What do you know about Latin jazz? Latin jazz is the general term given to music that combines rhythms from African and Latin American countries with jazz harmonies from the United States. The two main categories of Latin Jazz are Brazilian, which included bossa nova and samba, and Afro-Cuban, which included salsa, merengue, songo, son, mambo, and cha cha cha. What made Latin jazz possbile? First, let's talk about the Latin jazz group, who made the jazz music exist long ago. Latin jazz group was a group who made up of a guitarist, vocalist, pianist, drummer, percussions & vibes, bassist, and tenor & soprano saxophones. In Latin jazz bands, percussion solos are much more common, and they are more structured than in swing bands, where drum solos are rare and often more freeform.
             In order to understand what I have learned about Latin Jazz in Music 103 class, I have to experience and listen to Latin jazz at a school-sponsored Latin Jazz Ensemble concert, which was held in the Philips Hall Theatre, on Saturday, May 1, 2004. There were about 5 people who were still standing in line to buy the "last-minute" ticket. I gave my ticket to the lady standing in front of the theatre's entrance for her to tear off the ticket's stub. After tearing off the stub, the lady showed me the program on the table near the entrance, which introduced the concert's details such as which song they were going to play, and who were performing it. I got one of them and went inside the theatre to find a good place to observe and listen to the concert. First, I chose a seat near the center, but when I saw two of my friends about couple rows in front of me, I decided to move my seat. I hate going to a concert alone. There were not many people nor my classmates in the theatre because most of them attended the "Big Bad Meets Vocal Jazz" concert, which was held on Friday, April 30, 2004.
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