Dhe “Mission Impossible” to “Mannix”, everyone knows the themes of Lalo Schifrin Who comes died on June 26, 2025. We know less that the Argentinian composer started in Latin jazz. From 1960 to 1962, Lalo Schifrin was pianist and arranger of Dizzy Gillespie. It was the latter who brought him to the United States. He also worked in the orchestra of Xavier Cugat.
To get an idea of these beginnings, we will listen to “Espagnol plan” (1959) where the musician revisited in his sauce The great standards of Latin American music of the time. We will then immerse ourselves with delight in “Gillespiana”, the masterful work he composed in 1960 for Dizzy Gillespie. The recording will be available the following year in a live version recorded in Paris.
It is Brazilian music that he will later explore, contributing to the popularity of Bossa-Nova. It was not until the end of the 90s that Schifrin returned to his first love, recording his “Gillespiana suite” with the WDR Big Band And composing an equally significant new work entitled “Latin Jazz Suite”.
From this long parenthesis, we will remember two nuggets: « Conga Soul » du congreco cubain White (Member of the Dizzy Orchestra) and “The key”a jewel of Latin soul recently rediscovered by collectors.
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The key: Latin slide
Candido: Conga Soul
Latin Jazz Suite : Manaos
GESENPIAN Suite: Tocata
If Latin Jazz occupies only a limited space in the abundant work of Schifrin, the few recordings that have devoted to it benefit from being rediscovered, both for arrangements and for composition. For that, here is our selective discography.
especially Schifrin – Piano Espanol (1959, Tico Records)
Dizzy Gillespie – Gillespiana (1960, Verve Records)
Dizzy Gillespie Featuring Lalo Schifrin-Live in Paris 1960-1961 (2023, Frémeaux & Associés)
Candido – Conga Soul (1962, Roulette)
The key (1973, Verve, Records)
Lalo Schifrin – Lalo Schifrin Jazz : Gillespiana – Latin Jazz Suite (2000, Warner)
»To read in the archives of Monde :
