Renowned as a composer, arranger, and bandleader, here the 8-time GRAMMY-winner puts the emphasis back on his striking pianistic abilities with a 9-song set that juxtaposes stunning solo piano flights and dynamic trio performances with O’Farrill accompanied by his son, drummer Zack O’Farrill, and bassist Liany Mateo.
The repertoire includes pieces by Bud Powell (“Un Poco Loco”), Thelonious Monk (“Well, You Needn’t”), Herbie Hancock (“Dolphin Dance”), Carla Bley (“Utviklingssang”), his father Chico O’Farrill (“Pure Emotion”), the Puerto Rican composer Pedro Flores (“Obsession”), his own “Blue State Blues,” and more.
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This is FRESH AIR. Cuban Mexican American musician Arturo O'Farrill has led New York's acclaimed Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra for two decades. Before that, he'd run the Latin big band of his composer father, Chico O'Farrill. Back when Arturo started out, he just wanted to be a jazz pianist. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says his new album puts piano in the foreground.