ARTURO O’FARRILL & THE LATIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA

ARTURO O’FARRILL & THE LATIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA 

The Offense of the Drum

AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek  [-]

While bandleader and pianist Arturo O'Farrill has always sought to preserve the legacy of Latin jazz, he's never been one to do so it for its own sake, but always for evolutionary purposes. The Offense of the Drum features his 18-piece Afro-Latin Jazz band -- a whopping 28 percussion instruments from all over the globe -- and a notable host of collaborators including Donald Harrison and Vijay Iyer. The program highlights the cultural sounds and prismatic influences of South America, Spain, and the Caribbean in modern jazz. "Cuarto de Colores" weds the Brazilian, Colombian and Afro-Cuban rhythms to post-bop big-band jazz. Colombian harpist Edmar Castañeda, trumpeter Jonathan Powell, and O'Farrill all deliver excellent solos. "They Came" weds spoken word from Chilo Cajigas and reggaeton -- via DJ Logic's turntablism -- to modern big-band jazz. "On the Corner of Malecón and Bourbon" digs deep into the intersections of Latin music and jazz histories. The blues in NOLA's legacy are present in the trumpet, but that's only the beginning; there are stops along the way throughout the evolution of jazz -- including a momentary stop at free -- and second-line, as Spanish melody and Caribbean rhythms provide extensive harmonic colors and rhythmic accents. Iyer's "The Mad Hatter" was written for O'Farrill. Here, strident, knotty rhythmic lines cut across angular lyric melodies and layered harmonies with fantastic solos by the composer and trumpeter Seneca Black. The set's hinge piece is the title track, a suite inspired by the banning of drum circles in New York City. Stringent contrapuntal brass sections work against the djembe for an extended period before O'Farrill's piano signals detente. Chad Lefkowitz-Brown's saxophone solo, followed by the pulsing interplay of djembe and deep-toned Japanese taiko drums, begins to open the work up from the inside. Drums begin to dominate in the second section even as the brass attempts to regain control. Eventually, the two lines intersect in a wild, colorful, songlike celebration in the final segment. The closer is a reading of "Iko Iko" with Harrison. Perhaps no other tune better reflects the commingling of Afro-Latin music as it was translated to North America through the variety of textures, cadences, carnival rhythms, and melodies of the Caribbean. The staggered brass and reed sections meet and greet the drums as they march, strut, swagger, and swing. By virtue of its disciplined execution, cultural queries, and celebratory inspiration, The Offense of the Drum is only O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra's most ambitious moment to date.

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Artist

Uri Sharlin

Accordion, Featured Artist, Guest Artist

Samuel Torres

Arranger, Cajon, Conductor, Guest Artist

Pablo O. Bilbraut

Assistant, Guest Artist, Percussion

Alison Deane

Gregg August

Bass, Soloist

Joe Gonzales

Bell, Bongos

Pablo Mayor

Composer, Conductor, Guest Artist, Maracas

Jason Lindner

Composer, Conductor, Guest Artist

Vijay Iyer

Composer, Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Piano, Soloist

Edmar Castañeda

Composer, Guest Artist, Harp, Soloist

Arturo O'Farrill

Composer, Mixing, Musical Director, Piano, Primary Artist, Producer, Soloist

Roland Guerrero

Congas

Ayanda Clarke

Djembe, Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Soloist

Vince Cherico

Drums

Rafi Malkiel

Euphonium, Soloist, Trombone

Nestor Gómez

Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Percussion

Donald Harrison

Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Sax (Alto), Soloist, Vocals

Antonio Lizana

Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Sax (Alto), Soloist, Vocals

Chad Lefkowitz-Brown

Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Sax (Tenor), Soloist

Hiro Kurashima

Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Soloist, Taiko Drums

DJ Logic

Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Turntables

Jonathan Gómez

Guest Artist, Percussion

Bobby Porcelli

Lead, Sax (Alto), Soloist

Ivan Renta

Lead, Sax (Tenor), Soloist

Seneca Black

Lead, Soloist, Trumpet

Tokunori Kajiwara

Lead, Trombone

David DeJesus

Sax (Alto)

Jason Marshall

Sax (Baritone), Soloist

Peter Brainin

Sax (Tenor)

Frank Cohen

Soloist, Trombone

John Bailey

Soloist, Trumpet

Jonathan Powell

Soloist, Trumpet

Jim Seeley

Soloist, Trumpet

Charles Leaness

Tributee

Glenn Weisman

Tributee

Earl McIntyre

Trombone (Bass), Tuba