Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra – Virtual Birdland (April 2021 Zoho Music)

The images of 2020 were scary, nights of ambulance sirens, freezer trucks, sleeplessness, a nation’s economy brought to a halt. Jobs lost, businesses, restaurants, and yoga studios shuttered. With the exception of some high-tech companies and the well ensconced, everybody suffered.

There were other images. Women and men in scrubs and face shields facing an onslaught of suffering with quiet strength. Superheroes clothed in checkout aprons and flight attendant uniforms. People at the lower rungs of the socioeconomic strata who, just by showing up to work, conferred upon themselves wealth of character.

Images of violence visited upon young black lives, millions marching in defiance of that hatred. An honest discussion of racism and a reckoning of the likes we’ve never seen. We discovered a moral abyss at the highest levels of governance and the wisdom of one who urged us to get into “good” trouble. We saw who was who and what was what and can never unsee the differences. Into this reality we meet a group of musicians, the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. One week they’re looking at gainful employment. The next they’re faced with the reality that the work they’ve prepared for their whole lives has disappeared.

Free-lance artists have no regular paycheck, no guarantees of employment. They spend hours in practice rooms, doing their scales, their pliés, memorizing soliloquies, writing their stand up, and if they’re very lucky they get to practice their craft. People devoted to those brief moments on stage bring a measure of joy to us, essential workers who may not save lives but do make life worth living. At the beginning of this crisis the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance created an emergency fund for the freelance community, and the orchestra began a weekly stream to raise money to help artists. The production schedule involves musicians donating their time to record individually for hours at a time, then videographers and sound engineers spending days assembling, mixing, syncing, and editing the offering that is shown once a week on Facebook and YouTube.

Two realizations emerged. The first was that only two entities are required for any transaction. Early on in the series we began to see giver and receiver become one. The chat box revealed people from throughout the planet letting us know that in the midst of this dark moment there was at least one time a week that brought them healing. We who labored to give were receiving, knowing our gift was meaningful to people whom we did not know and would most likely never meet. It gave us a sense of global purpose and relevance. The giver becomes the receiver and the gift stays in motion.

The second realization was that the magic of music comes not from the performance or the setting. It comes from the camaraderie of the musicians who bring their best every time they play together, whether in the same room or separated by continents, transcending the artificiality of the computer screen. It’s not the notes but the spirit that creates the swing, the vibe, the whatever you call it, and it’s here in spades. That joy cannot be manufactured, nor contained.

“Gulab Jamón” was commissioned by the Greene Space in New York City. The piece’s title is a mash up of two of my favorite cuisines, Indian and Spanish. The inspiration came from thinking about water and how it can exist in many forms but is essentially the same. We should see humanity as existing in many forms but being of the same essence. We do not dilute our essence when we embrace others.

“Pouvoir” means “power” in French and is written by a very powerful artist born in Morocco, a defender of the sacred Moroccan rhythmic code, Chaabi (a traditional style of North African dance music associated with weddings and festivals.) Malika Zarra, trained in New York, currently residing in Paris, is an archetype of how the music of Mother Africa flows from its sources and travels the globe enriching everyone it touches.

Beautiful human beings make beautiful music. I’m not talking about high cheekbones or sculpted abs. I refer to those whose inner joy radiates in who they are and what they bring. Rafi Malkiel is just such a being. If you know Rafi, you love Rafi. “Desert”, his composition, is an example of that inner joy flowing out. The sound of ancient trade routes connecting with a moment in time where we all need healing.

“Nightfall” by Larry Willis is an example of the compositional prowess of this brilliant pianist. The effortlessness of his swing and the efficacy of his tumbao reveal that the roots, path, and future of this music we call jazz are Afro Latino. Influenced by the middle east and beyond, this music filters through Spain, ferments in Northern African, crystalizes in Western Africa and through a cataclysm called the slave trade, makes its way into all of the Americas.

The next piece is an example of global cooperation, of what could be if artists ran the world. Ghazi Faisal Al-Mulaifi from Kuwait wrote this beautiful song, “Ana Mashoof”, and it was originally performed in Abu Dhabi during a concert called Cuba Meets Khaleeji: The Middle Eastern Roots of Afro Cuban Jazz. In this iteration, Boom Diwan (Boom Diwan is a band of percussionists) records from Kuwait, Ghazi from Abu Dhabi, and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra from the United States and Europe.

