Afro Latin Jazz Alliance

The New York Times!

2011-12-16T10:59:00.005-05:00

Our performance with Ballet Hispanico has been listed in the New York Times for this Saturday.

Our blog is moving!

2011-07-05T14:49:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone, our blog is moving in-house -- please follow us here for news and views. See you over there!

Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra concludes its residency at Manhattan jazz club Birdland

2011-06-07T10:47:00.002-04:00

On Sunday, June 26, 2011, the Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra will conclude its residency at the famed Manhattan jazz club, Birdland, where it has performed every Sunday evening for over 15 years. Legendary Cuban composer and arranger Chico O’Farrill founded the orchestra in 1995, and his son, pianist Arturo O’Farrill, has directed the ensemble since his father’s passing in 2001.

Arturo O’Farrill issued the following statement:

“Chico O’Farrill’s music is a national treasure. The Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra is among the hardest swinging ensembles in the world. Our residency at Birdland has been a gift from on high. However, maintaining two big bands, a non-profit, and my small groups, as well as being a teacher, father, husband, and son, has been difficult to balance. In an effort to streamline my life and put more attention on composing and performing, I’ve decided to end the residency of the Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra at the end of June. I intend to return to Birdland in September with a new residency of some sort, but the Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra will finish its extraordinary run at Birdland. I wish to thank first and foremost the musicians, Gianni Valenti and our Birdland family, and most of all, our fans and friends throughout the planet. We love you all!”

Chico O’Farrill is considered one of the master architects of Afro Cuban jazz, penning the seminal Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite (originally recorded by Charlie Parker, Flip Phillips, and Buddy Rich). Adapting Cuban music to the modern jazz big band, O’Farrill wrote and arranged works for legends such as Machito, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton, Count Basie, and countless others.

Showcasing “the most seamless blend of clave rhythm and bebop harmony anywhere” (Time Out), the orchestra has performed the full repertoire of Chico O’Farrill for thousands at its weekly residency and through national and international tours. The orchestra recorded three albums—Pure Emotion (GRAMMY nomination), The Heart of a Legend (Latin GRAMMY nomination), and Carambola (Latin GRAMMY nomination).

Birdland owner Gianni Valenti remarked, “We’ve had 15 years of Sundays with the Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra, and I’ve been here for just about every one of them. It’s sad to see it come to an end and we’re going to miss everyone dearly, but it’s been a wonderful relationship for Birdland and a privilege to work with Chico, Arturo, and the musicians.”

This past December the orchestra traveled to Cuba to headline the Havana International Plaza Jazz Festival. It had been Arturo O’Farrill’s desire to return his father’s music, played by his musicians, to the island, as his father was unable to return to the island after departing for the final time in 1960. According to the younger O’Farrill, this trip completed an “artistic, familial, and spiritual journey,” and serves as the subject of the forthcoming documentary, Oye Cuba! A Journey Home, directed by Diane Sylvester.

The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, a non-profit organization founded by Arturo O’Farrill in 2007 dedicated to the performance, education, and preservation of big band Latin jazz, is committed to honoring the legacy of Chico O’Farrill. The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra continues to perform and record works by Chico O’Farrill. The organization also maintains a library of Chico O’Farrill’s scores, administers a scholarship program in his name for promising young musicians, and this December will pilot the Chico O’Farrill School of Jazz in Havana, an ongoing Cuban-American music educational exchange that includes a weeklong intensive co-taught by a faculty of Cuban and American musicians.

INFORMATION:

Three final performances by the

Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra

directed by Arturo O’Farrill

Sunday, June 12, 19, 26

9 p.m. and 11 p.m. sets

Birdland

315 West 44^th Street, between 8^th and 9^th Avenues

For reservations, visit www.birdlandjazz.com or call 212.581.3080

Latino Music, From Tango Back to the 16th Century

2011-05-24T12:11:00.002-04:00

Many thanks to journalist Vivien Schweitzer and The New York Time Music section for this nice review of Wall to Wall Sonidos.

Since their founding in 1978, the annual Wall to Wall 12-hour marathons at Symphony Space have focused on a single composer; a genre, like opera; or a region, as did last year’s survey of music from behind the Iron Curtain. On Saturday the Wall to Wall Sonidos program explored Latino culture, with performers and composers from Spain and Central and South America representing myriad styles, including 16th-century vocal polyphony, tango, contemporary string quartets and Latin jazz.

...

That segment, which concluded after midnight, also included the premiere of Arturo O’Farrill’s “Still Small Voice,” with the composer conducting the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra and the LaGuardia High School Senior Chorus.
Mr. O’Farrill was inspired by the idea of conscience, using biblical and Eastern texts and concepts to illuminate his work. No libretto was provided, and diction wasn’t always clear, but there were plenty of colorful moments throughout, including the babble of voices narrating the story of the Prophet Elijah at Mount Horeb, jazzlike choral writing and a lively instrumental movement. Both chorus and orchestra performed with panache.

Muñequitos de Matanzas and Michel Herrera to Perform at the Chico O'Farrill School of Jazz

2011-05-16T19:56:00.006-04:00

Thank you to Cuba Headlines for their wonderful story!

The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance announced today that members of Cuba's legendary Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, as well as Cuban saxophonist Michel Herrera, will perform at its fundraiser benefiting the Chico O'Farrill School of Jazz (COSJ) to be held Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City from 6-9PM.

Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Cuba's premiere Afro-Cuban folkloric group, recently concluded a three-day residency at Symphony Space in their first visit to New York since 2002. Current Muñequitos members Ana Pérez and Luís Cancino Morales will perform, as well as special guests Ramón “Sandy" García Pérez, Roman Díaz, Eddy Mauricio Herrera, Lisa Maria Salb, and Wilson “Chembo" Corniel.

Read more here.

NYT: A Family’s Legacy, Afro-Cuban Jaz

2011-04-29T12:16:00.004-04:00

Journalist Larry Rohter in the New York Times Music section has a wonderful article about the O'Farrill family.

IF there is such a thing as a first family of Afro-Cuban jazz, the O’Farrill clan has a right to claim that distinction. Its members helped invent the hybrid genre back in the 1940s, when Chico O’Farrill came to New York from Havana, and in recent years they have worked to reinvigorate the music despite barriers in both Cuba and the United States.

Thank you for this terrific, simpático article!

