Learn to Speak Latin
By Philip HendricksonThe development of the bossa nova style in the 1950s and 60s demonstrated how well Latin rhythms work in a jazz setting. Bossa nova is an outgrowth of traditional Brazilian samba influenced by jazz concepts. Listen to some Antonio Carlos Jobim or Joao Gilberto and Stan Getz to see how comfortably this fits within a jazz context.
Time spent learning the basic Latin patterns gives the jazz player a whole new vocabulary to spice up solos and build variety into set lists. Practice the samba, bossa nova, tango, mambo, cha cha, and get a feel for 3-2 and 2-3 clave. “Clave” (klah-vey) is the underlying pulse of any Latin musical style and has numerous variations. The possibilities are endless, and a jazz player does not need to be perfectly fluent in the subtleties to develop very useful material. Jazz drummers and bassists especially will find that getting comfortable in Latin grooves opens up a world of colors that can be applied outside of Latin songs to bring very tasty spice!