Paquito D’Rivera’s “Samba for Carmen” was written for the inimitable Carmen McRae and arranged by Maestro Chico O’Farrill. Paquito is a chameleon and one of the most amazing clarinetists of our time. He is equally at home playing a Mozart concerto, a Guaguanco, or a fast Cherokee. Here, he is featured in a Brazilian samba and sounds like a born and bred “carioca.”

Letieres Leite is my counterpart. He founded Orkestra Rumpilezz and created a universe around performing and teaching Afro Brazilian music. This is not your typical elevator bossa. This is full blown Candomblé, scored for 5 percussionists, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 5 saxes and a tuba. “Alafia” is his composition and recorded here by a very happy group of physically, but not socially distant musicians thrilled to be playing such progressive music.

Composed by Rafael Solano and orchestrated by Chico O’Farrill, “En La Oscuridad” is a meditation in elegance and soul. I performed this piece under my father’s direction and marveled at the playing of tenor saxophone giant, Mario Rivera. To hear Mario’s protégé, Ivan Renta, play with so much reverence for his mentor, yet be so much his own voice, reminds me that we are part of an ancestral trail.

Don Angel “Papo” Vazquez is affectionately known as “El Almirante” (The Admiral). He is the creator of bomba jazz and amongst the finest trombonists I know. “Cimarron” was commissioned by The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance and in this setting refers to the wild or untamed runaway. I love this celebration of musical fearlessness.

We close this recording with Tito Puente’s iconic “Para Los Rumberos” arranged by José Madera. A rumbero is someone who is not bound by circumstance. Who when the picture is at its bleakest and the smart thing to do is cave in to fear, does the opposite and celebrates the challenge with song and dance. Are you a rumbero? When life hands you lemons, do you make lechon asado out of it? Tito took the circumstances of his life and created a universe of joy. If you have that skill then you too, are a rumbero.

Closing thoughts

When this thing happened, this pandemic, this time of national and global reckoning, we were blindsided and even though the sky seemed like it was falling, we rose up and were determined to play music and heal others. This recording is proof that we are interconnected globally even if we are not allowed to leave our homes. The musicians on this recording sat in their living rooms, bedrooms, or closets and contributed to the lives of thousands of unseen listeners. No immediate feedback, no discernible applause, no fancy concert halls, no paycheck, just the purest form of art there is, service to others.

- Arturo O’Farrill

Virtual Birdland is a candle in the darkness, which illuminates what is possible when good people come together to create beauty and meaning in the world. The year 2020 will forever be known as annus horribilis, one of misfortune and misgiving, when the people of the world suffered through an pernicious pandemic.

Arturo O’Farrill is the ultimate “artivist,” a terrific blend of artist and activist. When the occasion arises, he rises to it. Instead of cursing the darkness, he creates music and opportunity for all of us to experience. Arturo is a humanitarian who helped to mobilize resources to support the creative community. He made sure that those in the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra had a steady gig, a semblance of normalcy during a time of chaos. While we all hunkered down in our homes, every week we had the Virtual Birdland show to look forward to. This project is indeed an homage to its namesake, named after the iconic Jazz club in midtown Manhattan where Arturo and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra have had a weekly Sunday night residence for many years.

This album is special. It represents many people coming together to create something larger. We cannot be defeated. We cannot be kept down. Because the human spirit will always bring us together. And music will always be a force for unity. This is the seventh album that I’ve been blessed to produce for Arturo. It’s been an honor for Doug Davis, Paul Avgerinos, and me to help bring maestro Arturo’s brilliant artistic vision into the world.

- Kabir Sehgal

Produced by: Kabir Sehgal, Doug Davis and Paul Avgerinos. Recorded online between April through October 2020 around the world from New York, New Jersey, California, Puerto Rico, Quebec, Brazil, Peru, Spain, Switzerland, France, UK, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. Post production and engineering by: Amin Farid Abdal in Kuwait. Mixed and mastering by: Peter Karl. Photography: Nurit Sharett (Rafi Malkiel), Melanie Futorian. CD cover design by: Beatriz Salvatierr. Art direction and package design by: Jack Frisch. Executive produced by: Kabir Sehgal, Fred Miller, Joachim “Jochen” Becker, and The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance.

