The Carla Bley Band - Carla Bley live!

Styles: Jazz
Year: 1982
Time: 41:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 95,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:10) 1. Blunt Object
(7:24) 2. The Lord is Listenin to Ya Hal
(7:59) 3. Time And Us
(9:06) 4. Still in The Room
(4:26) 5. Real Life Hits
(7:30) 6. Song Sung Long

Around 1980, Carla Bley seemed to find herself torn between several possible avenues of expression. On the one hand, you had her wild (and wildly successful) projects like Escalator Over the Hill and Tropic Appetites, where styles and musicians were combined with inspired abandon. Then there was the romantic classical aspect as shown in her composition "3/4" and, with jazz influences, her fine, ambitious Social Studies release.

But, always lurking beneath the surface was her itching desire to have essentially a jazz-rock band, drawing heavily from funk and demonstrating a loose and bawdy humor. Unfortunately, this last impulse was responsible for some of her weaker efforts though, in fairness, it brought her a level of popularity hitherto unreached. Live! demonstrates the pitfalls of this approach.

Though the ten-piece ensemble features some very capable musicians (including altoist Steve Slagle, French horn virtuoso Vincent Chauncey, and electric bassist extraordinaire Steve Swallow), the compositions tend to plod toward their goal and the soloing doesn't rise very far above what one might expect from a David Sanborn session (how one yearns for a youthful Gato Barbieri, a Perry Robinson, or a Don Cherry to inject some life!).

Bley's themes here, once so ravishingly, bitterly gorgeous, are relatively dull or awkward in turn; when she tries her hand at gospel, as on the embarrassingly titled "The Lord is Listenin' to Ya, Hallelujah!," the results are cringe-inducing. Swallow has a nice introduction to "Still in the Room" and Earl McIntyre on tuba and trombonist Gary Valente do their best to get things rolling, but the lackluster compositions and leaden drumming (by D. Sharpe) never allow the project to take off. Listeners looking for prime Carla Bley would do better to search out her earlier, far more adventurous and creative work.
By Brian Olewnick https://www.allmusic.com/album/carla-bley-live%21-mw0000191553#review

Personnel: Carla Bley - organ, glockenspiel, piano (track 3); Michael Mantler - trumpet; Steve Slagle - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute; Tony Dagradi - tenor saxophone; Vincent Chancey - French horn; Gary Valente - trombone; Earl McIntyre - tuba, bass trombone; Arturo O'Farrill - piano, organ (track 3); Steve Swallow - bass guitar; D. Sharpe - drums

Carla Bley live!

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Arturo O'Farrill - Dreaming in Lions

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:05
Size: 149,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:43) 1. Del Mar
(5:06) 2. Intruso
(3:53) 3. Beauty Cocoon
(5:21) 4. Ensayo Silencio
(7:52) 5. La Llorona
(6:30) 6. Dreaming in Lions
(4:09) 7. Scalular
(4:31) 8. How I Love
(4:38) 9. The Deep
(2:31) 10. War Bird Man
(5:03) 11. Struggles and Strugglets
(2:37) 12. I Wish We Was
(3:35) 13. Blood in the Water
(3:28) 14. Dreams So Gold

Music for dance comes in a variety of forms. At one end of the spectrum are abstract soundscapes composed without reference to the choreography with which they share the stage; an example being John Cage's work with the choreographer Merce Cunningham. At the other end of the spectrum is music written in close collaboration with the choreographer; an example being Igor Stravinsky's work for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, which reached its peak in 1910 with The Firebird, jointly realized by Stravinsky and the choreographer Michel Fokine (a comparable collaborative triumph is Leonard Bernstein and choreographer Jerome Robbins' 1957 Broadway musical West Side Story).

