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Machito
Machito and his Afro Cubans was an absolute powerhouse unit that lay the foundation for Latin Jazz, a seminal force in the original fusion of Cuban clave rhythms and the melodies and harmonies of jazz. They were the original Mambo Kings in New York in the ‘40’s and are considered the most innovative and influential orchestra in the genre. Francisco Gutierrez Grillo was born in Havana, Cuba on Apr16, 1908. He set out to be a singer, and music became his life. He acquired the nickname Machito, as a youngster, though he was called Macho by his close friends. He sang in many local groups, and also became a very proficient clave and maraca player, essential instruments in Cuban music. He relocated to New York in 1937, where he immediately found work singing, and landed in Conjunto Moderno, with whom he made his first recordings. He moved on to the Conjunto Caney, and recorded with them until 1939. Became lead singer for pianist Noro Morales, did a short stint with Xavier Cugat, recording with both. It was to be the formation of his own band The Afro-Cubans that would place him in jazz history. Fronted by a frontline of saxophones and trumpets, backed by a Cuban rhythm section, they debuted at the Park Plaza Ballroom in New York in Dec. 1940, and set the pace for Latin dance bands in what was to become the mambo craze era. They went on to record a self titled record,and another titled "Afro Cuban Music” with Cuban singer Miguelito Valdés doing some numbers in a direct Yoruba dialect, which was novel at this time (1941). His brother in law Mario Bauza had joined the band and brought in jazz arrangements integrating them into their repertoire, but with a distinct Cuban interpretation. They were known for the hit “Tanga”, which become the bands theme song. Machito and his Afro Cubans would perform and record straight through the forties with studio and live broadcast releases. They also shared many bills with jazz bands of the time as Stan Kenton, on the historic Manhattan Town Hall concert in January, 1947. By 1948, they were in top form, and on top of their hot Latin musicians, brought in American jazz players to augment their sound some of which were Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, Harry Edison,and Dexter Gordon. This period is considered by jazz aficionados as Machito’s finest, and is available as “Mucho Macho” (Pablo).
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Machito: Kenya
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by Jim Santella
Machito’s big band had a high-powered brass identity. From 1940 until his death in 1984 the bandleader espoused Afro-Cuban jazz around the world by marrying traditional rhythms with inspired jazz soloists. Just over a half-hour in length with each track averaging under three minutes, the session does not allow enough space for soloists to stretch out sufficiently. Furthermore, the sound on this 1957 reissue isn’t clear, and errors in the original liner notes haven’t been corrected. However, several stars of ...
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