Abstract
Afro-Cuban music and jazz have had a very close interaction since their origins. Both music styles are the result of the synthesis of West African and European music. Improvisation is one of the several commonalities that these two music styles share. This study provides jazz double bass students with the insight into the origins and characteristics of Cuban music pertinent to double bass and improvisation. It analyzes the vocabulary of improvised double bass solos as influenced by Cuban music. It presents a comparison of several improvised bass solos from different historical eras in order to identify the characteristics of the improvisational vocabulary utilized, with the objective to trace a development lineage.