In Honor of Frank "Machito" Grillo

(Machito is in the center on maracas)

Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez  "Machito" Grillo was born on February 16, 19-something - the most commonly used years are 1908 followed by 1912, 1909 and occasionally 1915. Accounts also differ as to whether he was born in Havana or in Tampa of Cuban parents. A few things are certain:

1. For decades from the 1940s to the 1980s, he had one of the most important Afro-Cuban Jazz orchestras in the United States.  It was his brother-in-law and musical director, Mario Bauza, that introduced Dizzy Gillespie to Chano Pozo.  He also used Jazz musicians like Charlie Parker, Brew Moore and Howard McGhee to lay the foundations of a style that became known as Cubop. 
2. The powerful section work in his band inspired other big band leaders such as Stan Kenton to borrow elements of his music in their own work. 
3.  He made numerous recordings, and his 1975 album Oro, Incienso y Mirra with Dizzy Gillespie was nominated for a GRAMMY  and remains one of the acknowledged classics of AfroCuban Jazz recorded in the United States.   .  

In modern times, his son, Mario Grillo, carries on with a current version of the band.  You can learn more at their website, http://www.machitoorchestranyc.com/
The 75th Anniversary of the original orchestra will be coming up next year.   We salute this giant of the music on the one hundred and something-eth anniversary of his birth. 

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