Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble

Grammy Award-winner Arturo O’Farrill descends from the “first family of Afro-Cuban jazz” (The New York Times). Born in Mexico and raised in New York City—the son of legendary Cuban bandleader/ arranger Chico O’Farrill—the pianist/composer is Director of Jazz Studies at CUNY’s Brooklyn College and founder of the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, an organization dedicated to preserving the music and heritage of Afro Latin jazz, supporting its performance for new audiences, and educating young people in the understanding and performance of this cultural treasure. O’Farrill honed his chops in Carla Bley’s Big Band and earned a reputation as a soloist in groups led by icons Dizzy Gillespie, Freddy Cole, Harry Belafonte, and Wynton Marsalis before taking the reins of his own group, passionately dedicated to both the heritage and progress of Afro Latin jazz.