Half tribute album, half forward looking vision of big band Latin music’s place in contemporary jazz, Song for Chico makes a strong case for why its worth preserving and updating a sound that not long ago seemed destined for the nostalgic ears of crate diggers. Late last year bandleader and pianist Arturo O’Farrill and his 18-piece ensemble amicably parted ways with NYC's Jazz at Lincoln Center and found a new home at Symphony Space. Their sophomore release shines with the optimism of an evolving band. Latin jazz standards aren’t just polished for the sake of recorded history, they’re retooled and elevated within new arrangements, while newly minted pieces offer a glimpse at the limitless realm of possibilities. The opener “Caravan,” written by Puerto Rican valve trombonist Juan Tizol and made famous by Duke Ellington, has a sultry, cabaret-era feel, with dirty horn interjections, a steadily percolating percussion section, and big band crescendos goading a midsection “controversia” in which tenor sax, trumpet and trombone interact and then coalesce in single improvisational lines. “Such Love” is Arturo O’Farrill’s own composition in memory of sax player Sam Furnace. It starts out somber and surprises the listener as it metamorphoses into a mid-tempo number with enough swing to uplift in joyous remembrance. O’Farrill, the son of pioneering Latin jazz composer Chico O’Farrill, pays homage to other masters of the past, as evidenced by “Picadillo,” one of the anthems in the Latin jazz vault of classics. Written by Tito Puente, The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra’s take contains one of the last recorded solos by the late tenor Mario Rivera. “Starry Nights” tips its hat off to another giant, the father of mambo, Israel “Cachao” Lopez, who passed away in March. In honoring the legends of yore, O’Farrill paves the way for Latin big band’s relevance and prominence as a groundbreaking idiom. The album breaks the mold with its centerpiece title cut “Song for Chico.” Penned by avant-garde drummer Dafnis Prieto, it’s a bold, postmodern declaration that signals a new era for big band Latin Jazz beyond its status as a cultural mainstay. For tour dates go to http://www.arturoofarrill.com/ and http://www.zohomusic.com/
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