Roger Glenn's 50-Year Journey to "My Latin Heart"
Roger Glenn. Photo: Alen MacWeeney
After five decades of elevating the projects of jazz royalty, multi-instrumentalist Roger Glenn claims his narrative with a long-awaited statement of Afro-Caribbean identity.
See the full show details and ticket information at the end of this feature. Listen to the full conversation with Roger Glenn below.
Roger Glenn possesses a musical vocabulary spanning eighteen instruments and nearly as many genres, yet he remains the Bay Area’s most distinguished secret weapon. The son of Ellington trombonist Tyree Glenn, Roger spent his youth in the company of masters such as Billy Strayhorn and Aretha Franklin, an environment he describes as "getting my PhD." This lifelong immersion culminates in My Latin Heart, his first album as a leader in fifty years. The record is a panoramic journey through Afro-Caribbean rhythms, featuring a superlative cast of Bay Area veterans, including Ray Obiedo and David K. Mathews.
The album’s opening track, "Zambo’s Mambo," has already climbed the JazzWeek charts, showcasing Glenn's fluid, percussive flute work. His compositions often explore deep cultural confluences, as in "Congo Square," which traces the historical fusion of European and African currents. "I’m not putting words in your head; I’m putting ideas in your head," Glenn asserts, viewing his music as an international language capable of bridging societal divides.
What To Expect
When Glenn brings his Latin Jazz Ensemble to the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, the audience will encounter a master who treats variety as a discipline. The performance promises a rigorous blend of high-octane mambos and sensuous alto flute ballads. Glenn’s multi-instrumental prowess—switching with surgical precision among the vibraphone, flute, and saxophone—ensures a texture that is rhythm-heavy yet light with melodic spontaneity. Expect an evening where "positive vibes" are both a musical style and a direct message to the listener.
Tickets: https://bachddsoc.org
