Machito

Machito is one of the most important referents of Latin Jazz, given that his band in the 40’s was probably one of the first to blend powerful Afro-Cuban rhythms with jazz improvisation. This came about as a result of his musical director and brother-in-law, Mario Bauza’s insistence, who urged him to hire some of the best jazz soloists and make them a part of the band.

Machito was born Frank Paul Grillo on February 16 in 1912 in Havana. Son of a cigar maker, he became a professional musician in his teens, before immigrating to the States in 1937, as vocalist in La Estrella Habanera. There he worked with different Latin orchestras, which include recordings with Xavier Cugat.

In 1940 he founded Afro-Cubans, his first orchestra and hired Mario Bauza as a musical director. After a series of singles for the Decca label, his career took off. Urged on by Bauza, between 1948 and 1960 he hired some of the best jazz soloists for his recordings, among which were Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich, Cannonball Adderley and Herbie Mann.

His peak was in the 50’s during the mambo fever, when he would regularly give shows in the New York Palladium. He stayed in the scenes during the following decades until he died of a heart attack at Ronnie Scott’s club in London in 1984.

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