Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra to release new album, Mundoagua: Celebrating Carla Bley, out February 7, 2025 on ZOHO Music

The album, recorded in tribute to the late Carla Bley, will feature Blue Palestine, the composer's final commissioned work for O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

O'Farrill and the ALJO will perform selections from the album repertoire at Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse on December 14, 2024, with special guests saxophonist Joe Lovano and vibraphonist Patricia Brennan

Arturo O'Farrill is one of our greatest living pianists. Period.

-DownBeat

Arturo O'Farrill is arguably New York City's most important Latin jazz musician.

-Spectrum News NY1

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For immediate release – Pianist, composer, and bandleader Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO) announce their next album Mundoagua: Celebrating Carla Bley, out on February 7, 2025, on the Zoho label. The album, recorded in tribute to the late Bley, will feature Blue Palestine (2018), the composer's final work commissioned for O'Farrill and the ALJO prior to her passing in 2023. 

O'Farrill was nineteen years old when he was discovered by Bley, who immediately hired him to perform as part of her big band, where he remained a firm fixture from 1979-1983. "Carla Bley is iconic. Truly one of the greats," said O'Farrill. "Her name should be used with the same reverence and deference we use when we speak of Duke Ellington, Aaron Copland, Gil Evans, Charles Mingus and even Chico O’Farrill. Carla was my North Star. She showed me the three most important ingredients a composer can have: curiosity, integrity and accuracy. The curiosity to follow one’s muse no matter where it leads. The integrity to execute based on that curiosity, and the accuracy to execute that vision with command of your skill set no matter how prodigious or rudimentary it is."

The album will also include two O'Farrill original compositions: Mundoagua (pronounced moon-dwa-gua), commissioned by the Columbia School of Music to commemorate the Year of Water, and Día de Los Muertos, which was inspired by a book on the Aztec people.

On December 14, 2024, O’Farrill and the ALJO will perform selections from the album alongside several compositions by Carla Bley with special guests saxophonist Joe Lovano, who himself has appeared with the Carla Bley Big Band, and vibraphonist Patricia Brennan, presented by Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse in collaboration with Belongó (formerly the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance). 

O'Farrill's St. Ann's Warehouse performance is one of several concerts celebrating Carla Bley this season; throughout the academic year, he will lead The New School's Carla Bley Ensemble, culminating in the US premiere of Bley's prolific Escalator Over the Hill on May 2, 2025. 

Track Listing

Mundoagua
Arturo O'Farrill

I. Glacial (9:24)
II. Mundoagua (5:34)
III. The Politics of Water (7:11)

Blue Palestine
Carla Bley

Part One (8:34)
Part Two (5:34)
Part Three (8:58)
Part Four (3:22)

Día de Los Muertos
Arturo O'Farrill

I. Flowery Death (5:39)
II. La Bruja (4:34)
III. Mambo Cadaverous (2:58)

Related Concerts

December 3, 2024, 8:30PM ET - New York, New York
Arturo O'Farrill and the Carla Bley Ensemble
The New School's Jazz Performance Space at Arnhold Hall
More info

December 14, 2024, 7:30PM ET - New York, New York
Mundoagua: Celebrating Carla Bley
Arturo O'Farrill and ALJO with special guests Joe Lovano and Patricia Brennan 
St. Ann's Warehouse 
More info

May 2, 2025, 7:30PM ET - New York, New York
US premiere of Carla Bley's Escalator Over the Hill
Arturo O'Farrill and the Carla Bley Ensemble
More info

About Arturo O'Farrill

Pianist, composer, and bandleader Arturo O'Farrill stands as a towering figure in contemporary Latin jazz, renowned for his genre-defying virtuosity, leadership, and unwavering commitment to social justice through music. O'Farrill is a celebrated composer whose work has been performed by Dr. Cornel West, pianist Lara Downes, Ballet Hispanico and more. Hailed by DownBeat as "one of our greatest living pianists", O'Farrill bridges the gap between traditional Latin rhythms and modern jazz, continually pushing the boundaries of the art form while maintaining a profound connection to his roots. Beyond performing worldwide, O'Farrill is a passionate educator and advocate for social justice, using his platform to champion diversity and unity. As founder and director of both the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO) and Belongó (formerly known as the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance), O'Farrill plays a pivotal role in nurturing cultural dialogue through the transformative power of music.

About Belongó

The non-profit Belongó (formerly the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance) was established by Arturo O'Farrill in 2007 to promote Afro Latin Jazz through a comprehensive array of performance and education programs. Belongó's mission is to perform, educate about, and preserve the music of all of the Americas, emanating from African and indigenous roots, through the entry point of jazz. Belongó embraces its mission with a commitment to social justice, equity, inclusion, and the equality of all cultures worldwide. Belongó produces the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra's annual performance season in New York and maintains a weekly engagement for the Orchestra at the famed jazz club Birdland. Belongó also maintains a world-class collection of Latin jazz musical scores and recordings. Belongó's education programs include the Belongó Music Academy, an in-school residency program serving public schools citywide with instrumental and ensemble instruction, the pre-professional youth orchestra; the Fat Cats, which prepares the next generation of musicians, and the Global Rhythms in Our Tribe (G.R.I.O.T.); a community music program that engages underserved youth in anti-violence activities. Belongó maintains administrative offices in East Harlem at El Barrio ArtSpace – PS109. 

ZOHO Music L.L.C.

Latin/Jazz with a New York vibe
www.zohomusic.com

Relevant Links

Album Audio, Liner Notes & Cover
Arturo O'Farrill Website
Belongó Website
CD Distributed by ZOHO Music

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