thank you for listening!