¡Si Cuba! Festival

2011-04-26T15:40:00.000-04:00

A great mention from Hispanic Market Info, about Si Cuba Festival:

Running from March 31 through June 16 New York will be presenting the creativity and artistic minds of Cuba through, ¡Si Cuba! Festival! In celebration of Cuba’s creative arts, the festival will be showcasing the diversity of Cuban culture from the traditional to the modern. This unique festival includes screenings from “award-winning films; lively concerts of son, rumba, hip-hop, and more by musical legends and rising stars; intimate discussions with Cuban writers, musicians, and thinkers; dance performances, from the classical to contemporary; compelling visual art exhibitions; and more…”
Some artists and groups to look forward to include:
The return of two groups vital to Cuban traditions.
- April 16^th(Zankel Hall): The Septeto Nacional Ignacio Piñero
- May 5^th-7^th (Symphony Space) and May 8^th(Performing Arts Center at SUNY Purchase): Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, at May 5 to 7 and at the Performing Arts Center at SUNY Purchase on May 8. There you will see adored performers of Cuban rumba and guaguancó: unique combination of Afro-Cuban music for percussion, voices and dancers.
- June 4^th (Brooklyn Academy of Music) A rare Cuban tradition is represented by the Creole Choir of Cuba, which is compsed of descendants of Haitians who came to Cuba to escape slavery and their acculturation to the Cuban culture.
The festival will also be showcasing other Cuban musicians, such as Xiomara Laugart, a singer from Havana who is now a member of Yerba Buena, at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center on April 30, and the rapper Telmary Díaz at BAMCafé on April 23. The pianist Arturo O’Farrill, who leads the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, brings his Family Band to BAMCafé on April 30, and on May 14 at Symphony Space the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra will be the centerpiece of Wall to Wall Sonidos, a marathon of Latin music featuring the premiere of Mr. O’Farrill’s composition “A Still Small Voice.”
Please refer to website for more details: http://sicuba.org/en

Join us Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at the Metropolitan Pavilion (125 West 18th Street, between 6th & 7th Avenues)

2011-04-21T12:05:00.003-04:00

The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance will host a fundraiser benefiting the Chico O’Farrill School of Jazz (COSJ) on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at the Metropolitan Pavilion (125 West 18^th Street, between 6^th& 7^th Avenues) in New York City from 6PM-9PM. The evening will include performances by Arturo O’Farrill and the Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra, Andrea Brachfeld and Phoenix Rising, and Aruán Ortiz and Camarada Urbana.

The Chico O’Farrill School of Jazz is an ongoing Cuban-American music educational exchange, with the pilot program scheduled for December 2011. The program is co-sponsored by the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, the Cuban Institute of Music, the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory of Music, and the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University. The Institute’s namesake, legendary composer and arranger Chico O’Farrill, is celebrated as one of the master architects of modern big band Afro Cuban jazz.

The inaugural program includes a weeklong intensive in Havana where a faculty of Cuban and American artist teachers will work closely with Cuban music students. The intensive will culminate in a concert at the Havana Plaza Jazz Festival. In subsequent years the program will last several weeks, ultimately expanding to a ten-week semester where American students participate in the program in Cuba and Cuban students participate in the program in the United States.

ALJA Artistic Director Arturo O’Farrill stated, “The opportunity to have real ongoing educational dialogue between the United States and Cuba is unparalleled. This fundraiser is the foundation of a commitment on the part of the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance to begin to build the permanent bridge constructed out of mutual respect using the language of music to irrevocably change the conversation between Cuban and American musicians.”

O’Farrill, an experienced educator, traveled to Cuba with the Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra this past December to headline the Havana Plaza Jazz Festival. O’Farrill’s interaction with young Cuban musicians during the trip inspired the idea of creating a long-term, sustained educational exchange. O’Farrill and flutist Andrea Brachfeld co-conceived the project and are serving as program directors.

Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance

invite you to a fundraiser benefiting

The Chico O'Farrill School of Jazz

May 18, 2011/6PM-9PM

An Evening of Music & Dancing

With Performances By:

Arturo O'Farrill & The Chico O'Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra

Andrea Brachfeld & Phoenix Rising

Aruán Ortiz & Camarada Urbana

Donation $75.00

The Metropolitan Pavilion

125 West 18th St (b/w 6^th & 7^th Aves.), NY, NY10011

RSVP by May 15^th online

Advance Payment: online, check, or at the door

For more information on the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, visit our website here.

Arturo explains the NARAS GRAMMY decision

2011-04-21T11:15:00.004-04:00

Click here to watch Arturo explain his objection to the NARAS decision to change the GRAMMY categories.

WPKN interview with Eric Oberstein

2011-04-19T14:54:00.002-04:00

Check it out - on April 18 Kevin Gallagher of WPKN (89.5FM Bridgeport, CT), interviewed Eric Oberstein about the recent Cuba trip, producing 40 Acres and a Burro, ALJA's work, and more.

Thanks to Kevin and Eric for a smart, fun talk!

NARAS Eliminating the Latin Jazz Category from GRAMMY Awards

2011-04-13T16:52:00.011-04:00

The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance is shocked and disappointed by the news that the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has chosen to eliminate the Latin Jazz category from the GRAMMY awards. Latinos are the second-largest demographic group in the United States, at over 50 million people in the 2010 Census, and our contributions to jazz are an essential part of our country's past, present, and future musical heritage.

The elimination of Latin Jazz from the GRAMMYs is an affront to the achievements of some of our nation's most heralded musicians: Tito Puente, Machito, Mario Bauza, Chico O'Farrill, Paquito D'Rivera, Eddie Palmieri, and many more. Moreover, it does a disservice to the thousands of talented and committed artists who are now dedicating their lives to playing this beautiful and powerful music, an art form with its own unique history and tradition. America's Latin Jazz performers, composers, arrangers, and producers sacrifice so much to be able to create brilliant, original music in the Latin Jazz form; they deserve the same recognition and support enjoyed by their peers working in different styles.

Latinos have made important progress toward equality in recent years, with growing representation in our nation's political, economic, and cultural institutions. We are deeply disappointed to find today that this progress will not be reflected in our country's most important musical award, where the message now seems to be, "Latin Jazz musicians need not apply."

Ostensibly, the reason for the GRAMMY award is to recognize excellence in art. The Academy's decision is an abandonment of artistic goals and is injurious to the livelihoods of Latin Jazz musicians who must compete in a marketplace that perceives the GRAMMY as a indicator of artistic credibility--and hires accordingly.