Composer and bandleader Arturo O'Farrill's Dreaming In Lions was written in collaboration with Osnel Delgado, the choreographer, principal dancer and artistic director of Cuba's Malpaso Dance Company, a relatively young company specializing in high energy, non-folkloric modern dance. The album, which is O'Farrill's Blue Note debut, includes two of the four suites O'Farrill has composed for Malpaso: the nine-part "Dreaming In Lions," which takes its name from an image in Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man And The Sea," and the five-part "Despidida," a word which in Cuba refers to partings and farewells, usually sorrowful ones.

The band is O'Farrill's ten-piece Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble, a scaled-down edition of his Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, which is replaced on the final section of "Dreaming In Lions" by classical pianist Alison Deane, O'Farrill's partner. O'Farrill learnt his art at the feet of his father, Chico O'Farrill, and the tradition continues here with the presence in the band of Arturo's sons, trumpeter Adam O'Farrill and drummer Zack O'Farrill.

Some choreographers are wary of music so worthy of attention in its own right that it has the potential to upstage the dancers' steps. Fokine and Robbins did not have such concerns with Stravinsky and Bernstein, and neither, it appears, did Delgado with O'Farrill, whose scores are not shy of full-on fireworks. Dreaming In Lions is assured in composition and immaculate in execution but, that said, it is at times borderline generic and at those moments probably works better when heard in a theatre supporting the choreography; which is, after all, the purpose for which it was written.By Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dreaming-in-lions-arturo-ofarrill-and-the-afro-latin-jazz-ensemble-blue-note-records

Personnel: Arturo O'Farrill: piano; Adam O'Farrill: trumpet; Rafi Malkiel: trombone; Alejandro Aviles: saxophone, alto; Travis Reuter: guitar; Rodriguez Platiau: bass; Zack O'Farrill: drums; Vince Cherico: drums; Carlos Maldonado: percussion; Victor Pablo Garcia Gaetan: percussion; Alison Deane: piano.

Dreaming in Lions

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Arturo O'Farrill & Jazz At Lincoln Center's Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra - Una Noche Inolvidable

Styles: Latin Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:57
Size: 138,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:16)  1. Havana Special
(6:43)  2. Buscando La Melodía
(3:19)  3. Somos Novios
(3:23)  4. Estoy Commo Nunca
(5:59)  5. Volver A Los 17
(3:20)  6. Encantado De La Vida
(9:56)  7. Enseñame Tu & Piensalo Bien
(2:47)  8. Pianarabatibiri
(6:30)  9. Corazón Rebeldé
(3:43) 10. La Ley Del Guaguanco
(2:42) 11. Mi Amor Fugaz
(3:04) 12. Don Fulano
(5:07) 13. Avisale A Mi Contrario

It's never easy to replace a legend, especially when the legend happens also to be one's father. But Arturo O'Farrill, who doesn't want for courage or self-reliance, has seized the reins once held by his illustrious parent, the late Chico O'Farrill, and ridden the thoroughbred Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra into the winner's circle in the first-ever live recording from Jazz at Lincoln Center's state-of-the-art Frederick P. Rose Hall, an occasion that was truly Una Noche Inolvidable (an unforgettable night). Commenting on the marvelous acoustics in Rose Hall, O'Farrill writes, "...all the musicians were smiling that night. And listening to this album, believe it or not, you can almost hear them smiling which is enchanting, as the most pleasurable Latin music is always presented with a smile. The concert was billed as "A Celebration of the Great Latin Jazz Vocalists, and the ALJO set the stage for two of the contemporary music scene's most celebrated soneros, Herman Olivera and Claudia Acuña. Olivera is showcased on seven of the album's thirteen tracks, Acuña on three, and there is one charming duet, "Encantado de la Vida. The ensemble opens with the buoyant "Havana Special and also goes it alone on pianist O'Farrill's fast-paced feature, "Pianarabatibiri. As this was essentially the singers' night to shine, there are few other solos. Alto Bobby Porcelli is heard briefly on "Buscando la Melodia, trombonist Luis Bonilla on "Volver a los 17, O'Farrill on "Corazon Rebeldé. Aside from that, the spotlight rests squarely on Olivera and Acuña, neither of whom needs much help to captivate an audience. Even so, they are given unwavering support throughout by the ALJO, which has been scrupulously assembled by O'Farrill from among the New York City area's most accomplished musicians, including a handful who were members of his father's Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra. Rose Hall lives up to its promise, as does the ALJO and its inimitable guests, Herman Olivera and Claudia Acuña, who together make this an unforgettable night for anyone who appreciates the bold and breathtaking panorama of Latin jazz. Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/una-noche-inolvidable-afro-latin-jazz-orchestra-palmetto-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel:  Producer – Arturo O'Farrill; Bass – Ruben Rodriguez; Drums – Vince Cherico; Percussion – Joseph Gonzalez, Milton Cardona; Reeds – Bobby Porcelli, Erica vonKleist , Ivan Renta, Mario Rivera, Pablo Calogero; Trombone – Douglas Purviance, Luis Bonilla, Noah Bless, Reynaldo Jorge; Trumpet – Joseph Magnarelli, John Walsh, Michael Philip Mossman, Michael Rodriguez; Vocals – Claudia Acuña, Herman Olivera

