With Flute to Boot!

Machito and His Afro-Cuban Jazz was a pioneering ensemble that fused Afro-Cuban rhythms with big band jazz, laying the foundation for Latin jazz. Led by Cuban bandleader Machito (Frank Grillo), the group featured complex percussion, bold brass arrangements, and collaborations with jazz greats like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Their innovative sound helped popularize Afro-Cuban music in the U.S. and shaped the direction of Latin jazz from the 1940s onward.