Distinguishing Between Latin Jazz and Salsa
Both Salsa and Latin Jazz share common roots in Caribbean dance rhythms, but the two traditions diverge in their musical function. Salsa prioritizes the dancer and musicians perform dance floor-ready consistent creations. Salsa exists within the popular realm, so musicians aim recordings at commercial consumption. Although Latin Jazz contains danceable qualities as well, musicians create it as a means of expression. Latin Jazz artists want to sell records too, but new releases serve as snapshots of their current artistic development. The two styles serve different functions and the intention behind their creation follows divergent paths.
Despite opposite creative directions, the blurry line between Latin Jazz and Salsa often complicates the differentiation of the two genres. Musicians move between the two genres fluently, blending artistic aesthetics as they create. As musical ideals are freely shared, telling the two musics apart increasingly requires an “insider’s” ear. While some musicians easily distinguish between Salsa and Latin Jazz, new listeners many need some guidelines.
Finding the Descarga
The first listening guideline would be an understanding of the descarga. In its most basic form, a descarga is a jam session; a gathering of musicians expressing themselves through improvisation. A descarga can also be thought of as an aesthetic that prioritizes improvisation. Any song can contain a descarga – ranging from an 8-measure solo to an extensive improvisation over the course of several minutes.
Latin Jazz reflects a major emphasis upon the descarga aesthetic. Latin Jazz musicians express their personalities primarily through improvisation, so the majority of most songs will be structured around it. At the very least, a central piece of the song will feature a musician soloing.
Most Salsa songs are pre-composed and descargas take a back seat. Singers may improvise, and the song may include a short instrumental solo. Still, the majority of the song will focus upon the arrangement. The commercial focus negates the importance of the descarga aesthetic in Salsa, easily setting it apart from Latin Jazz.
Harmonic Complexity
The complexity of a song’s harmony distinguishes Latin Jazz. The harmony utilizes chords with a richer and more diverse sound. The chords cycle through a larger form, so the listener hears less repetition. Latin Jazz often travels through different key centers, so that the listener doesn’t hear a “home base” note easily. Most Latin Jazz albums include at least one song with simple harmony, but the recording’s overall collection of songs should display a wider collection of harmonies.
Salsa contains a simpler harmonic basis, usually staying in one key center. Repetition occurs over much shorter cycles and should be quite obvious to the listener. While musicians may include some rich jazz chords in an arrangement, the shorter structures dilute the sound’s diversity. Again, Salsa’s commercial focus reigns supreme, assuring a highly accessible harmony.
Melodic Content
Latin Jazz melodies and improvisations freely utilize both blues phrasing and dissonance. Musicians create tension and release through the temporary emphasis of dissonant notes. When they reach their statement’s end, they return to center of the harmony. The alternation between dissonance and consonance creates a shape that unfolds over an extended time period.
Salsa takes advantage of “safe” note choices, and the emphasis goes there. Melodic development occurs in a convenient space, generally conforming to standardized formats. Musicians create tension in improvisation through rhythmic ideas and arranging concepts. While Salsa musicians use these techniques to build the drama in a song, they leave the melody in an easily consumable state.
Use Your Ears Now!
Take some time and listen to a variety of Latin music from your record collection. Listen to each song several times, focusing upon one guideline with each repetition. Once you distinguish between Salsa and Latin Jazz, let us know. I’ll be presenting some examples in a future post, but I’d love to hear the song titles, artists, and your conclusions. We’ll be adding more guidelines soon, so take the opportunity to use your ears now!
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First, please read in “http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=574″ the thoughts of “El Maestro Eddie Palmieri ” on this subject.
My own comment on the subject is that sometimes I wonder if the real Latin Jazz, ( Jazz meaning freedom of expression ), is not the Descarga. The descargas were maybe where the musician had ” total ” liberty of expression. Of course it evolved musically into what we have now, inspired by the work that the “American
Jazzmen” has made.
Hey Reginald, thanks for the link to the Palmieri article! I had missed that one, so it was great to read the master’s thoughts.
I believe that he was talking about a change in the music’s form/structure as opposed to the difference between Laitn Jazz and Salsa. He points to the mambo bands as Latin Jazz because of the music’s dancability and the presences of a chart, and then calls Poncho Sanchez and Jerry Gonzalez Jazz Latin due to their lack of these two qualities. The latter two groups use the more open and traditionally jazz head/solo/head structure that leaves lots of room for improvisation. I agree with him that these are very different approaches.
I’m not sure that I follow Palmieri’s point though. I see the two approaches as different lineages of the same idea, maybe an evolution of sorts. Palmieri laments the popoulartiy of these new approaches, implying that it is ruining modern Latin music, creating bland bands. I don’t see a lack of popularity in the work of Machito, Puente, or Palmieri himself. I think that a lack of musicianship may be causing this bland effect. Look at Bobby Sanabria’s new release - this follows right in the footsteps of the great New York bands and there is nothing bland about it!
As for the descarga, I also have mixed feelings. The original sessions in the 50s seem a little less jazz to me than some modern interpretations. Most of those tracks feature one or two chord structures, and they are literally open jam sessions. Today, I think that we have to look at the descarga as an aesthetic that prioritizes improvisation - in that sense it is not Latin Jazz as a whole, but certainly an element.
Thanks for the insightful comment, love the discussion!