Una Noche Inolvidable

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Arturo O'Farrill & Chucho Valdés - Familia: Tribute To Bebo & Chico (Disc 1) And (Disc 2)

Album: Familia: Tribute To Bebo & Chico (Disc 1)

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:49
Size: 125,8 MB
Art: Front + Back

( 8:56)  1. BeboChico
( 7:52)  2. Three Revolutions
( 9:33)  3. Ecuación
(11:59)  4. Tema de Bebo
( 6:09)  5. Pianitis
(10:18)  6. Father, Mothers, Sons, Daughters

Familia: Tribute To Bebo & Chico (disc 1)

Album: Familia: Tribute: To Bebo & Chico (Disc 2)

Time: 39:29
Size: 90,7 MB

(7:20)  1. Run And Jump
(7:41)  2. Recuerdo
(5:44)  3. Gonki Gonki
(3:50)  4. Pura Emoción
(2:32)  5. Para Chico
(8:07)  6. Con Poco Coco
(4:12)  7. Raja Ram

Pianists Arturo O'Farrill and Chucho Valdés celebrate their rich musical family legacies on 2017's ambitious, gloriously realized Familia: Tribute to Bebo & Chico. Although they grew up on separate shores, O'Farrill in New York (via Mexico) and Valdés in Cuba, they both came of age in musical households as the sons of legendary Cuban bandleaders Chico O'Farrill and Bebo Valdés. Along with icons like Chano Pozo, Machito, and Dizzy Gillespie, the elder O'Farrill and Valdés were giants of Afro-Cuban music. Similarly, just as their fathers helped further the dissemination and creative development of Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz, Arturo and Chucho are innovators in their own rights, with decades of experience playing both traditional Cuban music and ultra-modern jazz. Impressively, they bring all that history to bear on Familia, a two-disc collection featuring songs composed by their fathers, as well as new compositions inspired by their lives growing up in such deeply artistic families. Joining them here are their equally talented children, including trumpeter Adam O'Farrill, drummer Zack O'Farrill, pianist Leyanis Valdés, and drummer Jessie Valdés. Also on board are the members of Arturo O'Farrill's own Grammy Award-winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. Disc one primarily features the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and finds O'Farrill and Valdés taking a more traditional, if still dazzling approach on cuts like the merengue-infused "BeboChicoChuchoTuro" and a lushly orchestrated reading of Bebo Valdés' "Ecuacion." Also compelling are the pianist's solo turns on Chico O'Farrill's "Pianitis" and O'Farrill's homage to his parents, "Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters," which features several sparkling cadenzas from pianist Leyanis Valdés. Disc two showcases the smaller, post-bop-leaning Third Generations Ensemble, in which they explore the more progressive edges of Afro-Cuban jazz. Here, trumpeter (and third place finisher at the 2014 Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition) Adam O'Farrill shines, revealing his knack for harmonically adventurous improvisation à la Woody Shaw on the kinetic and fractured "Run and Jump." Similarly, the trumpeter breathes new life into Chico O'Farrill's "Pura Emocion" framed by his father's taut, angular arrangement. Elsewhere, Zack O'Farrill contributes the expansive "Gonki Gonki" (his mother's way of describing the sound of rhythmic piano montunos) and Chucho offers the lushly virtuosic solo track "Para Chico." The sheer amount of virtuosity on display on Familia: Tribute to Bebo & Chico might well be overwhelming if the music itself weren't so warmly and beautifully rendered. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/familia-tribute-to-bebo-chico-mw0003086663               

