Little Leona – Adriano Acea

This is an enticing Latin/swing piece. The condensed score (in Concert key) shows the harmony parts in addition to the melody and is great for solo pianists or bandleaders. The lead sheet editions include the melody and chord changes but not the harmony parts. Our audio excerpt begins a measure before the horns come in with the melody and continues through the Latin A section into the swing bridge, fading out just as it turns around back into the final Latin C section.

If Little Leona sounds familiar to you, it may be because you've heard it sampled in Who's That Man, the theme song from the closing credits in Jim Carrey's classic 1994 comedy, "The Mask."

This Roy Haynes album was recorded in Sweden. The personnel included several Swedes as well as American musicians presumably traveling with Roy. The day before this session, on October 2, Adriano recorded on a Coleman Hawkins date with Osie Johnson on drums, also in Sweden, and he's listed as performing in a Coleman Hawkins concert in Europe in October 1954. Here's a photo of Roy and Adriano from the back cover of the second release of the album, on EmArcy, "Busman's Holiday."


Throughout Adriano Acea's career, he was frequently miscredited as "Adrian Acia" or other mispellings. Such was the case for this release. Little Leona was initially released on a 7" EP for Metronome titled "Swingin' With Roy Haynes." It was later released again on "Busman's Holiday," on which the liner notes even featured a picture of Adriano and Roy talking. But on all of these releases, Adriano is credited as "Adrian Acia."