Lalo Schifrin - Lalo=Brilliance (The Piano of Lalo Schifrin) (1962)

Argentine composer, arranger and pianist Lalo Schifrin made his name with Dizzy Gillespie, joining the trumpeter in his quintet after he had disbanded his big band. His own individual talent was immediately obvious, leading to a contract with MGM for both albums and film scores. Prior to this Lalo made one album for the Roulette label, linking with members of Dizzys band for Lalo=Brilliance, which was sub-titled The Piano Of Lalo Schifrin. Mixing new material (he wrote four of the right tracks on display) with cover versions, the album is very much Latin influenced, as one might expect, but there is a soothing jazz undercurrent to keep the listener interested throughout.