Familia: Tribute: To Bebo & Chico (disc 2)

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Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra - The Offense of the Drum

Styles: Latin Jazz, Big Band, Afro-Cuban Jazz 
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:23
Size: 168,5 MB
Art: Front

( 9:13)  1. Cuarto de Colores
( 7:27)  2. They Came
( 9:46)  3. On the Corner of Malecon and B
( 6:56)  4. Mercado en Domingo
( 6:28)  5. Gnossienne 3 (Tientos)
( 8:26)  6. The Mad Hatter
(11:40)  7. The Offense of the Drum
( 6:22)  8. Alma Vacia
( 7:02)  9. Iko Iko

The Offense Of The Drum may be the least cohesive record in Arturo O'Farrill's discography, but that's largely by design. Here, O'Farrill firmly adheres to his stated "artistic vision" "to bend what the world knows as Afro Latin jazz over the acoustic horizon" better than anywhere else in his discography. Guests galore and a belief in Afro Latin camaraderie help him realize that goal, resulting in the most intriguing and expansive offering that he's ever released. In some ways this album is simply a documentation of O'Farrill's work at New York's Symphony Space. It was there that he broke new ground with pianist Vijay Iyer, DJ Logic, Colombian harpist Edmar Castaneda, spoken word artist Christopher "Chilo" Cajigas, saxophonist Donald Harrison, and percussionist Samuel Torres. The relationship between each of those artists and O'Farrill's Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra is spotlighted on this album. "Cuarto De Colores" the title track of Castaneda's debut album is fleshed out to good effect, thanks in large part to the pen of Torres; DJ Logic and the band lay the groundwork for Cajigas' Puerto Rican pride preaching on "They Came"; Iyer simultaneously toys with the concepts of stasis and development on his ode to O'Farrill "The Mad Hatter"; and a straight line is drawn from NOLA to Cuba when Harrison shows up for "Iko Iko." Each of those pieces stand apart from the others in many respects, yet they stand in solidarity as firm examples of the evolving definition of Afro Latin jazz.

