As we move into 2010, another decade of Latin Jazz comes to a close, signaling an important time to reflect upon musical progress. Music is best viewed in hindsight, given the luxury of historical comparisons, analysis, and information compilation. Important calendar markers like the decade provide enough information to indulge in hindsight, but it also present dangers. Since we take time to reflect around the changing decades, history tends to be written around them, sometimes painting an unrealistic picture of musical change. Musical progress happens through gradual trends that aren’t restrained by ten year blocks; it’s a continual stream of development that doesn’t stop for milestones. As we look back at the decade, it’s important to think about it in relation to music that came before it and it’s current direction into the future.

Ten years allows for a massive amount of music, and summing it all up in a brief article doesn’t really do the style justice. Important mentors made their final statements, established artists moved in new directions, and fresh new voices burst onto the scene. In reality, we could probably dedicate a month of LJC to a detailed overview of Latin Jazz during the 2000s. At the risk of loosing some of the decade’s depth, I’m going to look back at the past ten years over the course of several days. I’ll provide a brief overview of a major theme of the 2000s today, and then return with several more articles that dig into some of the important changes and trends that shaped Latin Jazz during the 2000s. It’s been an interesting ten years full of music, one that has opened the Latin Jazz world into many new directions.

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Looking Back At The 1990s
During the 1990s, a number of important musical figures helped define Latin Jazz in the modern age. Tito Puente and Poncho Sanchez delivered danceable Latin Jazz directly related to the exciting orchestras from the mambo days and the salsa boom. Although he had significantly slowed his pace, Mongo Santamaria continued to produce a few albums that rode the line between danceable small group Latin Jazz and his earlier funky jams. Israel “Cachao” Lopez emerged from his low profile life to lead all-star bands through traditional descargas that once again lit the world on fire. Ray Barretto shrunk his group into a combo and dove deep into his jazz roots, producing music that pleased a jazz audience. Amazing technical virtuosity, the ability to travel flawlessly between musical worlds, and an in-depth knowledge of Cuban music made Paquito D’Rivera and Arturo Sandoval emissaries to Cuban Jazz. Trumpet player Jerry Gonzalez led his Fort Apache Band through some of the era’s most challenging Latin Jazz, that traveled between heavy rumba roots and post modern conceptions of jazz improvisation. This is a short list of the era’s major innovators, but all these musicians brought Latin Jazz into the spotlight with a clearly definable approach to a mix of Cuban rhythms and jazz.

What Is Latin Jazz?
Latin Jazz musicians an audience members traveled into the 2000s with a continued love for all these approaches, but as the decade progressed, all parties needed to face an important question - “What Is Latin Jazz?” More artists recognized the standard formula that defined Latin Jazz in the 1990s and they rejected it or simply chose to ignore it. As musicians prioritized different South American and Caribbean elements in the music, the earlier conception of the music’s Latin element came into question. Artists dug deeper into each genre, recognizing dance forms but quickly moving past them into more folkloric forms. Latin Jazz composers took different and sometimes more adventurous routes into self-expression which didn’t always make a strict adherence to clave their top priority. As 2009 draws to a close, traces of the earlier definition of Latin Jazz still exist, but the co-exist with a new musical conception which forces us to question our assumptions.

The very nature of the question “What Is Latin Jazz?” seems basic at face value, but when we dig deeper, it becomes something more. It’s a question about our beliefs and our priorities, and the artistic elements that we choose to utilize in our music. The various elements that form the genre have become increasingly more diverse, and artists can’t include every piece into their music. By necessity, they have to make informed choices about their creations and stand by it. Listeners can’t hope to hear the multiple approaches that exist in the modern Latin Jazz world. They need to find their favorites artists or approaches and support them. The genre seems to regularly expand and we’re all forced to draw the line, making a distinction about how we define Latin Jazz. With each passing year, the Latin Jazz world has become increasingly more focused upon choices, and this question forces us to examine the things that drive our answers.

Stepping Outside Our Comfort Zones
While this questioning stance of self-reflection leaves some of us feeling uncomfortable, it’s an important point of growth for any genre. People naturally find ways to categorize and format art; we find comfort in structure. This leads to acceptance across a wider audience, but it also signals the end of a creative cycle. There’s only so many ways that you can manipulate a formula, and eventually it places music in a stale framework. Bold musicians need to take risks and push us outside our comfort zones with new approaches. Their music needs to be so outstanding and their message needs to be so compelling that we simply can’t ignore it. They need to persistently convey their music to a wide audience until they gain attention and eventually acceptance. At that point, we need to question our beliefs and accept the apparent changes in the Latin Jazz world.

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Change is good, and it’s something that we’ve come to expect in the Latin Jazz world of the 2000s. After ten years, these rapid changes have left us at the question, “What Is Latin Jazz?”, and honestly, at this point, I’m not sure that we have an answer. We asked ourselves this question during the 2000s, and most likely, we’ll continue asking into the 2010s as we search for definition. We do know what led us to this point though, so tomorrow we’ll be diving into the important developments in the Latin Jazz world during the 2000s, starting with the changing of the guard. See you then.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Jazz Now: 5 Latin Jazz Albums From The Present Moment
The Latin Jazz E-Group: Celebrating 10 Years Of Latin Jazz Community
Latin Jazz Album Artwork: An Essential Piece Of The Digital Music World
Latin Jazz: A Legitimate American Music

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