We urge NARAS to rethink its decision and we ask all NARAS members, musicians, and fans throughout the world to demand better.

Please take a moment to express your opposition through signing this petition.

¡Si Cuba! Arts Festival in New York City – Schedule of Music Events: March 31-June 16

2011-04-05T15:10:00.002-04:00

NYC writer Meryl Pearlstein writes in AllNY about ¡Si Cuba! Arts Festival in New York City – Schedule of Music Events: March 31-June 16.

Following in the footsteps of his legendary father and jazz musician Chico O'Farrill, Grammy-winning pianist and composer Arturo O'Farrill, head of the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, teams up with his sons Zack and Adam to bring dynamic Afro-Cuban tunes to concertgoers. The concert will take place during the Wall to Wall Sonidos (http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/6500-wall-to-wall-sonidos), a marathon of Latin music.

Saturday, April 30 at 9pm

Bar opens at 6pm

BAMcafé

30 Lafayette Avenue (between St. Felix Street and Ashland Place), Brooklyn

Tickets: Free

http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=2904

Saturday, April 2, 2011, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

2011-03-31T14:27:00.005-04:00

FREE

Brooklyn Museum

200 Eastern Parkway

Brooklyn, NY 11238-6052

Take the 2 or 3 to Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum

Come out and enjoy music from the Fat Afro Latin Jazz Cats, the

Afro Latin Jazz Alliance's NYC all-star youth ensemble, and the

Chico O'Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra for FREE

as part of the Brooklyn Museum's Target First Saturdays.

For more details:

Target First Fridays

Fat Afro Latin Jazz Cats

Afro Latin Jazz Alliance

History of Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

2011-03-09T17:17:00.006-05:00

Arturo O’Farrill was born in Mexico and moved to New York very early in his childhood. Due to his father’s career in music, he was heavily exposed to Latin jazz as a child and has always had a strong connection with music. He casually played piano as a child, but was truly inspired to become a musician by a Herbie Hancock solo from a Miles Davis record that he discovered in his father’s collection. This newfound passion led him to study music at New York’s High School Of Music And Art, where he immersed himself in modern jazz while avoiding Latin jazz in reaction to his father and the social implications of being a Latino. Because jazz programs were not yet conceived 35 years ago, Arturo first learned jazz through actively seeking teachings from jazz musicians in a little club on the lower east side that he and his friends frequented.

In 1979, his passion and devotion to jazz was noticed by Carla Bley, who recruited the 19-year-old Arturo to play at Carnegie Hall and kept him employed for several years. Once he left Bley’s band, Arturo played various gigs throughout New York, while regularly participating in his father’s jingle business. The Cuban rhymes, influence of talented Latin musicians, and teachings of Latin music history from bassist Andy Gonzalez led to Arturo’s peaked interest in Caribbean and Latin American styles as foundations of modern jazz.

With Arturo’s help, Chico O’Farrill recorded three albums, receiving huge critical praise. Trumpet player Wynton Marsalis invited the O’Farrill’s to join the Jazz At The Lincoln Center Orchestra in concert. Arturo addressed Wynton with his desire to form a repertoire band that drew upon the Latin Jazz big band tradition, which resulted in the formation of the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra years later. This marked his full-fledged commitment to Latin jazz. He became a high profile spokesman, introducing people to the finest aspects of Latin jazz through his concerts, recordings, education, and more.

However, several years later, Jazz At Lincoln Center was no longer able to support the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, separating O’Farrill’s group from the institution. Arturo was averse to the end of the orchestra, and thus formed the non-profit organization, the Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance. The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra persevered and commissioned new works, explored new artistic territory, toured internationally, started innovative educational programs, recorded respected albums, and won a Grammy. Arturo was able to take Chico’s music back to Cuba, and continues to move his group into a promising future. O’Farrill has brought the Orchestra to a place where they do more than simply play great music, they share challenging music filled with meaning and social relevance.

For further information and insights regarding the history of Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, view Arturo’s 5-part interview with Chip Boaz.

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Great NYTimes review of our CubaNOLA show

2011-02-28T14:15:00.003-05:00

Music journalist Jon Pareles gave our Symphony Space CubaNOLA show great review in the New York Times here.

New Orleans second-line beat, shaken and tapped on tambourines, started “CubaNOLA: More Than the Spanish Tinge,” the concert by Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra on Saturday night at Symphony Space. Then a cowbell joined in, tilting the rhythm toward Cuba. It was the prologue to a concert devoted to musical kinships: between Cuba and New Orleans, and between generations.

Thank you very much to the NYTimes!

Jazz Listings: 2/25 - 3/3

2011-02-25T11:48:00.002-05:00

Need more live jazz? The New York Times provides a list of jazz concerts in NYC between February 25th and March 3rd.

The New York Times Jazz Listings: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/25/arts/music/25jazz.html?_r=1

We're mentioned on A Blog Supreme!

2011-02-24T17:15:00.002-05:00

The wonderful folks at NPR's A Blog Supreme have nice story about our Cuba trip here.

Latin Jazz Conversations: Arturo O’Farrill & The Latin Jazz Corner

2011-02-24T13:17:00.003-05:00

Latin Jazz blogger Chip Boaz is a bass player, composer, educator, and writer from the San Francisco Bay Area; his blog, Latin Jazz Corner is a great info resource for Latin Jazz fans and musicians.

Here are the tree parts of Chip's wonderful, in-depth interview with Arturo:

Arturo O'Farrill interviewed by Chip Boaz part one
Arturo O'Farrill interviewed by Chip Boaz part two
Arturo O'Farrill interviewed by Chip Boaz part three

Thank you again for your wonderfully interesting, intelligent questions, Chip!

New York Times - Si Cuba Festival

2011-02-18T11:42:00.003-05:00

Arturo and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra in the New York Times as part of the Si Cuba Festival in NYC!

Festivals of Cuba’s Finest And of the Avant-Garde

ALJO on JazzSet

2011-02-11T12:35:00.005-05:00

ALJO's performance at Newport is now available for listening on NPR JazzSet!
The 1998 performance of "Perdido" by the Chico O'Farrill Orchestra with Arturo O'Farrill on piano is also available as an extra.
Click Here to listen to both performances on NPR JazzSet!

Newport Jazz Festival Performance Airs

2011-02-09T13:43:00.003-05:00

ALJO's appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival releases on NPR tomorrow!