Some of the other numbers walk a relatively straight path from start to finish; "Alma Vacia," a sizzling salsa number from Miguel Blanco, and "Mercado En Domingo," a modern twist on Colombian porro music, both fall into this category. The most eye-opening works, however, are more collage-like in nature. "On The Corner Of Malecon And Bourbon," with its start-and-stop look at soloists and follow-the-lines-of-history stylistic transformation(s), and the title track, with a mushrooming fugue-ish introduction, shifting tides and percussion breaks, prove to be the most ambitious offerings. O'Farrill has never been content to simply accept any stylistic definition in a neat little box. He understands that history and imagination, working hand in hand, can have a limitless partnership. This album goes a long way in proving that point. It's a work of visionary brilliance.~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-offense-of-the-drum-arturo-ofarrill-and-the-afro-latin-jazz-orchestra-motema-music-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Arturo O'Farrill: piano; Ivan Renta: tenor saxophone; Peter Brainin: tenor saxophone; Bobby Porcelli: alto saxophone; David DeJesus:alto saxophone; Jason Marshall: baritone saxophone; Seneca Black: trumpet; Jim Seeley: trumpet; John Bailey: trumpet; Jonathan Powell: trumpet; Tokunori Kajiwara: trombone; Rafi Malkiel: trombone, euphonium; Frank Cohen: trombone; Earl McIntyre: bass trombone, tuba; Gregg August: bass; Vince Cherico: drums; Roland Guerrero: congas; Joe Gonzalez: bongos, bell; Pablo O Bilbraut: percussion (8); Miguel Blanco: conductor (5, 8); Christopher "Chilo" Cajigas: spoken word (2); Edmar Castaneda: harp (1); Ayanda Clarke: djembe (7); DJ Logic: turntables (2); Jonathan Gomez: percussion (4); Nestor Gomez: percussion (4); Donald Harrison: vocals (9), alto saxophone (9); Vijay Iyer: piano (6); Hiro Kurashima: taiko drum (7); Chad Lefkowitz-Brown: tenor saxophone (7); Jason Lindner: conductor (2); Antonio Lizana: vocals (5), alto saxophone (5); Pablo Mayor: conductor (4), maracas: (4); Uri Sharlin: accordion (5); Samuel Torres: conductor (1), cajon (1).

The Offense of the Drum

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Claudia Acuna - In These Shoes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:01
Size: 112.2 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:36] 1. In These Shoes
[3:46] 2. Vida Sin Miel
[4:30] 3. Paciencia
[4:14] 4. Cuando Cuando
[3:55] 5. Agua
[3:37] 6. Comos Dos Amantes
[3:55] 7. Moondance
[4:29] 8. Willow Weep For Me
[3:15] 9. California
[4:18] 10. Jibarito
[4:52] 11. Dime
[4:28] 12. La Piye

Claudia Acuna: lead vocals; Arturo O'Farrill: piano, arrangements; Adam Rogers: guitar; Michael Mossman: trumpet; Reynaldo Jorge: trombone; Yosvany Terry: alto and tenor sax; Ruben Rodrigues: bass; Dafnis Prieto: drums; Pedrito Martinez: percussion, vocals.

Friends sometimes make the best partners. It's a good formula for Arturo O'Farrill and Claudia Acuna, who collaborated for In These Shoes. O'Farrill, a 2006 Grammy nominee as a pianist, composer and arranger, has put his mark on Latin and jazz styles, often mixing both. Acuna, a singer from Chile, also fuses Latin and jazz and counts among her influences, Sarah Vaughan and Celia Cruz. Together, O'Farrill and Acuna combine the best of their respective worlds. The sassy "Vida Sin Miel" fuses some Latin vibes with some funk. Ruben Rodrigues lays down the bass track, and guitarist Adam Rogers delivers a bluesy solo. Pedrito Martinez on percussion and background vocals offers an assist.

Acuna's ethereal voice gives the Spanish lyrics of "Paciencia" an elegant quality. This charming ballad features a subtle underscore by the supporting cast. O'Farrill's piano is little more than a bit player here, but the beauty is in the lead and the arrangement. The piano does get more involved on "Cuando Cuando," a straightforward Latin arrangement. The percussion, bass, drums and piano are the stars, although Acuna's lead is also a key element. The ensemble takes on more of an Afro-Cuban sound with "Agua," which has heavy emphasis on bass and percussion. The voices add a certain charm to it.

