20 April 2008
Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra
Song for Chico
2008, Zoho Music
This second CD by Arturo O’Farrill’s mighty 18-piece band carries all the craftsmanship and style of the ensemble’s former sponsor, Jazz at Lincoln Center. It’s a study in precision, with bold, intricate arrangements and beautifully rendered performances, recalling the glory days of mambos and cha-chas but also thrusting forward with an eye towards advancing the art form. O’Farrill’s deft leadership and majestic piano guide the group through eight tricky charts, from the classic “Caravan” and “Picadillo” through a few numbers by his illustrious father Chico O’Farrill, and culminating in daring postmodern compositions from Dafnis Prieto and Tom Harrell. But while the emphasis here is more on structure and ensemble than individual pyrotechnics, there’s plenty of that, too: trumpeters Michael Rodriguez and Jim Seeley consistently push the music higher, while veteran saxophonist Bobby Porcelli takes time out for a brilliant soliloquy in the title cut.
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