Listen to it there, or tune into WBGO 88.3 FM on Sunday, Feb 13 at 6pm.
If you miss that, check back on Wednesday, Feb 16 at 6:30pm for the rebroadcast.

Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Concert & Album Release Party Feb. 26th, Symphony Space

2011-01-19T13:40:00.002-05:00

Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Concert & Album Release Party Feb. 26th, Symphony Space!

“CubaNola: More Than the Spanish Tinge” concert to feature New Orleans’ renowned saxophonist Donald Harrison.

Fresh from an historic journey to Cuba for the Havana Plaza Jazz Festival, Arturo O’Farrill returns to the Symphony Space stage on February 26th at 8PM with his GRAMMY Award-winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO) for a powerful evening highlighting the profound connection between the music of Cuba and New Orleans, and to celebrate the release of their latest album, 40 Acres and a Burro.

It was more than 70 years ago that Jelly Roll Morton coined the phrase “Spanish tinge” to explain the Latin American rhythms that spiced up the music he had helped to create—jazz. The program will feature arrangements of early charangas, rags, and contemporary works, plus the world premiere of O’Farrill’s new composition, More Than a Spanish Tinge. O’Farrill is coming off of a monumental trip to Cuba this past December, when he brought the orchestra of his late father, legendary Cuban composer and arranger Chico O’Farrill, to the island for a weeklong residency exploring the musical influences Cuban musicians contributed to the birth and development of jazz.

Performing in Havana and the surrounding areas, Arturo fulfilled a dream of bringing Chico’s music back to the land the elder O’Farrill had hoped to visit once again before his death, but was never able to. The tour, which was filmed for the documentary Oye Cuba! A Journey Home, brought out strong emotions in O’Farrill. “It was a very important artistic, spiritual, and familial journey,” he says.

Arturo O’Farrill has had a lifelong relationship with Afro Cuban music. A pianist, composer, educator, and winner of the Latin Jazz USA Outstanding Achievement Award in 2003, he was born in Mexico and grew up in New York City. In 2002, O’Farrill created the ALJO for Jazz at Lincoln Center. His debut album with the orchestra, Una Noche Inolvidable, earned a GRAMMY Award nomination. The ALJO won a GRAMMY Award for Best Latin Jazz Album in 2009 for its second release, Song for Chico.

For this special concert, which will explore the common roots of jazz as seen in the early music of New Orleans and Havana, O’Farrill and the orchestra will be joined by special guest Donald Harrison on saxophone. O’Farrill says of the evening, “Big Chief Donald Harrison will lead the ALJO on a wild ride, careening through the streets of Havana and New Orleans in such a manner as to blur the lines between the two. Come hang with us, swing hard, and enjoy the view from the corner of Bourbon Street and The Malecon.”

A critically acclaimed saxophonist and composer from New Orleans, Donald Harrison, known as “The King of Nouveau Swing,” has been called “one of the most important musicians of the new millennium” by CBS Sunday Morning. He is the originator of the Nouveau Swing style, which merges acoustic swing with modern R&B, second-line, hip-hop, New Orleans African American roots culture, and reggae rhythms. Harrison is also a master singer/dancer in traditional New Orleans culture. He is now the Big Chief of Congo Square, and he designs and makes his own Mardi Gras costumes. Harrison has worked with artists including Roy Haynes, Art Blakey, Terence Blanchard, Lena Horne, Eddie Palmieri, the Notorious BIG, Digable Planets, Billy Cobham, Ron Carter, and others. He recently appeared on the New Orleans-focused HBO series Treme.

Two for the Show Media
Chris DiGirolamo
5750 Aldrich Lane – Suite #1
Mattituck, New York 11952
tel: 631-298-7823 cell: 718-669-0752
www.Twofortheshowmedia.com

The concert will serve as the official album release party for the ALJO’s highly anticipated new album, 40 Acres and a Burro, to be released February 8 on Zoho Music.

The program is part of Sonidos: Celebrating Latino Arts, a yearlong multi-disciplinary programming initiative at Symphony Space focusing on Latino arts and culture.

INFORMATION

The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance presents
Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
featuring special guest Donald Harrison
February 26, 2011, 8PM
Symphony Space
95th Street and Broadway, NYC

UNDERSCORE: Cocktails and conversation at 7 PM with the artists and Symphony Space Artistic Director Laura Kaminsky.
Ticket prices:
General Admission $38
Students & Seniors $25
Symphony Space Members $32
Day of Show $43

For tickets, visit the box office, call 212.864.5400, or visit cubanola-more-than-the-spanish tinge

Founded in 2007, the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance is dedicated to preserving the music and heritage of big band Latin Jazz, supporting its performance for new audiences, and educating young people in the understanding and performance of this important cultural treasure.

The Alliance maintains a world-class collection of Latin jazz musical scores and recordings, provides institutional support for the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, and provides education programs for young musicians and new audiences. From 2002 to 2007, the ALJO was a resident orchestra at Jazz at Lincoln Center, where it earned a GRAMMY nomination for its 2005 album, Una Noche Inolvidable. The Orchestra is currently in the fourth season of its residency at its home on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Symphony Space. The ALJO continues to tour nationally and internationally to critical acclaim. In 2009, the ALJO won a GRAMMY Award for Best Latin Jazz Album for its release, Song for Chico.

For more information on the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, visit our website here.

Arturo at Teatro Mella Havana, Cuba Festival Jazz Plaza

2011-01-17T11:32:00.002-05:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform at Teatro Mella Havana at the Cuba Festival Jazz Plaza.

Arturo O'Farrill Quartet — In Whom I'm Well Please

2011-01-04T15:22:00.002-05:00

Arturo O'Farrill, John Patitucci, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez and Ivan Renta perform Arturo's "In Whom I'm Well Please" at Dizzy's.

Two bits of news from our Cuba trip

2011-01-04T15:21:00.004-05:00

Two bits of news from our Cuba trip:

New York's Orchestra Director Gives Lecture in Cuba. Havana, Cuba.
Arturo O' Farrill, pianist and director of New York's Afro Latin Jazz orchestra spoke about the significance of the Cuban music in a lecture at the Mella Theater.

Jazz Plaza Festival Underway in Havana. Read more here.

Arturo O'Farrill Quartet - One Adam 12 Mambo

2010-12-27T13:46:00.001-05:00

Arturo O'Farrill, John Patitucci, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez and Ivan Renta perform Arturo's "One Adam 12 Mambo" at Dizzy's.

