The campaign to punch
Chico O'Farrill into the general consciousness continues with what amounts to an anthology of his work, all freshly and brilliantly played by
the Chico O'Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Big Band directed by his pianist son
Arturo. The material on hand goes back to a 1956 cha-cha written on a plane ride to Havana, but the unifying thread is a suite from the film
Guaguasi scattered in pieces throughout the album. It is an often astonishingly diverse portrait of
O'Farrill, reflecting not only his percolating Afro-Cuban rhythmic base but also some of his other musical directions. There is a
Basie-style big-band blues,
"Sing Your Blues Away," with
Freddie Cole doing a credible job as velvety blues shouter; a lightweight, fluffy thing called
"Te Quiero" with flute/female choruses and a lascivious
Gato Barbieri on tenor; and a recent Latin jazz suite of relatively modest proportions,
"Trumpet Fantasy (For Wynton)." The best stuff comes early on: the marvelous
"Theme From Guaguasi," a heartfelt Afro-Cuban workout in 6/8 time called
"Momentum," which is really a renamed piece inspired by the 1962 Cuban missile crisis (
"Cuban Conflagration") that was rescued from oblivion for this album. Several other famous Latin jazz names turn up in fine form:
Paquito D'Rivera,
Cachao,
Candido,
Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros,
Carlos "Patato" Valdes, and, in a closing duet,
Arturo O'Farrill and
Arturo Sandoval. There are a lot of board fades on these tracks, a highly unusual practice in the '90s on a jazz album. Though not as essential as
Pure Emotion, this CD confirms the continued vitality of this 77-year-old master. ~ Richard S. Ginell