The goal of the recording is to bring the world together, showing that various cultures can, and often do, mingle. The formula works, as O'Farrill and Acuna present different styles of music, and merge them, such as with the Latin take on Van Morrison's "Moondance." In These Shoes is a pleasant listen throughout. ~Woodrow Wilkins

In These Shoes

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Karen Oberlin - My Standards

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:25
Size: 138,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:54)  1. And The Angels Sing
(5:44)  2. Something To Love For
(3:42)  3. A Nightengale Sang In Berkely Square
(5:52)  4. Love Dance
(3:10)  5. Doodlin'
(3:43)  6. Barangrill
(4:02)  7. Shipbuilding
(3:15)  8. Where Do You Start?
(3:32)  9. When (S)he Loved Me
(4:04) 10. Theme From "Valley Of The Dolls"
(4:32) 11. Happiness Is Hard To Sell
(7:53) 12. You Are Too Beautiful/ Too Beautiful
(5:31) 13. How Deep Is The Ocean
(1:24) 14. Count Your Blessings Instead Of Sheep

The title My Standards does not mean that this CD is a play list of classic entries in the Great American Songbook. Rather these are tunes that Karen Oberlin has listened to and adopted over the years, from Irving Berlin's to Elvis Costello's. Not only does the variety of music make this album bracing, but so does the way it is presented. Oberlin's primary genre is cabaret with a smattering of musical comedy. Yet she takes fascinating turns with the music within that framework. Her pure and crystalline like a mountain lake voice comes in loud and clear on an A Capella rendering of "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep". Fortunately, her tone is warm, not cold like a mountain lake. Although her voice has a classical bent (both her parents were classical musicians), she plants a feeling of jazz into such tunes as "Barangrill". "Theme from the Valley of the Dolls" is a successful mixture of lamentations by Oberlin with the funky jazz guitar of Dan Carillo. She takes on one of the saddest songs ever, "Where Do You Start?". Unlike versions by Shirley Horn and Susannah McCorkle which focus on the emotional wrenching caused by the impending separation to force a divvying up of the possessions, the direction that Oberlin takes stays with the process to make sure that each gets what belongs to them and nothing more. Things change again with an injection of a folk song element in "Shipbuilding". The demeanor changes again on such classics as Billy Strayhorn's "Something to Live For" where a decidedly passionate, yearning comes to the fore. And finally, she can be cute and coy on "Happiness Is Hard to Sell". Her chameleon like ability to change her delivery to meet the needs of the song prevents her from ever getting into a rut. A 16 year veteran of the singing scene, one can say with the release of this album, "it's about time". Recommended. ~ Dave Nathan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/my-standards-karen-oberlin-miranda-music-review-by-dave-nathan.php
 

Personnel: Karen Oberlin - Vocals; Arturo O'Farrill, Fred Hersch - Piano; Jay Leonhart - Bass; Victor Jones - Drums; Dan Carillo - Guitar; Peter Brainin - Sax; Roland Guerrero - Percussion

My Standards

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Auction Project - Slink

Styles: Mainstream Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:40
Size: 166,6 MB
Art: Front

(8:28)  1. Bear Island Reel
(8:28)  2. Cleveland
(8:35)  3. Slink
(8:43)  4. Richie Dwyer's Reel
(8:20)  5. The Wind That Shakes The Barley
(8:37)  6. Heron's Egg
(7:00)  7. Marquis Of Huntley
(9:01)  8. Angry White Man
(5:23)  9. Workmanship (Air)

It’s jazz, but then it’s something else. Slink (David Bixler, 2014) is a collection of nine songs, many with Irish or Celtic roots. The group is headed by David Bixler, alto saxophone; and Heather Martin Bixler, violin. The rest of the band are Arturo O’Farrill, piano; Carlo De Rosa, acoustic and electric bass; and Vince Cherico, drums and cymbals. “Bear Island Reel” opens the set. It’s a moderate groove with the sax and violin stating overlapping phrases during the melody. In the notes, the song is described as an early Irish version of the Funky Chicken. Bear Island is a location off the south of Ireland, where composer Finbar Dwyer grew up. A reel, explained in the text, is a folk dance. The Bixlers carry the lead during the main theme, making use of overlapping phrases. The violin is out front for a good bit of the first third of the song, before stepping aside for sax and piano solos. When the song reverts to the main theme, sax has the melody all by itself, with the violin ad-libbing and the piano putting in extra emphasis here and there.

