This episode is Kind of Latin Rhythm, proof that my records can’t decide between a jazz club in New York or a beach bar in Havana. Tonight, we’re trading passports for percussion and letting the brass do the talking. So loosen the tie, pour something with lime, and prepare for a little rhythm diplomacy.
| Title | Artist | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Kind of Latin Rhythm | The Juju Orchestra | A modern nu-jazz track blending Latin percussion, funk, and 1960s jazz stylings. The German collective nods to Blue Note-era sophistication with a dance floor twist, the title cheekily riffing on Kind of Blue. It’s an original piece inspired by the global groove revival of the 2000s. |
| Glow Worm Cha-Cha-Cha | Jackie Davis | A humorous organ-driven cha-cha take on the 1902 tune The Glow-Worm. Davis transforms it into a lounge-jazz delight, one of the earliest examples of Hammond organ crossover into Latin dance. Technically a cover, but heavily reinterpreted. Jackie Davis was the first musician to popularise jazz on the Hammond organ, years before Jimmy Smith’s name became synonymous with organ jazz. |
| Sofrito | Mongo Santamaría | “Sofrito” (a cooking base in Latin cuisine) symbolises musical flavor and fusion. Santamaría, a Cuban percussion legend, merges funk, soul, and Latin rhythm, an original piece from his fusion era, later inspiring the London collective Sofrito. |
| Sambalero (ft. Luiz Bonfa) | Stan Getz | Written by Luiz Bonfá, this elegant bossa nova standard celebrates the dance of samba. Getz’s version brings a silky saxophone tone over Bonfá’s guitar, pure transatlantic cool. Not a cover, but a collaboration between originators. Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetzsky) was the pioneer of cool, bossa nova and modern jazz and won 5 Grammy Awards. |
| Once Again (Outra Vez) (ft. Laurindo Almeida) | Stan Getz | A collaboration between Getz and guitarist Laurindo Almeida. The song, composed by Jobim, reflects longing and the bittersweet return of love, one of the gems of the bossa nova movement. Laurindo Almeida was an acoustic guitarist from Brazil (born 2 September 1917 in Prainha, São Paulo, Brazil, died 26 July 1995 in Van Nuys, California, USA) and commanded many styles, including those of his native Brazil. Winner of five Grammy awards, he was the first to win in both jazz and classical categories. |
| Nos Dois | Astrud Gilberto | Nos Dois (The Two of Us, is a tender bossa nova reflecting intimacy and shared solitude, written by Astrud Gilberto and composed by Shigeharu Mukai, a Japanese jazz trombonist, born 21 January 1949 in Nagoya, Japan. Astrud Evangelina Weinert was a Brazilian singer (born March 30, 1940, in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil and died June 5, 2023 in Philadelphia, USA) who performed in the early sixties alongside Stan Getz and João Gilberto (whom she was married to at that time). In 1964, recently-separated, she began an affair with the married Getz while on tour together. |
| So Nice (Summer Samba Remix) | Bebel Gilberto | A modern reimagining of Marcos Valle’s 1964 Samba de Verão. Bebel Gilberto infuses electronic lounge and smooth sensuality, bridging classic bossa nova and chillout culture. “Summer Samba” (also known as “So Nice” or its original Portuguese title, “Samba de Verão”) is a 1964 bossa nova and jazz standard song by Brazilian composer Marcos Valle with lyrics by his brother Paulo Sérgio Valle. The English lyrics are by Norman Gimbel. Isabel Gilberto de Oliveira is the daughter of João Gilberto and Miucha (born Heloísa Maria Buarque de Hollanda in Rio de Janeiro.), born in New York City, where her parents were living at the time. |
| Barrio Alto | The Lou Bennett Quartet | Lou Bennet (born Jean-Louis Benoît, May 18, 1926 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA and died February 10, 1997 in Paris, France) was an American jazz organist. Bennett first played bebop on piano, but started playing organ in 1956 after hearing Jimmy Smith. He moved to Paris in 1960 where he recorded with Philip Catherine, Shirley Bunnie Foy and Franco Manzecchi. This track comes from his 1993 album “Now Hear My Meaning”. . |
| Almendra | Albelardito Valdes | A Cuban danzón classic that became a cornerstone of Latin jazz. Composed by Valdés, it’s lush and romantic, symbolising Havana’s golden age. Widely covered but this remains the definitive original. Cuban musician (contrabass), composer and conductor of the Orquesta Almendra, Ernesto Abelardo Valdés was one of the most important danzoneros in Cuban musical history. |
| Limón De Nata (Rumba) | Vicente Amigo | Spanish flamenco guitar piece blending rumba rhythm and Mediterranean warmth. The title (“Creamy Lemon”) evokes sensuality and brightness. Original composition by Amigo, a modern flamenco masterwork. Vicente Amigo Girol was born in Guadalcanal, province of Seville in 1967, but grew up in Córdoba, where at the age of eight he was given his first Spanish guitar. |
Sources
The information sources of the song facts include, but are not limited to, Wikipedia, songfacts.com, discogs.com, secondhandsongs.com, YouTube and artists’ related websites.
