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Chico O'Farrill

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Arturo Chico O'Farrill (1921 to 2001) was a Cuban composer, arranger and conductor, best known for Afro-Cuban jazz, also called Cubop. He was born in Havana into an aristocratic family and was meant to become a lawyer. At a military boarding school in Florida he got to know big-band jazz and learned to play the trumpet. Back in Havana he studied classical music at the conservatory and played in nightclubs. In 1948 he moved to New York, where he continued his studies at the Juilliard School and also sought out the jazz scene.

Music and breakthrough

Shortly after his arrival he became an arranger for Benny Goodman, for whom he wrote Undercurrent Blues. Goodman found his name hard to pronounce and called him Chico, and so his nickname came about. He then arranged for, among others, Stan Kenton, Count Basie and Art Farmer. In 1950 he wrote the Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite for Machito, recorded with Charlie Parker. He also worked on Afro-Cuban pieces by Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, such as Manteca Theme. Between 1957 and 1965 he lived in Mexico. In the 1990s he led a big band that performed at the New York club Birdland, a band later taken over by his son Arturo, a pianist.

Influence

O'Farrill linked the compelling rhythms of Cuba with the written music and colours of the jazz orchestra. His arrangements gave big-band jazz a Latin American colour. In this way he contributed to the way Cuban sounds gained a permanent place in American jazz and later in pop music.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Machito's Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite and notice the contrast between the Cuban percussion and the jazz solos of Charlie Parker. Try to hear how the horns play in short, sharp bursts.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Categories: Artists