Guitarist Mike Stern sits in on the title track. His unique style is evident from the first note. The title is named for one of the Bixler children, Seth, who is known to slink about and add stress to his parents’ lives. The music reflects that concept well as it changes moods and intensity. One can easily imagine this being the soundtrack to a motion picture sequence wherein some small person gets into things that fall just short of disaster. Cleaning bills will increase, if not medical expenses. Three of the nine songs on Slink were composed by David Bixler. Heather Martin Bixler wrote the closer, “Workmanship.” The other songs were arranged by David. The music is part tribute to Irish and Scottish heritage, and part reflection of the lives of the Bixlers and their children. http://www.smooth-jazz.de/Woodrow/Auction/Slink.htm

Personnel: David Bixler (alto saxophone); Heather Martin Bixler (violin); Arturo O'Farrill (piano); Carlo DeRosa (acoustic bass, electric bass); Vince Cherico (drums, cymbals).

Slink

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Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra - 40 Acres And A Burro

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:34
Size: 157.0 MB
Styles: Big band, Latin jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[6:21] 1. Rumba Urbana
[6:48] 2. A Wise Latina
[5:20] 3. Almendra
[4:57] 4. Um A Zero
[8:43] 5. El Sur
[6:48] 6. She Moves Through The Fair
[4:52] 7. Ruminaciones Sobre Cuba
[6:38] 8. Tanguango
[7:29] 9. Bebê
[4:08] 10. A Night In Tunisia
[6:24] 11. 40 Acres And A Burro

Recording Date; May 19 - 20, 2010. Piano: Arturo O’Farrill; Bass: Ricardo Rodríguez; Drums: Vince Cherico; Congas: Roland Guerrero; Percussion: Joe González. Featured Guest: Paquito D’Rivera (clarinet); Other Guests:Pablo O. Bilbraut (güiro); Heather Martin Bixler (violin); Hector Del Curto (bandoneón); Yuri Juárez (guitar); Freddy “Huevito” Lobatón (cajón, cajita, quijada); Sharon Moe (French horn); Guilherme Monteiro (guitar); Adam O’Farrill (trumpet); Jeff Scott (French horn).

For over 60 years, big bands have been the exception instead of the rule in jazz -- and that is very much a matter of economics. It is a lot easier to pay four, five, or six musicians than it is to pay 19 or 20 musicians. But there are still some great big bands if one knows where to find them, and acoustic pianist Arturo O'Farrill's Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra has been offering excellent big-band Latin jazz since 2003. O'Farrill's outfit celebrated its seventh anniversary in 2010, which was also the year in which 40 Acres and a Burro was recorded. This fine album (which boasts guest Paquito d'Rivera on clarinet) is a perfect example of why O'Farrill calls his big band the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra instead of the Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra; O'Farrill favors a pan-Latin approach, demonstrating that Afro-Cuban music isn't the only type of Latin music that can have a positive effect on acoustic jazz. Certainly, Afro-Cuban rhythms are an important part of the equation; the Afro-Cuban influence serves the orchestra well on material ranging from O'Farrill's "Ruminaciónes Sobre Cuba" (Ruminations About Cuba) to the Abelardo Valdés standard "Almendra" to Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia." But O'Farrill ventures into Brazilian jazz territory on interpretations of Pixinguinha's "Um a Zero" and Hermeto Pascoal's "Bebê," and his big band combines jazz with Argentinian tango on Astor Piazzolla's "Tanguango." But the biggest surprise of all comes when the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra puts a somewhat bolero-ish spin on the traditional Irish-Celtic standard "She Moves Through the Fair"; it's an unlikely choice for a jazz band, but this arrangement successfully unites post-bop, Celtic, and Latin elements with absorbing results. In a perfect world, it wouldn't be difficult for jazz musicians to keep a big band together. But some big bands will excel despite the difficulty, which is exactly what O'Farrill's Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra does on 40 Acres and a Burro. ~Alex Henderson

