Jazz |
Roger Glenn’s My Latin Heart: A Multicolored Tribute to Tradition, Innovation, and the Irresistible Pulse of Afro-Caribbean Jazz.
It’s often said that August will be a particularly “Latino” month in the intimate world of jazz this year. If that proves true, it may be due in no small part to My Latin Heart, the new release from the legendary composer and flutist Roger Glenn, a man once praised by Quincy Jones himself, who famously declared, “I love your music and your ‘tude’… big time props.” That kind of endorsement speaks volumes, but the album itself speaks louder.
What Glenn offers here is no mere nostalgia trip nor a simple homage. Rather, he crafts a modern, inventive musical statement rooted in deep tradition, a sonic kaleidoscope that celebrates his decades-long journey through the heart of jazz and Latin rhythms. He is a man who has played flute with vibraphonist Cal Tjader, vibraphone with flutist Herbie Mann, and both with the great Dizzy Gillespie. His discographic debut came under the guidance of the pioneering pianist and composer Mary Lou Williams, and his contributions to classic albums with Cuban percussion maestro Mongo Santamaria (Mongo ’70, Atlantic Records), funk-jazz trumpet innovator Donald Byrd (Black Byrd, Blue Note Records), and Latin jazz icon Cal Tjader (La Onda Va Bien, Grammy Award-winner, Concord Picante) cemented his place in jazz history.
So what we have here is not just an album produced by a jazz veteran, it’s a statement by a visionary. Glenn brings a finely honed perspective to every note, every rhythm, and every harmonic twist. The vibrancy of the Latin groove, the sharpness of the melodies, the sparkling clarity of the arrangements, they all bear the mark of a seasoned artist who knows not only how to compose, but how to capture sound in the studio. And from that standpoint as well, the production of My Latin Heart is flawless.
To say that no single album could encapsulate the full range of Glenn’s kaleidoscopic creativity would not be an exaggeration. And yet, My Latin Heart offers an electrifying glimpse. With Glenn performing on vibraphone, flute, alto saxophone, marimba, and even vocals, the album becomes a dazzling showcase of his multi-instrumental virtuosity, all driven by an unwavering passion for Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Brazilian rhythms.
Behind every track lies a reservoir of experience: Glenn has collaborated with jazz and Latin jazz legends across decades. “I’ve been playing with jazz and Latin jazz icons for years,” he explains from his longtime home in the San Francisco Bay Area. “I’ve loved every one of those musical exchanges. They’ve all led me to this moment ,to express my own musical voice. These original pieces, they truly come from the heart.”
Take, for instance, the standout track Brother Bill. Rooted in jazz but laced with infectious Latin flavor, it’s a musical statement all its own. Listen closely, and one senses a duality, as though two tracks were coexisting in one, interweaving and blending their energies in a passionate, rhythmic embrace. It’s a track that exemplifies Glenn’s gift for emotional and technical depth, a gift that doesn’t just flirt with genre boundaries, but dances right through them.
Calling Glenn an explorer of sound feels almost insufficient. His résumé reads like a jazz odyssey: he appeared on Taj Mahal and the Hula Blues Band: Live from Kauai, a project honored with a Hoku Award. Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Kurt Elling invited him to perform as a soloist on flute and vibraphone. On tour, he led a dynamic organ trio that opened for Steely Dan along the West Coast. Another journey took him all the way to New Zealand and Australia, where he played baritone saxophone with the Count Basie Orchestra.
There’s something undeniably comforting about listening to My Latin Heart, a warmth reminiscent of Stan Getz’s most lyrical work. And yet, Glenn’s sound is unmistakably of the 21st century. His sense of space, his choices of tone and texture, his handling of silence as much as sound, all point to an artist deeply fluent in today’s musical language.
So if you, too, are a lover of melody, of richly harmonious flute lines played by a true master, then My Latin Heart will feel like an invitation to something beautiful. This is not just an album; it’s a lived experience, a culmination, a celebration. And most of all, it’s a heartfelt message from a jazz great who has finally stepped forward to tell his own story, in his own words, through the universal language of music.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, July 23rd 2025
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Musicians:
Riger Glenn, flute, alto sax, marimba, vocals
David K. Matthews, piano
Ray Obiedo, guitar
David Belove, bass
Paul Van Wagenngen, drums
Dereck Rolando, congas
Joihn Santos, vocals, percussions (7)
Michael Spiro, vocals, percussions (7.8)
Tracklist :
Zambo’s Mambo
Cal’s Guajira
Brother Marshall
A Night Of Love
Energizer
Congo Square
Angola
Samba De Carnaval