Manteca is an Afro-Cuban jazz tune co-written in 1947 by Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo and Gil Fuller. It is one of the earliest foundational Afro-Cuban jazz compositions and one of Gillespie's most famous recordings, along with A Night in Tunisia. The piece is the first jazz standard rhythmically based on the Afro-Cuban clave. It was first performed by Gillespie's big band at Carnegie Hall on September 29, 1947 and recorded on December 22, 1947; Pozo's percussion and chant elements are central, and Gillespie wrote the bridge after Pozo contributed the Afro-Cuban ostinatos. The title manteca, a Spanish slang term for heroin, reflects Afro-Cuban culture, and the tune helped bring Afro-C Cuban rhythms into bebop, though early performances mixed swing with guajeos. Manteca has been recorded and reinterpreted by many artists, including Red Garland, Oscar Peterson, Clare Fischer, Cal Tjader and Ella Fitzgerald.
