Roger Glenn – My Latin Heart (Patois Records, 2025)
Veteran multi-instrumentalist and composer Roger Glenn released My Latin Heart in 2025, his first new album in four decades. The flavorful set presents all-original compositions deeply grounded in Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Brazilian rhythms and his New York jazz roots.
The new album features Glenn on a wide range of musical instruments such as vibraphones, charming flute, alto sax, marimba, and vocals. The approach reflects a career spent moving fluidly across jazz, Latin jazz, blues, funk, and world music. “These original tunes are truly coming from my heart,” he says.
My Latin Heart is packed with irresistible beats that make you want to dance and capture the essence of various genres within Latin American music, as well as dazzling instrumental performances and lovely melodies
Glenn’s résumé includes collaborations with Mongo Santamaría, Dizzy Gillespie, and Cal Tjader, along with a recording debut under Mary Lou Williams. His credits include Mongo ’70 (Atlantic), Donald Byrd’s Black Byrd (Blue Note), and Tjader’s Grammy-winning La Onda Va Bien (Concord Picante).
Glenn toured recently with Taj Mahal, appearing on the Hōkū Award-winning Taj Mahal and the Hula Blues Band: Live From Kauai, and served as a flute and vibes soloist with Grammy-winning vocalist Kurt Elling. He led an organ trio that opened West Coast dates for Steely Dan, and he toured New Zealand and Australia on baritone sax with the Count Basie Orchestra.
His family’s musical roots run deep. His father, trombonist and vibraphonist Tyree Glenn, performed with Cab Calloway, Don Redman, Duke Ellington, and the Louis Armstrong All-Stars, including the classic recording “What a Wonderful World.”
Glenn frames My Latin Heart as a personal statement and a bandleader’s turn after decades supporting others. “I’ve always seen myself as a musician rather than a flutist or vibraphonist or saxophonist,” he says. “My father always told me to ‘create your own sound.’ Playing 18-plus instruments lets me choose the right voice for each song.”
Musicians: Roger Glenn on vibraphones, flute, alto sax, marimba, vocals; David K. Mathews on piano; Ray Obiedo on guitar; David Belove on bass; Paul Van Wageningen on drums; Derek Rolando on congas; John Santos: on vocals, percussion; and Michael Spiro on vocals, percussion.
Author: Iliana Cabrera
