The guitar stands as a major symbol of music in the United States, representing the artistic voice of a nation; yet guitarists rarely appear at the forefront of the Latin Jazz world. American culture built its connection to the guitar through a love for rock and pop, but while Latin Jazz also evolved in the United States, the guitar slipped out of the genre. Jazz embraced the guitar on several fronts, holding a respectful reverence for traditional players such as Wes Montgomery and Charlie Christian, and continuing to follow modern musicians such as John Scofield and Pat Metheny. For the most part, Afro-Cuban jazz musicians abandoned the guitar, leaving the son rich tradition of acoustic guitars and the tres in the past. Instead, a frontline of wind players, piano, bass, and percussion dominate the style. The lack of guitarist role models in the Latin Jazz world makes a transition into the style difficult for many young guitar players. Guitarists building their skills in the United States most likely live with a steady diet of rock and pop, and they probably find a step into Latin rhythms a world away. They associate the guitar with rock’s inherent energy and rebellion, while percussionists capture that role in Latin music. It’s a strange juxtaposition between musical cultures that exist concurrently, one that creates confusing messages and places roadblocks in front of potential Latin Jazz guitarists.

Guitarist Greg Diamond sees the realities of those social limits, but fortunately he looks past them and makes his own artistic path. Diamond’s album Dançando Com Ale finds his guitar fitting into a variety of Caribbean and South American styles with the greatest of ease. He draws upon challenging repertoire from some of the masters of Latin Jazz, performing music from Brazilian artist Hermeto Pascoal, Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla, and Cuban percussionist Mongo Santamaria. In addition, Diamond displays a complete assimilation of these musical worlds with a number of outstanding compositions that walk the line between respectful adherence to tradition and a modern sensibility. As a player, Diamond brings a respectable jazz guitar presence into the mix that blends a healthy dose of traditional bebop guitar and contemporary melodic language. He utilizes a variety of tones, includes rich guitar voicings, and improvisations with a refined language that sits between Shorter and Scofield. Diamond doesn’t simply place his guitar over the rhythm section though; he demonstrates a dedicated study of each Latin genre. His comping fits firmly into each rhythmic structure with an interlocking strength while his improvisations benefit from smart phrasing fully integrated into the genre. In Diamond’s musical world, the guitar finds a natural spot in the front of the Latin Jazz spotlight, playing with a large dose of authenticity and fire.

Today’s Latin Jazz Photo Album features Diamond in action, performing with his group in a variety of contexts. While his face may not be familiar at this point, take a good look; his refined skills open the possibility of a serious guitar presence in the Latin Jazz world. We’ll be doing a full review of Dançando Com Ale in the near future, but for now, check out these pictures of Diamond performing live, putting the guitar in the front of the Latin Jazz world. Enjoy!

Greg Diamond Performing Live

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Looking for more from Greg Diamond? You’ve got to check out his album:

Dançando Com Ale

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Do you have pictures to contribute to the Latin Jazz photo album? I’d love to have everyone in the Latin Jazz community contribute! I’ll be posting five to ten pictures a week - I’m looking for live performance shots, not promo pics. I’d like to keep them centered around one artist per week, but if you’ve got another idea, let’s talk. So come on Latin Jazz photographers, musicians, and fans - let’s put some more memorable pictures in the Latin Jazz Photo Album! Get my contact info HERE

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Latin Jazz Photo Album: Charlie Sepulveda
Latin Jazz Photo Album: Chembo Corniel & Grupo Chaworo, Part 1
Latin Jazz Photo Album: Chembo Corniel & Grupo Chaworo, Part 2
Latin Jazz Photo Album: Corina Bartra & Her Azu Project

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