The general term given to music that combines rhythms from African and Latin American countries with jazz harmonies from Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and the USA.

The two main categories of Latin jazz are Brazilian (which includes bossa nova and samba) and Afro-Cuban (which includes salsa, merengue, son, mambo, bolero and cha cha cha).

Latin jazz was popularised in the late 1940s when Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Kenton began to combine the rhythm section and structure of Afro-Cuban music, exemplified by Machito and his Afro-Cubans, with jazz instruments and solo improvisational ideas.

In comparison with traditional jazz, Latin jazz employs straight rhythm, rather than swung rhythm. Latin jazz rarely employs a backbeat, using a form of the clave instead. The conga, timbale, güiro and claves are percussion instruments which often contribute to a Latin sound.

Samba originated from nineteenth century Afro-Brazilian and employs a modified form of the clave.

Bossa nova is a hybrid music based on the samba rhythm, but influenced by European and American music. Bossa nova originated in the 1960s, largely from the efforts of Brazilians Antonio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto and American Stan Getz. Its most famous song is arguably The Girl from Ipanema sung by Gilberto and his wife, Astrud Gilberto.

Latin jazz music, like most types of jazz music, can be played in small or large groups. Small groups, or combos, often use the bebop format made popular in the 1950s in America, where the musicians play a standard melody, many of the musicians play an improvised solo, and then everyone plays the melody again. In Latin jazz bands, percussion often takes a centre stage during a solo and a conga or timbale can add a melodic line to any performance.