The great Jelly Roll Morton said that if you don"t have a Latin tinge in your music "you won"t have the right seasoning for jazz." Nobody understands that better than the Dallas-born pianist-composer Cedar Walton. As an member of Art Blakey"s Jazz Messengers in the "60s, and as an outstanding composer in his own right, Walton has utilized Latin music throughout his distinguished career. On this intimate date with percussionist Ray Mantilla and bassist Chucho Martinez, Walton interprets a number of jazz and Latin standards using just piano, bass, and percussion. Walton"s blues-drenched pianisms and elegant touch work magic on the ingenious jazz-and-samba version of Ary Barroso"s gem, "Brazil," and on the timeless Cuban boleros "Tres Palabras," "Perfidia," and "Besame Mucho." With Mantilla"s tasty drumming and Martinez"s rock-steady bass lines, Cedar Walton lays down a relaxed Afro-Caribbean vibe not unlike the decades-old pairing of Nat "King" Cole"s trio with bongo master Jack Costanzo. --Eugene Holley Jr.