Eso es Latin Jazz… Man!

antonio (chocolaté) diaz mena – eso es latin jazz… man (audio fidelity lp 1963) album

It’s a latin jazz Tuesday… man. The only solo-album recorded by drummer Antonio (Chocolaté) Diaz Mena is a star-studded affair: Lalo Schifrin, Duke Pearson, Jerome Richardson, Clark Terry, Felipe Yanez, Johnny Coles and a host of others feature on twelve short and fiery tracks. A lot of these are covers – including the first version of “Take Five” I can listen to in years – and the style is a hybrid of big band jazz and a rootsy latin approach. I’ve just realised I’m beginning to sound like a review over at Dusty Groove; time to let the music do the talking.

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