Afro-Cuban Giants

The soulful Arturo O’Farrill will lead Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra in a concert at McCarter Theatre April 23.

By: Susan Van Dongen

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The soulful Arturo O’Farrill will lead Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra in a concert at McCarter Theatre April 23.


   One of first questions that comes to mind when speaking with bandleader and pianist Arturo O’Farrill is, what’s up with the last name?
   Mr. O’Farrill and his father, the late composer and bandleader Chico O’Farrill, are leading lights of Afro-Cuban jazz. They’re soulful Latino men who write, arrange and perform the hot, rhythmic music of the tropics. But the name ‘O’Farrill’ conjures images of rainy weather, dystopic ballads and boiled food.
   Is he, indeed, Irish?
   "It’s my father’s paternal ancestors," says Mr. O’Farrill, speaking from a stop in Champaign, Ill., along a concert tour. "I’m very proud of my Irish heritage. In fact, I wear a claddagh ring."
   On the other hand, his mother is of Spanish heritage and grew up in Mexico, Mr. O’Farrill’s place of birth. Perhaps that’s where this affinity for sunny music comes from.
   Mr. O’Farrill will visit McCarter Theatre April 23 to lead Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. The evening of music also includes a guest appearance by Arturo Sandoval, the first time the trumpet master has played with the orchestra.
   "He was a friend of my father’s and he’s a big part of the (Afro-Latin) tradition, one of the great Cuban musicians," Mr. O’Farrill says.
   As JALC’s newest resident band, the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra plays concert arrangements of great music by Latin jazz giants from around the world. The ensemble continues the tradition of artistic collaboration between jazz and Latin musicians.
   It seems like every one of the 18 men and women in the orchestra has an extraordinary resumé, playing with some of the foremost names in music — from contemporary superstars like Wynton Marsalis, David Byrne and David Bowie to legends such as Tito Puente and Dizzy Gillespie.
   "I have some of the most finest practitioners of Latin jazz on the planet, they’re treasures," Mr. O’Farrill says. "We have two gentlemen who performed with the ‘Big Three’ of early Latin music — Pete Rodriguez, Tito Puente and Machito. We’re excited to have this connection, that we have older people with these roots. But we also have four or five players who are quite young and they bring an important dynamic to the music as well.
   "I love the idea of putting young musicians next to seasoned veterans," he continues. "It creates a real love and respect for each other, and also a comprehensive understanding of the history of this music."
   In the last 15 or 20 years, Latin music and artists have been embraced by the mainstream and have really flourished — enough to have a Latin Grammy Awards ceremony, separate from the main event. Mr. O’ Farrill takes the popularity in stride, though.
   "It was one of those fads that kept recurring until people realized it wasn’t a fad," Mr. O’Farrill says. "(Latin music) is a necessary cultural ‘ingredient’ that people enjoy, the spice that flavors contemporary music. This music is part of the Hispanic contribution to American culture. In spite of the fact that it’s a different language, it’s not from a different continent. We’re all part of ‘America,’ just some of us are not from North America."
   He adds that the fervor for the Buena Vista Social Club helped kick Cuban music into high gear. A new generation was suddenly hip to a sound that had been around for decades.
   "The Buena Vista Social Club opened up a lot of possibilities, especially for young people to consider what some of the older folks (in Cuban music) contributed," Mr. O’Farrill says.
   Through his father, Mr. O’Farrill has direct roots with some of the earliest superstars in Latin music. In fact, as a youngster, he played with Machito.
   "He and his brother-in-law Mario Bauza were the first (Latinos) to experiment with jazz musicians, and in the 1940s, they married the two genres," Mr. O’Farrill says. "My father arranged and composed many works for Machito, including the masterpiece, ‘The Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite.’ He had an architectural role in establishing Afro-Latin concert music. So (the orchestra’s) relationship with Machito’s music is familial, it’s part of our heritage. And I do this with a lot of love. It’s part of who I am."
   For listeners, but especially musicians, one of the best things about the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra and other Latino ensembles is the fact that they never gave up on the big band sound — never shied away from brass, reeds and lots of percussion. Even when punk and New Wave stripped bands down to two people, a synthesizer and a drum machine, Latin groups didn’t lay off their live musicians.
   "It’s no small secret among young musicians coming to New York, that some of the first gigs they’ll be playing will be at Latin dance clubs across the city," Mr. O’Farrill says. "We’ll always remain committed to actual human beings pushing actual air through actual instruments. I hope and pray it never goes away."
The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra directed by Arturo O’Farrill, with special guest Arturo Sandoval, will perform at McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place, Princeton, April 23, 8 p.m. Tickets cost $37-$40. For information, call (609) 258-2787. On the Web: www.mccarter.org. The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra on the Web: www.jazzatlincolncenter.org/jazz/arti/aljo