Latin Tinge
The greatJelly Roll Mortonsaid that if you don't have a Latin tinge in your music "you won't have the right seasoning for jazz." Nobody understands that better than the Dallas-born pianist-composer Cedar Walton. As an member ofArt Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the '60s, and as an outstanding composer  in his own right, Walton has utilized Latin music throughout his  distinguished career. On this intimate date with percussionist Ray Mantilla  and bassist Chucho Martinez, Walton interprets a number of jazz and Latin  standards using just piano, bass, and percussion. Walton's blues-drenched  pianisms and elegant touch work magic on the ingenious jazz-and-samba version  of Ary Barroso's gem, "Brazil," and on the timeless Cuban boleros "Tres  Palabras," "Perfidia," and "Besame Mucho." With Mantilla's tasty drumming and Martinez's rock-steady bass lines, Cedar Walton lays down a relaxed Afro-Caribbean vibe not unlike the decades-old pairing ofNat "King" Cole's trio with bongo masterJack Costanzo.--Eugene Holley Jr.