THE AFRO LATIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA TO CELEBRATE 10TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON IN 2011/12

To commemorate the 10th Anniversary, the ALJO will present three landmark programs to celebrate its first decade of existence. The announcement of the ALJO’s 10th Anniversary also comes at the beginning of a new residency at Birdland – New York’s famed jazz club – this September, with performances every Sunday evening (subject to change). The residency marks a new chapter at Birdland for the O’Farrill family. The Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra – under the direction of Arturo O’Farrill since his father’s passing in 2001 – recently concluded a 15-year residency at the club in June 2011.

Additionally, the anniversary coincides with milestones for various Afro Latin Jazz Alliance (ALJA) educational programs.

O’Farrill exclaims, “Ten years of existence is a milestone for the ALJO, not so much because we survived, but because we’ve created a new entry point into the cultural conversation. There are alternatives in this music. Our embrace of a bigger picture in jazz has welcomed many more people into the fold because of this approach. This season we celebrate the finest moments in our history, which have consistently reflected a much larger picture of big band Afro Latin jazz than previously existed.”

10th Anniversary Performances at Symphony Space:

· October 14 & 15 – “Andy & Jerry’s: A Tribute to the González Brothers” – 8pm

The Orchestra will pay tribute to Andy and Jerry González, founders of the pioneering, Bronx-born Fort Apache Band and arguably the most important siblings in Latin jazz. The ALJO will cast the brothers in a retrospective of their greatest moments and will premiere O’Farrill’s Ft. Apache Concerto.

· January 20 & 21 – “The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Turns 10” – 8pm

The ALJO will hold a special 10th birthday bash, performing an assortment of Afro Latin jazz classics as well as its latest commissions from composers such as Miguel Zenón, Dafnis Prieto, Vijay Iyer, and others. The January 20 performance will be a benefit concert for the nonprofit Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, featuring a one-night only lineup of some of the world’s leading musicians, including Edmar Castaneda, Donald Harrison, and others to be confirmed.  

· May 11 & 12 – “Música Nueva 5: Big Band Poetry Slam & Beyond” – 8pm

The Orchestra will perform its fifth annual new music concert, Música Nueva, celebrating the spoken word tradition with a big band poetry slam curated by poet and musician Angel R. Rodríguez, Sr. and highlighting the work of the Nuyorican Poets Café. Guest DJs, MCs, spoken word artists, instrumentalists, and dancers will mix the classic sound of boogaloo, mambo, and salsa with hip-hop, acid jazz, and alternative improvisation.