Arturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Mundoagua- Celebrating the Music of Carla Bley

Zoho

Multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy winner, pianist and composer Arturo O’Farrill leads his Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra on their eighth album, “Munduoagua- Celebrating Carla Bley.” It’s only appropriate given that the late NEA Jazz Master Bley was his mentor and he played in her ensemble for three albums issued in the early ‘80s.  O’Farrill’s ensemble  (ALJO)is a wonder to see live, as he conducts with so much charisma and energy from his piano chair. O’Farrill has never been one to shy away from important political or societal discourse either as evidenced by his 2020 “Four Questions” with Dr. Cornel West that we featured on these pages. Now comes ‘Mundoagua’, commissioned by the Columbia School of Music in commemoration of the Year of Water, themed after “the horrors of global warming,” which the composer considers “my greatest composition.” Which, given his prolific catalog, is quite a statement.

In the copious liner notes, denoted by  (from which I borrow liberally because it is the only way to do justice to this magnificent work) that O’Farrill penned he says this about the composition, “…so many of the sub-themes in the narrative of the composition have to do with global crises caused by neo-fascism and the death throes of predatory capitalism , which are fundamental reasons for all human suffering — and global warming…” [The three movement piece begins with “Glacial,” a study of four meditations on the gift of water. It begins with five prayers and a benediction loosely based on the five daily prayers found in the Islamic tradition, Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Ishra. These are loosely represented by the initial composed (most prayers are formally structured) trumpet statements and then a setting of repose, which begs the four meditations that the trumpet players improvise (meditations are improvisatory). The four meditations are based on four vast perspectives that we glean from a prayerful examination of the power and majesty of water. They are drop, sky, sea, and forest. Each succeeding meditative setting reflects the intensifying nature.

The second movement is called Mundoagua and is the contemporary setting where we find ourselves now. There are three thematic structures. The first is the initial whirlwind of a sudden awakening to impending crisis which is followed by a news-show-sounding fanfare. O’Farrill believes that the 24-hour news cycle and its profit driven mantra of divisive repetition is as responsible for the rise of hatred as it is for the denial of capitalist driven climate suicide. The movement continues with the sounds of melodic fragments swirling as if caught in a tornado or a hurricane. This sound painting of whirling tornadoes and hurricanes is interrupted by a very clear reference to desertification which is also raging across the planet. The woodwind and trumpet “deserts” are reproduced musically and with individual notated instruction for the musicians to run out of breath. This section ends with the cold sound of an increasingly more mechanized world where drones, robot dogs, driverless taxis, food delivery robots, AI and the like continue to destroy jobs and wreak havoc in society, again so the handful can destroy life for the vast.

The third movement is the most vexing of all. The Politics of Water is a depiction of the collusion between elected officials and profiteering. From the purchase of a Supreme Court Justice by high level right wing political interests, to the conviction of countless elected officials on corruption charges, the list goes on. Whether Flint, Michigan to Los Angeles and beyond, the murky politics of clean water is always tainted by the flow of money into the pockets of politicians who are more interested in that flow than the H2O kind.

The second piece, in four parts is Bley’s “Blue Palestine,” Bley’s final composition, commissioned by and dedicated to O’Farrill and the ALJO. This piece experiments with Middle Eastern and South Asian sounds, based on Bley’s recollection of the old Simba movies of the ‘50s. Again we turn to O’Farrill’s descriptions. [The First begins with a hypnotic bass pattern in 7/8 which is joined by the piano and rhythm section. The melody is stated, and it is pure Carla, lean, contrapuntal and seemingly simple but deeply elegant. This gives way to a haunting trombone solo by Rafi Malkiel whose lineage is deeply imbued by Middle Eastern strains and Maqam. The next soloist is Jasper Dütz, whose bass clarinet playing is beyond virtuosic and deeply soulful. He gyrates, levitates, turns somersaults, and transfixes all of us with his brilliant take on Carla.] O’Farrill goes into much further detail about his admiration for Bley but this is lengthy enough as we try to just stick to the music.

The melody comes back and gives way to a faster movement Two in 7 that is punctuated by a trombone figure that mysteriously centers this odd meter. Ricardo Rodriguez gives this unusual Middle Eastern/South Asian experiment a Puerto Rican twist. This segues into a soprano solo by the brilliant Cuban musician, Roman Filiu who brings again an Afro Caribbean edge to what has become a United Nations of commentary on Carla’s incredible imagination. Mexican Vibraphonist Patricia Brennan sets up the Third movement with a prayerful meditation that had all of us transported before Carla brings in the ostinato and heartachingly beautiful melody played by her brilliant daughter Karen Mantler. Piano and Vibraphone solos follow, and the movement gently morphs into a tapestry of floating iridescence.  This specific commentary speaks to his admiration for Bley “There are two goose bump moments that fill my soul with wonder. The first is when the melody is taken over by the trumpet and clarinet. When the orchestral colors are finally introduced at about the 7:32 mark, the genius of Carla is undeniable, both for the dramatic build up to that moment but also for the unbelievable use of instrumental timbre and nuance. At the end of this movement and into the Fourth movement the incredible trumpet work of Adam O’Farrill is brought in to bring all of us together in a massive celebration of this masterpiece.”

The third piece entitled “Dida De Los Muertos” is the “Day of The Dead” Suite inspired by reading a book about the Aztec people. It also owes to O’Farrill’s childhood in Mexico City. Again there are three movements but the entirety of the piece is much shorter than the other two, and obviously more solemn and mournful. The musical highlight is the guitar playing of Sergio Ramirez. See full personnel below.

At the risk of having your eyes glaze over, we leave you with this parting statement from O’Farrill – “There are those that think musicians should just swing and play pretty music…I am not one of those. I have too much respect for human beings and their intelligence…what gives the greatest satisfaction is the simple act of being honest, curious, integral, accurate, and humorous but deadly honest.”

Another Grammy nomination, if not a win, is forthcoming for these three intelligent, deeply moving pieces.

Musicians: (solos on tracks in parentheses)

 

 

Arturo O’Farrill piano, conductor, composer(4,6)Harmonica, OrganKaren Mantler (6)	Rhythm Andrew Andron – piano Ricardo Rodriguez – bass (5) Vince Cherico – drums (8) Carlos Maldonado – percussion (2) Keisel Jimenez – percussion
Reeds   Ivan Renta (8) Adison Evans Jasper Dutz (4) Roman Filiu (4) Larry Bustamante (2)	Trombones Rafi Malkiel (5, 8) Remee Ashley Abdulrahman Amer (10) Earl McIntyre
Trumpets Adam O’Farrill (1,7) Seneca Black (1, 8) Bryan Davis (1) Rachel Therrien (1, 9)	Vibraphone Patricia Brennan (6)Guitar Sergio Ramirez (8

– Jim Hynes

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