Arturo O'Farrill Quartet - "Mi Vida"

2010-12-21T16:07:00.003-05:00

Arturo O'Farrill, John Patitucci, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez and Ivan Renta play "Mi Vida," composed by Arturo O'Farrill, at Dizzy's.

Arturo O'Farrill Quartet - "Blue State Blues"

2010-12-17T17:06:00.004-05:00

Arturo O'Farrill, John Patitucci, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, and Ivan Renta play "Blue State Blues", composed by Arturo O'Farrill, at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola in December 2010.

ALJO in Cuba

2010-12-16T13:20:00.010-05:00

Arturo's father, Chico O'Farrill, desired to return to Cuba for many years, but passed away in 2001 before he could. When Arturo O'Farrill attended Plaza Jazz Festival in Havana in 2002, he was inspired to bring his father's orchestra to Cuba for his father.
Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra traveled to Cuba for a week long trip on December 13th. During their stay there, they will have podcasts of their interviews and activities in Cuba, which include giving master classes with Cuban music students at Amadeo Roldán Conservatory, programs with various jazz musicians, performances at the Havana jazz festival and the premier of Fathers and Sons: From Havana to New York and Back.
This trip will be documented in a film named Oye Cuba! A Journey Home, produced by Diane Sylvester, to share Chico O'Farrill's legacy and the historic, cultural and educational exchange of jazz music in Cuba with Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Orchestra.

Arturo O'Farrill's Quartet - No Way Off

2010-12-16T13:01:00.002-05:00

Arturo O'Farrill, John Patitucci, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez and Ivan Renta perform Arturo's "No Way Off" at Dizzy's.

Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player Jim Seeley

2010-12-06T12:52:00.005-05:00

Journalist Bill Blankenship in The Topeka Capital-Journal reports on Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player Jim Seeley return to his hometown. Jim's career includes one Grammy nomination and one win for CDs he recorded with us -- Arturo O'Farrill and The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. Seeley also wrote one of the songs on our Grammy-winning album Song For Chico.

"Villa Palmeras" at Symphony Space 11/6/10

2010-12-03T15:26:00.002-05:00

Arturo O'Farill, the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, solo saxophonist Miguel Zenón and Los Pleneros de la 21 perform "Villa Palmeras" at Symphony Space on November 6, 2010.

"Oyelo" at Symphony Space 11/6/10

2010-12-02T17:05:00.003-05:00

Arturo O'Farill, the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, solo saxophonist Miguel Zenón and Los Pleneros de la 21 perform "Oyelo" at Symphony Space on November 6, 2010.

Please join us at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola!

2010-12-01T14:18:00.002-05:00

Please join us at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola!

Arturo O'Farrill with John Patitucci, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez and Ivan Renta
On December 12th, George Mraz replaces John Patitucci

Tuesday-Sunday, December 7-12 7:30pm & 9:30pm
Plus 11:30pm on Friday and Saturday

Cover: $30-$35, Students: $15 with valid student ID

Jazz at Lincoln Center
Broadway at 60th Street, 5th Floor
New York, New York 10023

http://jalc.org/dccc/details09.asp?EventID=2477

"Afro Puerto Rican Jazz Suite" at Symphony Space 11/6/10

2010-11-30T10:02:00.003-05:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform the "Afro Puerto Rican Jazz Suite" with saxophone soloists Miguel Zenón and Ivan Renta at Symphony Space on November 6, 2010.

(Part 1)

(Part 2)

"Azulito" at Symphony Space 11/6/10

2010-11-29T17:09:00.002-05:00

Ray Santos conducts Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz orchestra in their performance of "Azulito" at Symphony Space on November 6, 2010.

"Blue State Blues" at Symphony Space 11-6-10

2010-11-26T13:33:00.002-05:00

Arturo O'Farrill and Miguel Zenón perform Arturo's original "Blue State Blues" with a small group of ALJO members in Symphony Space on November 6, 2010.

"Esta Plena" at Symphony Space 11-6-10

2010-11-25T22:14:00.002-05:00

Arturo O'Farill, the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, solo saxophonist Miguel Zenón and Los Pleneros de la 21 perform "Esta Plena" at Symphony Space on November 6, 2010.

"Iron Jungle" by Papo Vazquez 11-6-10

2010-11-24T16:14:00.001-05:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform "Iron Jungle" by Papo Vazquez at Symphony Space on November 6, 2010.

"Sunny Ray" by Ray Santos 11-6-10

2010-11-23T13:42:00.001-05:00

Ray Santos conducts Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra in their performance of his original piece "Sunny Ray" at Symphony Space on November 6, 2010.

"Cochise" by Ray Santos - 11/6/10

2010-11-22T16:32:00.002-05:00

Ray Santos helps conduct Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra in the performance of "Cochise," his own composition, at Symphony Space on November 6, 2010.

"Alma Vacia" at Symphony Space on November 6, 2010

2010-11-19T15:23:00.002-05:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform "Alma Vacia," composed by Miguel Blanco, at Symphony Space on November 6, 2010.

"Dia de los Muertos" by Arturo O'Farrill

2010-11-03T14:18:00.002-04:00

Dia de los Muertos, Part 1

Dia de los Muertos, Part 2

"Ruminaciones Sobre Cuba" by Arturo O'Farrill

2010-11-02T16:26:00.002-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra plays Ruminaciones Sobre Cuba by Arturo O'Farrill.

Arturo's Cuba trip gets great press!

2010-11-02T15:29:00.007-04:00

Our upcoming Cuba trip is getting great press!

From Stephanie Simon and the other wonderful folks at NY1:

Latin Jazz musician and bandleader Arturo O'Farrill has performed all over the world, but no trip can rival the one he has planned for December. O’Farrill has be given permission to fly to Cuba for a historic concert that fulfills a lifelong dream. NY1's Stephanie Simon filed the following exclusive report on O'Farrill's plans to perform his father's music in Cuba for the first time.

From Ben Ratcliff at the NYTimes ArtsBeat:

The Brooklyn-based pianist and bandleader Arturo O’Farrill announced over the weekend that he would appear at the 26th annual Havana International Plaza Jazz festival, Dec. 16-19. Mr. O’Farrill is the son of Chico O’Farrill, the Cuban-born composer and arranger, who died in 2001. The elder O’Farrill, one of the architects of Afro-Cuban jazz, who collaborated with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and others in landmark works of the 1950s like “The Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite” and “The Manteca Suite,” never managed to returned to his homeland after leaving it in 1960.

