CHICO O'FARRILL - CUBAN BLUES, Vol 1 & 2

 COMPLETE RECORDING

For any and all Latin jazz collectors, casual or serious, this is a fabulous deal, for it gathers together no less than six exceedingly rare Chico O'Farrill Clef and Norgran 10" albums, plus one under Machito's name, onto a slimline two-CD set. It will also come as a revelation to anyone who might scoff at anything associated with the 1950s mambo craze, for these discs reveal O'Farrill as a sophisticated, even daring arranger/composer who reached beyond merely providing a beat for dancers. Many of these charts -- whether for the brief, dance-oriented Latin numbers; ultra-familiar standards like "Malaguena" and "The Peanut Vendor"; or jazz tunes -- are loaded with intricate figures and striking harmonies obviously gleaned from classical study, all crisply executed with a brash, shiny edge by his Afro-Cuban groups and bands staffed by American jazzmen. Occasionally, he even conjures a delicate, classical ambience from a number like "Angels' Flight" (named after Los Angeles' legendary downtown funicular). The apotheosis of O'Farrill's experiments are his two full-blown, groundbreaking Afro-Cuban jazz suites. The first features Flip Phillips and the redoubtable Charlie Parker as soloists within the Machito band, and the second is even bolder in its zigzag journey through the classical, Latin, and jazz camps. Yet for all of his erudition, O'Farrill never forgets to ask for madly percolating Afro-Cuban grooves from his rhythm teams -- which clinches the deal for any Latin music fan.


Artist    Credit
Chico O'Farrill    Arranger, Composer, Conductor, Primary Artist
Ray Brown    Bass, Guest Artist
Don Bagley    Bass
Clyde Lombardi    Bass
Roberto Rodriguez    Bass
Candido Camero    Bongos
Jose Mangual    Bongos
Luis Miranda    Congas
Chano Pozo    Congas
Carlos Vidal    Congas
Jo Jones    Drums, Guest Artist
Don Lamond    Drums
Jackie Mills    Drums
Vincent DeRosa    French Horn
Machito    Guest Artist, Maracas
Gene DiNovi    Guest Artist, Piano
Charlie Parker    Guest Artist, Sax (Alto)
Harry "Sweets" Edison    Guest Artist, Trumpet
Roy Eldridge    Guest Artist, Trumpet
Buddy Rich    Guest Artist
Billy Bauer    Guitar
Irma Clow    Harp
Ralph Burns    Piano
Fred Otis    Piano
George Berg    Reeds, Sax (Alto)
Herb Geller    Reeds, Sax (Alto)
Lenny Hambro    Reeds, Sax (Alto)
Ben Harrod    Reeds, Sax (Alto)
Danny Banks    Reeds, Sax (Baritone)
Don Davidson    Reeds, Sax (Baritone)
Flip Phillips    Reeds, Sax (Tenor)
Herbie Steward    Reeds, Sax (Tenor)
Wilbur Schwartz    Reeds
Howard Terry    Reeds
Warren Webb    Reeds
James Williamson    Reeds
Gene Johnson    Sax (Alto)
Charlie Kennedy    Sax (Alto)
Fred Skerritt    Sax (Alto)
Pete Mondello    Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor)
Leslie Johnakins    Sax (Baritone)
Jose Madera    Sax (Tenor)
Sol Rabinowitz    Sax (Tenor)
Michael Lang    Supervisor
Ubaldo Nieto    Timbales
Eddie Bert    Trombone
Carl Elmer    Trombone
Vern Friley    Trombone
Bill Harris    Trombone
Bart Varsalona    Trombone
Ollie Wilson    Trombone
Freddie Zito    Trombone
Mario Bauzá    Trumpet
Paquito Davilla    Trumpet
Bernie Glow    Trumpet
Carlton McBeath    Trumpet
Doug Mettome    Trumpet
Jimmy Nottingham    Trumpet
Louis Obergh, Jr.    Trumpet
Al Porcino    Trumpet
Dick Sherman    Trumpet
Al Stewart    Trumpet
Nick Travis    Trumpet
Stu Williamson    Trumpet
Bobby Woodlen    Trumpet