Joe Loco

Born Jose Esteves in New York City, 1921, "Crazy Joe" abandoned childhood violin for concentration on dance; at thirteen years he was performing professionally. After dancing on the vaudeville circuit he hit the books and studied music. Before piano and composition won out, he tried and became adept at many playing instruments, including a trombone stint for the New York Amateur Symphony. By age seventeen he had joined Ciro Rimac's Brazilian Band, and in 1942 was with the "Original Afro-Cuban Band."

Joe is credited with introducing both the mambo (his first hit, "Tenderly," in 1951 for Tico) and cha cha cha (1953) to the United States. His style, a sublime blend of pop melody, Latin rhythm, and jazz improvisation, relied on the simple beauties of conga, vibes, and piano. (His original trio included Sabu Martínez.) His early adaptations of pop tunes to Latin were among the most tasteful and successful, thanks to excellent recording and strong supporting musicians. Nearly all of the Joe Loco Quintet's records adhere to this basic, "cocktail" style. Loco remained true to the format while Tito Puente, whose early work on Tico was similar, moved on to other sounds. A pioneer of subtle, modern Latin jazz, Joe Loco set the standard for all Latin piano-vibes combos to follow.