Songs:

1. Gulab Jamon (Arturo O’Farrill) 7:11

Soloists: Jasper Dutz, Arturo O’Farrill

2. Pouvoir (Malika Zarra) 6:46

Arr. Kali Rodriguez-Peña

Soloists: Mariel Bildsten, Keisel Jimenez

3. Desert (Rafi Malkiel) 6:31

Soloists: Rafi Malkiel, Seneca Black

4. Nightfall (Larry Willis) 7:40

Arr. Miguel Blanco

Soloists: Rachel Therrien, Ivan Renta, Arturo O’Farrill, Keisel Jimenez

5. Ana Mashoof (Ghazi Faisal Al-Mulaifi) 8:12

Soloists: Ghazi Faisal Al-Mulaifi, Alejandro Aviles

6. Samba For Carmen (Paquito D'rivera) 5:11

Arr. Chico O’Farrill

Soloists: Paquito D’Rivera, Adam O’Farrill

7. Lafia (Letieres Leite) 7:35

Soloists: Larry Bustamante

8. En La Oscuridad (Rafael Solano Sanchez) 3:47

Arr. Chico O’Farrill

Soloists: Ivan Renta

9. Cimarron (Papo Vazquez) 8:02

Soloists: Abdulrahman Amer, Alejandro Aviles,

and Carly Maldonado

10. Para Los Rumberos (Tito Puente) 7:20

Arr. Jose Madera

Soloists: Ivan Renta, Rafi Malkiel, Bryan Davis,

Keisel Jimenez, Carly Maldonado, Vince Cherico

Musicians:

Arturo O’Farrill piano, conductor

Special Guests

Malika Zarra voice (2)

Gili Sharett bassoon (3)

Ghazi Faisal Al-Mulaifi guitar and voice (5)

Boom Diwan:

Sulaiman Mayouf Mejally, Abdulaziz Al-Hamli, Abdulwahab Al-Hamli, Khaled Bunashi, Ghanem Salem percussion (5)

Paquito D’Rivera alto saxophone (6)

Richard Miller guitar (6)

Everton Isidoro cuica, pandeiro, caxixi (6, 7)

Gustavo Di Dalva atabaque (7)

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Saxophones

Alejandro Aviles alto, flute (1, 5), soprano (4, 5)

Adison Evans alto, all tracks except 3, 7, flute (5, 6);

Roman Filiu alto (3)

Ivan Renta tenor, soprano (9)

Jasper Dutz tenor, all tracks except 6, 7, 10, clarinet (2, 3, 5)

Jeremy Powell tenor (6, 7)

Livio Almeida tenor (10)

Larry Bustamante baritone , bass clarinet (2, 3, 5)

Trumpets

Seneca Black (1, 3, 7, 9)

Bryan Davis

Adam O’Farrill

Walter Cano (2, 9, 10), flugelhorn (4)

Rachel Therrien all except 9, flugelhorn (5)

Kai Sandoval (6, 8)

Trombones

Rafi Malkiel euphonium (3)

Mariel Bildsten all tracks except 6

Abdulrahmen Amer all tracks except 8

Xito Lovell (6)

Ben Barnett (8)

Earl Mcintyre all except 6, 8, bass trombone, tuba (3, 7)

James Rogers bass trombone (6, 8, 9)

Rhythm Section

Arturo O’Farrill piano

Bam Bam Rodriguez upright bass, electric bass (1, 2, 5, 6); karkabas (3)

Vince Cherico drums

Keisel Jimenez conga drums

Carly Maldonado bongo drums, bell, guiro; cajon (2), doumbek (3, 4); timbales (10)

www.arturoofarrill.com

www.afrolatinjazz.org

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GRAMMY WINNER BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM Arturo O'Farrill The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (Feat. Dr. Cornell West) "Four Questions"

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Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra - Fandango at the Wall A Soundtrack for the United States - Fandango at the Wall: A Soundtrack for the United States, Mexico and Beyond (RESILIENCE MUSIC ALLIANCE 2018)

Arturo O’Farrill Journeys to the U.S.-Mexico Border

to Erase Artificial Dividing Lines to Envision a Future

of Inclusion and Collaboration Between Nations

Fandango at the Wall:

A Soundtrack for The United States, Mexico and Beyond –

Available September 28 on Resilience Music Alliance

Inspired by the Fandango Fronterizo Festival,

O’Farrill and Kabir Sehgal Bring Together the

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra with over 60 Musicians

including Mandy Gonzalez, Regina Carter, Akua Dixon,

Antonio Sanchez & Young People’s Chorus of New York

Arturo O’Farrill

From the barrage of “breaking news” alerts on the 24-hour news cycle to the incessant buzz and chirp of social media, there’s no shortage of reminders of the things that divide us: walls being built, lines being drawn, the notion of “difference” being wielded as a political weapon.