From the awesome Ken Franckling's blog Jazz Notes (Ken's is a profound take on the situation):

After all these years, is there anything more senseless than the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba? I think not, but some are bound to disagree. But the arts are thawing the iceberg a bit – and jazz is at the forefront of that relaxation...

Ken's piece also appeared in Jazz Times.

In NPR's wonderful (and wonderfully named) A Blog Supreme, Felix Contreras writes:

When Cuban-born jazz arranger Chico O'Farrill died in 2001, his one great lament was not being able to return to the island of his birth, according to his son, pianist/bandleader Arturo O'Farrill. The younger O'Farrill will close the musical and familial circle next month when he takes the New York-based orchestra his father created to Cuba...

http://jazztimes.com/sections/franckling/articles/26760-jazz-in-cuba

"Heptagonesque" by David Bixler

2010-11-01T16:47:00.002-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra plays David Bixler's "Heptagonesque" at Symphony Space on MArch 6, 2009.

"El Sur" by Gabriel Alegria

2010-10-29T11:33:00.002-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra plays "El Sur" at the Symphony Space on March 6, 2009, playing El Sur with composer Gabriel Alegria.

Afro Latin Jazz Alliance plays Tito Puente

2010-10-28T12:49:00.002-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Alliance plays Tito Puente on Father's day, June 17, 2009.

We Are The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

2010-10-27T19:36:00.002-04:00

An introduction to the members of the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra at Adelphi University.

"The Afro Cuban Jazz Suite" by Chico O'Farrill - Part 2

2010-10-26T13:51:00.001-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform "The Afro Cuban Jazz Suite," composed by Chico O'Farrill, at Adelphi University on Friday, October 1, 2010.

"The Afro Cuban Jazz Suite" by Chico O'Farrill - Part 1

2010-10-25T13:05:00.003-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform "The Afro Cuban Jazz Suite," composed by Chico O'Farrill, at Adelphi University on Friday, October 1, 2010.

"Tanguango" by Astor Piazzolla

2010-10-22T12:54:00.002-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform "Tanguango," composed by Astor Piazzolla and arranged by Michael Philip Mossman, at Adelphi University on Friday, October 1, 2010.

"El Minotauro" by Guillermo Klein

2010-10-21T13:50:00.002-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform "El Minotauro," composed by Guillermo Klein, at Adelphi University on Friday, October 1, 2010.

"Caravan" by Juan Tizol at Adelphi University

2010-10-20T18:29:00.002-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform "Caravan," composed by Juan Tizol, at Adelphi University on Friday, October 1, 2010.

"Caravan" by Juan Tizol

2010-10-19T15:56:00.002-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform "Caravan," composed by Juan Tizol, at Adelphi University on Friday, October 1, 2010.

"40 Acres and a Burro" by Arturo O'Farrill

2010-10-18T23:31:00.001-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform "40 Acres and a Burro," composed by Arturo O'Farrill, at Adelphi University on Friday, October 1, 2010.

"Alma Vacia" by Miguel Blanco

2010-10-15T15:47:00.004-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform "Alma Vacia," composed by Miguel Blanco, at Adelphi University on Friday, October 1, 2010.

"A Wise Latina" at Adelphi

2010-10-14T13:35:00.002-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform "A Wise Latina," composed by Arturo O'Farrill in honor of the nomination of Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court and commissioned by Symphony Space, The Bronx Museum, and RD Rice, at Adelphi University on Friday, October 1, 2010.

"Picadillo" at Adelphi

2010-10-13T19:32:00.002-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform "Picadillo," composed by Eddie Palmieri, at Adelphi University on Friday, October 1, 2010.

"A Night in Tunisia" by Dizzy Gillespie

2010-10-11T16:26:00.003-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia," arranged by Michael Philip Mossman, at Adelphi University on Friday, October 1, 2010.

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra on Father's Day June 09

2010-10-08T18:04:00.002-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra on Father's Day June 21, 2009 at Symphony Space.

Father's Day, June 21, 2009

2010-10-07T17:11:00.002-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra on Father's Day June 21, 2009 at Symphony Space.

"Sunny Ray" by Ray Santos

2010-10-06T15:38:00.002-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra plays "Sunny Ray" composed by Ray Santos at Symphony Space on November 5, 2009.

The Arturo O'Farrill Quartet

2010-10-05T16:04:00.000-04:00

The Arturo O'Farrill Quartet is performing at Symphony Space on October 7th.
You can get tickets here.

http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/6490-arturo-ofarrill-quartet?source=calendar

"The Composing Process" by Adam O'Farrill

2010-10-05T15:45:00.003-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra plays "The Composing Process" by Adam O'Farrill on November 5, 2009 at Symphony Space.

"Para los Rumberos" at Adelphi University

2010-10-04T17:41:00.003-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra closed their concert at Adelphi University with "Para los Rumberos," which inspired some of the audience get up and dance.

African Sunrise Suite

2010-10-01T10:44:00.001-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra with Randy Weston Play African Sunrise Suite at Symphony Space on November 5, 2009.

Please vote for Arturo at the Do Gooder Awards!

2010-10-01T08:17:00.002-04:00

Dear friends,

Arturo's been nominated for the Brooklyn Community Foundation's Do Gooder Awards! Voting runs October 1-15, and the top 5 finalists will receive $5K to be given to the organization of their choice.

Here is Arturo's Do Gooder page, where you can vote for him once a day during October 1-15.

Here's the Do Gooder Awards website where you can get more info.

Thank you for participating in the first ever Brooklyn Do Gooder Awards Campaign -- you’re helping make Brooklyn better and stronger.

Also, please enjoy a video featuring some Brooklyn Do Gooder poetry by local young people and produced by two of our amazing grantee partners: Reel Works Teen Filmaking and Urban Word.

ALJO with Randy Weston Play African Village

2010-09-30T15:48:00.002-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra with Randy Weston Play African Village Bedford Stuyvesant at Symphony Space on November 5, 2009.

