Arturo O’Farrill Sextet – April 14, 2018

Arturo O’Farrill Sextet – Bronx Library Center – April 14, 2018

This is a family affair, and a royal jazz family to boot. Arturo is already the second generation of O’Farrill players, and he’s brought along two sons into the business. Yes, this music has got a Cuban soul (and some requisite percussion), but it is not at all clichéd, and to me is primarily jazz for improvisation; I would be surprised if these players knew exactly where things were going at the start of each piece – a number of which are original compositions. But they sure went places! Hardly anything is as gratifying as when an old master at peak (in this case Arturo) provides a safe place for the next generation to flourish, and I detect no nepotism drawback in this case. It’s an honor to witness the torch-passing, not that Arturo’s going away any time soon.