40 Acres And A Burro

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The Jim Seeley-Arturo O'Farrill Quintet - ST

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 47:32

Size: 108.8 MB

Styles: Post bop, Latin jazz

Year: 2004

Art: Front

[5:58] 1. Truth Juice

[6:14] 2. Solita

[6:01] 3. Starry Night

[4:01] 4. Little General

[7:57] 5. Forest Path

[6:46] 6. New Meaning

[9:04] 7. Cha-Cha Un-Uh

[1:27] 8. Child's Toy

Although trumpeter Jim Seeley co-leads the quintet on this Zoho CD with pianist Arturo O'Farrill, he is very much the dominant force. Seeley contributed all eight selections and is the most memorable soloist in the group. The music includes a tribute to Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers ("Truth Juice"), a few funky jazz pieces, the straight-ahead blues "New Meaning," and a brief unaccompanied trumpet solo ("Child's Toy"). Seeley teams up with the underrated tenor saxophonist and flutist Jed Levy and the rhythm section of the Lincoln Center Afro-Latin Orchestra (pianist O'Farrill, bassist Andy Gonzalez, and drummer Phoenix Rivera). The music is not as Latin-oriented as one would expect from this personnel and can be considered hard bop with funk overtones. Most importantly, this CD introduces Jim Seeley as a potentially major new trumpeter and a rare jazz export from Kansas. ~Scott Yanow

The Jim Seeley-Arturo O'Farrill Quintet

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Various Artists - Jazz For A Mellow Morning (2-disc set)

Jazz for a Mellow Morning, as released by Savoy Jazz in 2003, is a continuation of the popular Jazz For series released by 32 Jazz in the late '90s. Those discs contained songs from the catalog of the Muse label from the '70s, '80s, and '90s, and so does this disc. The 17 tracks are spread over two discs, and jazz giants like Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Cedar Walton, and Ron Carter all contribute tracks and brush shoulders with jazz middleweights like Mulgrew Miller, Larry Coryell, and Buster Williams. As the title suggests, the songs are relaxed and the mood is swinging in a polite and sophisticated way. Although the songs date from well beyond jazz's peak years, the performances are uniformly solid and the disc is a nice low-priced collection of mellow jazz perfect for relaxing a morning away. ~ Tim Sendra

Album: Jazz For A Mellow Morning (Disc 1)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:53
Size: 116.5 MB
Label: Savoy Jazz
Styles: Instrumental jazz
Year: 2003

[5:20] 1. Arturo O'Farrill - Poinciana
[5:40] 2. Larry Coryell - Yesterdays
[7:14] 3. James Moody - Morning Glory
[4:36] 4. Jaki Byard - Gaeta
[6:22] 5. Cedar Walton - As Long As There's Music
[3:25] 6. Buster Williams - My Funny Valentine
[6:50] 7. Joe Chambers - Early Minor
[6:35] 8. Kenny Barron - Delores Street, S.F
[4:47] 9. Quartette Indigo - Footprints

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Album: Jazz For A Mellow Morning (Disc 2)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 49:22
Size: 113.0 MB
Label: Savoy Jazz
Styles: Instrumental jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[9:27] 1. Buster Williams - The Enchanted Flower
[6:00] 2. Mulgrew Miller - My Man's Gone Now
[4:56] 3. Junior Cook - Detour Ahead
[8:03] 4. Kenny Barron - Here's That Rainy Day
[5:34] 5. Ron Carter & Houston Person - Good Morning Heartache
[4:02] 6. Bobby Hutcherson - Love Letters
[6:22] 7. Kenny Burrell - So Little Time
[4:56] 8. Pete Loraca Sims - Bliss

this 2-album set combined in one link.
Jazz For A Mellow Morning (Discs 1 & 2)

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