ALJO at Adelphi University

2010-09-29T18:40:00.001-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra are performing at Adelphi on Friday, October 1, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. Get tickets here:

http://aupac.adelphi.edu/events/arturo-ofarrill.php

"A Wise Latina" at Symphony Space

2010-09-29T18:12:00.003-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra plays "A Wise Latina" in honor of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor composed by Arturo O'Farrill. World premiere on November 5, 2009 at Symphony Space.

"Canta Brasil"

2010-09-28T16:07:00.002-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra plays "Canta Brasil" at Brazil Big Band Festival.

"Campo Grande" by Gilson Perenzetta

2010-09-27T18:49:00.002-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra plays Gilson Perenzetta's "Campo Grande" at Big Band Festival.

"Fibra" by Paulo Mourra

2010-09-24T17:01:00.002-04:00

ALJO plays Paulo Mourra's "Fibra"

Afro Latin Jazz Alliance Website Calendar

2010-09-23T13:25:00.001-04:00

Curious about where Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra are? Check for past and upcoming performances on the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance websites calendar.

http://www.afrolatinjazz.org/calendar.html

"Bebé" by Hermeto Pascoal

2010-09-23T12:55:00.003-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra performs "Bebé" by Hermeto Pascoal.

"Umzzero" by Hermeto Pascoal

2010-09-21T14:29:00.001-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra performs Hermeto Pascoal's "Umzzero".

"IOIO" by Nelson Faria

2010-09-20T16:57:00.002-04:00

ALJO plays "IOIO" Nelson Faria.

Our latest schedule -- please join us where and when you can!

2010-09-20T15:05:00.005-04:00

Dear friends, here is our latest schedule -- we'd love you to join us at any of our following performances:

September 20, 2010: ALJO at Kanazawa Street Festival, Kanazawa, Japan

September 21, 2010: ALJO at Kannai Hall, Yokohama, Japan

October 1, 2010: ALJO at Adelphi University, Garden City, NY

October 7, 2010: Arturo O'Farrill Quartet at Symphony Space

October 9, 2010: Arturo O'Farrill and Company at the Museum of the City of New York

October 22-24, 2010: Taichung Jazz Festival, Taichung, Taiwan

November 6, 2010: ALJO at Symphony Space

Puerto Rico, More than Salsa 
Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra explore new and existing trends in Puerto Rican music. Special attention is paid to folkloric and traditional forms, especially Bomba and Plena. The traditional instruments of Bomba and Plena are employed and special guest percussionists are invited. Repertoire will highlight the works of William Cepeda with arrangements by Michael Webster, William Cepeda, Papo Vazquez, and others. Highlights will include Mombrogo, Iron Jungle, and new works. Special guests include Miguel Zenon and William Cepeda. It will be a gorgeous evening of recognizing the indigenous and brilliant music of Puerto Rico!

December 6-12, 2010: Arturo at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

January 20, 2011: Salon: Arturo O'Farrill at Symphony Space

February 26, 2011: ALJO at Symphony Space http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/6561-cubanola-more-than-the-spanish-tinge?source=calendar

CubaNola, More Than the Spanish Tinge Cuba and New Orleans are more than musical friends or cousins. They are more like twins and equally responsible for much of what we call Jazz. Arturo O’Farrill together with special guest Donald Harrison explore the common roots of Jazz as seen in the early music of New Orleans and Havana. Arrangements of early charangas, rags, and contemporary works by musicians associated with both cities and countries are performed. A new work entitled “More than a Spanish Tinge” will receive its world premiere. This is an important concert for anyone interested in understanding the true roots of jazz and Latin music.

April 19, 2011: Arturo O'Farrill at Knoxville Jazz Orchestra

May 14, 2011: ALJO at Symphony Space

Música Nueva 4 Part of Symphony Spaces Wall-to-Wall celebration of Spanish music
This is traditionally our best concert of the year, the one that creates the repertoire of the future. Past composers have included Vijay Iyer, Fernando Otero, Gabriel Alegria, Emilio Solla, and many others. This year will mark the world premiere of Arturo O’Farrill’s New York State Council on the Arts commission “A Small Still Voice” with an 80-voice choir from the LaGuardia School of the Performing Arts. It is a work that explores the central beliefs and tales of all religions. The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra will also perform other works that have been directly commissioned by or for us. Don’t miss this chance to see the future of true jazz that reflects all of the Americas.

We look forward to playing for you!

Afro Latin Jazz Alliance Partners with Famed Greenwich Village Jazz Club Fat Cat to Launch New York City All-Star Youth Big Band

2010-09-20T15:02:00.003-04:00

Our latest press release to keep you up to date!

The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance (ALJA) invites New York City’s finest young musicians to sit under the directorship of Arturo O’Farrill, leader of the GRAMMY Award-winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO), and be a part of an elite all-city youth big band hosted by the famed Greenwich Village jazz club Fat Cat, called the Fat Afro Latin Jazz Cats.

“The best thing about my work is the chance to interact with young musicians, and this opportunity to invite young people to be a part of our work thrills me to no end,” said O’Farrill. In partnership with Fat Cat, the ALJA will provide a unique education and performance opportunity to students throughout the five boroughs in middle and high school to study with O’Farrill, an acclaimed pianist and composer. As an educator, he has taught master classes, seminars, and workshops throughout the world for students and teachers of all levels. O’Farrill has served on the faculties of The University of Massachusetts Amherst and SUNY Purchase. He currently provides instrument and ensemble instruction to students in the Afro Latin Jazz Academy of Music, currently operating at the Business of Sports School in Manhattan and the Urban Assembly Bronx Studio School for Writers and Artists in the South Bronx.

“The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance is honored to work with New York City’s most accomplished young musicians in an ensemble that will allow them to showcase their talents and learn from a master artist and educator. We are grateful to Fat Cat for its generosity in hosting this esteemed big band,” remarked Eric Oberstein, Executive Director of the ALJA.

A statement from the Fat Cat staff read, “We at Fat Cat are excited to have our doors open to ALJA and the Fat Afro Latin Jazz Cats. This is a great opportunity to advance and preserve a great aspect of American culture.”

The Fat Afro Latin Jazz Cats will be an audition-based ensemble that will rehearse every Sunday afternoon at Fat Cat through the academic year from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Auditions will be held on Sunday, September 26, 2010 at Fat Cat (75 Christopher Street at 7th Avenue). Brass instruments (trumpets, trombones) will audition from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., woodwinds (saxophones) from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., and rhythm section (piano, bass, drums, percussion) from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Students will be asked to sight read a piece of music, prepare two works (of both slow and fast tempos), play together with a rhythm section, and improvise.

