Claudia

The Pace Report: "For The Love Of The Music" The Arturo O'Farrill Interview wsg Donald Harrison

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• published: 10 Sep 2012
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This seems to be the season for educator/pianist/bandleader Arturo O'Farrill. Just fresh off the heels of his very first solo piano recording "The Noguchi Sessions," he's been on the front lines fighting the good fight to keep the legacy and rich tradition of jazz music both here and abroad. But it's been a tremendous fight with the lack of funding to support the arts both in the community and schools, but Arturo balances the art of his creativity via music to give him the added platform to express what the mainstream lacks at a time when this music needs it. Arturo his living his musical destiny like his father, the late bandleader and composer, Chico O'Farrill. Even though he's the son of legacy, Arturo has created his own person in jazz music and is totally part of the his own destiny by creating his own voice as both a musician as well as advocate for the music and civil rights. He created the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance to help the younger generation of musicians to learn the rich and important roots to the African and Latin roots. In addition to his teaching he formed the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra at Jazz at Lincoln Center so patrons of the music could hear the music of legendary Latin musicians and composers as well as see some of the living greats still perform up close and personal. Over the years the Grammy-Award winning pianist has played and toured with the likes Freddy Cole, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, and Lester Bowie. His latest Zoho Records release "The Noguchi Sessions" was recorded at the famed Noguchi Museum in New York City. He had a Steinway Piano delivered to the museum and late one evening he and his engineer just recorded what would become a masterpiece solo piano recording. Arturo performs some of his original compositions as well as plays music by Randy Weston, Charles Mingus, and Ernesto Lecuona. Currently, Arturo hosts and performs a weekly residency at the famed Birdland Jazz Club every Sunday with the Arturo O'Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. For more information on Arturo's upcoming tour dates and the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, please visit him online at www.arturoofarill.com.