This episode of Art & Jazz explores Latin Jazz!  Latin music gained momentum during the early 1900’s in the United States on the East Coast. Afro-Cuban jazz is the first form of Latin jazz, emerging in New York City in the early 1940s with Mario Bauza and Frank “Machito” Grillo and their band Machito and his Afro-Cubans. It was the beginning of a long-standing musical blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms and instruments.  Legendary jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and percussionist Chano Pozo also brought the first collaboration of Afro-Cuban music and bebop often referred to as “CuBop.”  We’ll explore the exciting rhythms of Latin Jazz from its beginning.

We’ll also exhibit the colorful artwork from remarkable artist Emery Franklin, based in Memphis, Tennessee. Emery strives to demonstrate his rich cultural heritage through art. He volunteers his time for children from his community to foster creativity at an early age, when he began to develop his love of art.