That’s what makes an artist like Arturo O’Farrill such an important voice for these times. As a pianist, composer, bandleader, educator, activist, and founder of the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, O’Farrill has dedicated his life to not only crossing artificial borders but to erasing them in his wake. With his latest project, Fandango at the Wall, O’Farrill has created a stunningly ambitious and profoundly moving work that showcases the rich fruits that can grow from common ground.

Fandango at the Wall, due out September 28 via Resilience Music Alliance, is the brainchild of O’Farrill and his longtime collaborator and GRAMMY® Award-winning producer, Kabir Sehgal. The project brings together brilliant voices from a variety of cultural and musical traditions to tear down a variety of walls that isolate us – physical, musical, or cultural. The piece was inspired by Jorge Francisco Castillo, a musician and retired librarian who has organized the Fandango Fronterizo Festival for the past decade. The annual event gathers son jarocho musicians on both sides of the border wall between Tijuana and San Diego for a celebratory jam session.

“I found that idea so touching and elegant in its activism,” O’Farrill recalls. “I held it inside my soul and spoke to everyone I could about my hope to join the Fandango Fronterizo and record at the border, bringing special guests and making it a true collaboration.”

O’Farrill’s esteemed Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and Castillo’s son jarocho musicians came together at the border, joined by a more than 60 gifted musicians representing both sides of that divide as well as several of the countries targeted by President Trump’s travel ban: Broadway singer-actress Mandy Gonzalez (Hamilton, In the Heights); jazz greats Regina Carter (violin), Akua Dixon (cello), and Antonio Sanchez (drums); multi-talented Mexican violin trio The Villalobos Brothers; son jarocho greats Patricio Hidalgo, Ramón Gutiérrez Hernández, and Tacho Utréra; French-Chilean rapper-singer Ana Tijoux; Iraqi-American oud master Rahim AlHaj and his trio; Iranian sitar virtuoso Sahba Motallebi; and many others.

“Thinking about this awful, awful moment in history – not just American history but world history – I wanted to confront the darkness that has overcome all our lives,” O’Farrill says. “Faced with such stupidity and mediocrity, why not at least try to do something valuable? My first thought was to bring not just great artists but also people from marginalized nations. We understand that humanity and community are so much stronger than cultural constructs, physical walls, or geo-political borders. We saw this in action: we saw our people fall in love with their people and become one people.”

A bestselling author, investment banker, and military veteran, Sehgal helped transform O’Farrill’s long-held dream into a reality despite the logistical and political hurdles. Ultimately the project took on three forms: this astoundingly gorgeous album of music; a book on the history of the troubled U.S.-Mexico relationship with a foreword by renowned historian Douglas Brinkley and an afterword by former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young; and an in-production documentary focusing on the lives of the son jarocho musicians.

“It falls upon private citizens and individuals to promote cross-border friendship and rapprochement,”
Sehgal writes in his liner notes. “And that is ultimately the goal of Fandango at the Wall: to bring the people of the United States and Mexico together through music. After all, we don’t just share a border but families and friends, histories and futures. Our countries are interconnected, and our fates are interlinked.”

What is most striking about the music of Fandango at the Wall is that for all of the anger, frustration and strife that fueled its creation, it is an intensely joyous celebration that exults in the universal language of music. That notion has become a cliché, but it’s one that O’Farrill has always thrived on making vividly and unpredictably real. Hence the surprising hybrid of approaches on display: not just a mélange of world musics, but virtuosic jazz and striking contemporary classical approaches.

“It’s not just geopolitical borders that offend me,” O’Farrill explains. “It’s also cultural construct borders – the idea that there’s a high music and a low music, a high culture and a low culture. The belief that folk music isn’t as impressive or as important as jazz, or that Middle Eastern music isn’t valid because it’s not born in America. I wanted to destroy these walls, and in fact I found out that the presence of borders and walls and constructs serves an incredible purpose – it unites us in opposition even more than it divides us.”