Students with an interest/experience in composition are especially encouraged to audition. The Fat Afro Latin Jazz Cats will have opportunities to perform at Fat Cat and other prominent music venues around New York City on a regular basis.

While there is no set fee required to participate, there is a suggested donation of $10 upon audition. Interested students, parents, and teachers should contact Eric Oberstein at eoberstein@afrolatinjazz.org for more details.

Founded in 2007, the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance is dedicated to preserving the music and heritage of big band Latin Jazz, supporting its performance for new audiences, and educating young people in the understanding and performance of this important cultural treasure. The Alliance maintains a world-class collection of Latin jazz musical scores and recordings, provides institutional support for the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, and provides education programs for young musicians and new audiences. From 2002 to 2007, the ALJO was a resident orchestra at Jazz at Lincoln Center, where it earned a GRAMMY nomination for its 2005 album, Una Noche Inolvidable. The Orchestra is entering the fourth season of its residency at its new home on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Symphony Space. The ALJO continues to tour nationally and internationally to critical acclaim. In 2009, the ALJO won a GRAMMY Award for Best Latin Jazz Album for its release, Song for Chico.

For more information on the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, and Fat
Cat, visit: http://www.afrolatinjazz.org and http://www.fatcatmusic.org.

Tell your friends!

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra @ Puppets ELM by Richie Beirach

2010-09-17T20:03:00.005-04:00

Just a peek at FREE jazz with Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra at Puppets. Musicians are Bill Ware, vibes; Zack O'Farrill, drums; Jim Seeley, trumpet; Peter Brainin, tenor saxophone and Arturo O'Farrill, piano.

Nola Studios, May 19-20

2010-09-16T16:18:00.001-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra records at Nola Studios in New York City, May 19-20.

Arturo O'Farrill 50th Year Birthday Celebration at Puppets Jazz in Brooklyn, NY

2010-09-15T15:38:00.002-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill celebrated his 50th birthday with his friends and family at Puppets Jazz. He played with his sons Zack and Adam O'Farrill who play drums and trumpet, respectively. Other band members sat in. And what does Arturo do on his birthday? He plays music of course.

Llegara, Llegara, Llegara

2010-09-14T21:17:00.001-04:00

Performed by Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, written by Emilio Solla, and conducted by Arturo O'Farrill on June 4, 2010.

"Exuberante"

2010-09-13T18:24:00.002-04:00

Performed by Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, written by Chico O'Farrill, and conducted by Arturo O'Farrill at Symphony Space on June 4, 2010.

"Mad Hatter"

2010-09-10T18:51:00.002-04:00

Performed by Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, written by Vijay Iyer, conducted by Arturo O'Farrill, at Symphony Space on June 4, 2010

"Cloudy with the Chance of Sunshine"

2010-09-09T22:29:00.003-04:00

Performed by Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, written by Adam O'Farrill, conducted by Arturo O'Farrill, at Symphony Space on June 4, 2010

Gentleman Barbarian

2010-09-08T15:33:00.002-04:00

Performed by Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, written by Bill Ware, and conducted by Arturo O'Farrill, at Symphony Space, June 4, 2010.

Cuarto de Colores

2010-09-07T15:08:00.003-04:00

"Cuarto de Colores," written by Edmar Castaneda, performed by Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, and conducted by Arturo O'Farrill at Symphony Space on June 4, 2010

The Coca-Cola Generations In Jazz Festival

2010-09-03T17:37:00.004-04:00

Dear friends:

Please join us at
The Coca-Cola Generations In Jazz Festival [http://www.jalc.org/dccc/details09.asp?EventID=2419]
The O'Farrill Family Band
w/Arturo O'Farrill, Adam O'Farrill, Zack O'Farrill, Ivan Renta & Shawn Conley

on Monday, September 6th
at 7:30pm & 9:30pm 
Cover: $20 Students: $10 w/valid student ID  

Go to http://www.opentable.com/dizzys-club-coca-cola-reservations-new-york?rid=3683 to make a reservation.

Featuring: Arturo O'Farrill, piano; Adam O'Farrill, trumpet; Zack O'Farrill, drums; Ivan Renta, tenor saxophone; Shawn Conley, bass

We look forward to seeing you there!

"Iron Jungle" at Symphony Space

2010-09-03T17:24:00.002-04:00

"Iron Jungle," written by Papo Vazquez and performed by the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra at Symphony Space on June 4, 2010.

"A Wise Latina" at Newport Jazz Festival 2010

2010-09-02T15:00:00.003-04:00

Arturo O'Farrill's "A Wise Latina," performed by the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra at Newport Jazz Festival 2010.

"Calidoscopico" Newport Jazz Festival 2010

2010-09-01T19:25:00.002-04:00

"Calidoscopico" was written by Chico O'Farrill and performed by the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra at Newport Jazz Festival 2010 in this video.

"El Sur" at Newport Jazz Festival 2010

2010-08-31T15:30:00.003-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra played Gabriel Alegria's "El Sur" at the Newport Jazz Festival 2010. Here's the video.

"Exuberante" at Newport Jazz Festival 2010

2010-08-30T16:33:00.003-04:00

This piece, "Exuberante," was composed by Chico O'Farrill. The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra performed the song at Newport Jazz Festival 2010.

"Picadillo" at Litchfield Jazz Festival 2010

2010-08-27T20:55:00.001-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra performing "Picadillo" by Eddie Palmieri at Litchfield Jazz Festival 2010

"A Wise Latina" at Litchfield Jazz Festival 2010

2010-08-26T12:32:00.003-04:00

The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform Arturo O'Farrill's "A Wise Latina" again at Litchfield Jazz Festival 2010.

ALJO "3 Afro Cuban Jazz Moods"

2010-08-25T21:07:00.001-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra performs "3 Afro Cuban Jazz Moods" by Chico O'Farrill at Litchfield Jazz Festival 2010. This video's in two parts.

"Caravan" Litchfield Jazz Festival 2010

2010-08-24T19:11:00.003-04:00

ALJO's performance of Juan Tizol's "Caravan" at Litchfield Jazz Festival 2010.

"Song for Chico" at Litchfield 2010

2010-08-23T20:31:00.005-04:00

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra performing "Song for Chico" by Dafnis Prieto at Litchfield Jazz Festival 2010.