At The Performing Arts Center....

PURCHASE LATIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA

December 10 at 7 PM

Conducted by Grammy winner Arturo O’Farrill head of the Latin Jazz Program at Purchase College. Selections include: “Manteca Suite” by Dizzy Gillespie and Chico O’Farrill featuring Brendon Lewis in the role of Dizzy. Three compositions by Ray Santis “Cookin”, “Chochise”, and “Sunny Ray.” Title track of the Grammy winning album “A Song for Chico” by Dafnis Prieto. “Humility” by Tom Harrell, and “Starry Nights” by James Seeley. Arturo’O’Farrill, is a composer, who won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album for “Song for Chico.” He performs at leading clubs and concert halls and created the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra for Jazz at Lincoln Center.
 

The Latin Jazz Orchestra was founded by trumpeter Armando Rodriguez and drummer Victor Rendon in 1991. The Orchestra is smoothly piloted through a Latin jazz exploration of rhythm and melody. All but three of the tracks are expressive arrangements of Latin melodies, providing free reign for jazz possibilities, especially in the horn soloing. Mostly this is a combination of saxes and trumpets, but special attention should be brought to Mauricio Smith's flute solo in Chick Corea's "Guajira." In that song and most others, pianist Arturo O'Farrill delicately romances or otherwise extrapolates the melody. O'Farrill's father, Afro-Cuban jazz arranger Chico O'Farrill, arranges and conducts four of the cuts. The original material features a fun frolicking session between marimba (Victor Mendoza) and baritone saxophone (Charlie Lagond) on "Huachinango De Veracruz." Congas, bongos, kit drums, and bass toss back and forth a cornucopia of rhythms on the Latin Jazz Orchestra original "Percussion Excursion." Havana Blues is a largely bright and sunny collection (Farrés' "Tres Palabras" is the most "blue" piece), exhibiting fresh approaches to traditional material and exciting original pieces. ~ Tom Schulte

Audio Mixers: Victor Rendon; Armando Rodriguez ; John Diaz.

Liner Note Author: Carlos Rosario.
Recording information: Nola Studios, New York, NY (08/16/1994-11/23/1996); Skylight, Belleville, NJ (08/16/1994-11/23/1996).
Unknown Contributor Role: Dave Chamberlain.
Arrangers: Chico O'Farrill; Victor Rendon; Armando Rodriguez .
Producers: Victor Rendon, Armando Rodriguez.
Personnel: Armando Rodriguez (trumpet); Adela Dalto (vocals); Mauricio Smith (flute); Bob Franceschini (saxophone, tenor saxophone); Pablo Calogero, Enrique Fernandez, Peck Allmond (saxophone); Peter Brainin (tenor saxophone); Charles Lagond (baritone saxophone); Manny Duran, John Walsh, Victor Paz, Jim Seeley (trumpet); Earl McIntyre, Gerald Chamberlain, Papo Vasquez, Dave Chamberlain (trombone); Arturo O'Farrill, Igor Atalita (piano); Victor Mendoza (vibraphone, marimba); Victor Rendon (drums, timbales); Ray Colon, Giovanni Hidalgo, Milton Cardona (congas, percussion); Johnny Almendra (bongos, guiro, percussion); Joe Gonzalez (bongos, percussion); Ken Ross (percussion).