Another border torn down by Sehgal and O’Farrill was the one between the pristine conditions of the recording studio and the thrilling festivities of the Fandango Fronterizo. Fandango at the Wall flows seamlessly between both settings, with five sessions undertaken in recording studios and outdoors at a live session straddling the border with music freely crossing back and forth.

“The most terrifying thing about being human is the fear of other people,” O’Farrill concludes. “Very few people have the freedom of spirit to embrace things they don’t understand. So I really love the idea that Mexican families who enjoy jarocho music will be introduced to the virtuosity of Regina Carter, or that hardcore jazzheads will discover Patricio Hidalgo. I’m hoping that people will listen to this album and whether or not they understand the words or enjoy the music, they’ll take a moment to think about human beings that are not like them.”

“Fandango at the Wall is ultimately a project of convergence,” Sehgal writes. “I hope that as you listen to this music, you’ll hear the possibilities of what the relationship between the United States and Mexico can become. And that we as artists and activists continue to create the world in which we want to live.”

Disc 1

1 Welcome to the Tijuana-San Diego Border de Arturo O’Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra 1:05

2 Xalapa Bang! de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Gregg August, Antonio Sánchez, Larry Bustamante 5:50

3 El Maquech de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Antonio Sánchez, Regina Carter, Rafi Malkiel, Alexa Tarantino, Akua Dixon 7:11

4 Somos Sur de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Frank Cohen, Abdulrahman Amer, Ana Tijoux 5:25

5 El Pijul de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Villalobos Brothers 5:15

6 Amor sin Fronteras de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Mandy Gonzalez, Regina Carter 4:10

7 Intro to Conga Patria de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra 0:48

8 Conga Patria de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Ivan Renta, Rafi Malkiel, Ramón Gutiérrez Hernández, Patricio Hidalgo, Fernando Guadarrama Olivera, Tacho Utrera, Wendy Cao, Jacob Hernandez, Alfredo Herrera (Godo), Gabriel Garcia 5:45

9 Invisible Suite: Invisible Cities de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Regina Carter 7:34

10 Invisible Suite: Free Falling Borderless de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra 6:20

11 Invisible Suite: Invisible Beings de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Gregg August, Vince Cherico, Seneca Black 5:15

12 Intro to Fly Away de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra 0:33

13 Fly Away de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Rahim AlHaj Trio 8:29

14 Giulia de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Ramón Gutiérrez Hernández 2:05

15 Bemba y Tablao de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Patricio Hidalgo 3:01

16 Identidades Mestizas de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Fernando Guadarrama Olivera 2:33

17 Cielito Lindo de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Regina Carter, Jorge Francisco Castillo, Humberto Flores 2:27

Disc 2

1 Welcome to the Fandango by Jorge Castillo de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra 2:36

2 El Siquisiri de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Jorge Francsico Castillo, Tacho Utrera, Wendy Cao 6:59

3 El Cascabel de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Ramón Gutiérrez Hernández, Fernando Guadarrama Olivera, Patricio Hidalgo, Tacho Utrera, Wendy Cao 6:28

4 Tabla Rasa de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Rahim AlHaj, Sahba Motallebi, Sourena Sefati, Jim Seeley 7:54

5 Cupido de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Ramón Gutiérrez Hernández 2:52

6 Hummingbird Blues de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Zenen Zeferino, Claudia Montes, Julia Del Palacio, Alejandro Aviles 4:00

7 La Bamba de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Ramón Gutiérrez Hernández, Patricio Hidalgo, Fernando Guadarrama Olivera, Tacho Utrera 2:24

8 Jaiicasosebaim Noone de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Jim Seeley, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Ivan Renta 7:28

9 Guanabana de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra 2:19

10 Minotauro de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Antonio Sánchez, Alejandro Aviles 7:28

11 La Morena de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Fernando Guadarrama Olivera, Ramón Gutiérrez Hernández 5:46

12 El Pájaro Cú de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Patricio Hidalgo, Tacho Utrera, Wendy Cao 2:37

13 Up Against the Wall de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Patricio Hidalgo, Alexa Tarantino, Ivan Renta 5:06

14 Las Patronas de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Patricio Hidalgo 3:03

15 Son de las Poblanas de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Fernando Guadarrama Olivera 3:46

16 Line in the Sand de Arturo O'Farrill, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Mandy Gonzalez 2:44

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