Arturo O'Farrill
b. 28 Octo ber 1921, Havana, Cuba. After playing trumpet in several Cuban-based bands throughout the '40s, O'Farrill moved to the USA where he concentrated on arranging. During the '50s his work was played and recorded by Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton, Dizzy Gillespie among others and he also collaborated with Machito on albums featuring such leading American jazzmen as Charlie Parker and Joe ‘Flip’ Phillips. O'Farrill also toured and recorded with his own band. He spent the early '60s in Mexico, then returned to the USA taking up a staff post with CBS but retained his jazz links by arranging for Count Basie. In the '70s and '80s O'Farrill continued to be active but his jazz work gradually diminished. An outstanding exponent of Latin-American music, O'Farrill's arrangements consistently demonstrate his comprehensive grasp of the music's potential and are often far more imaginative than others who work in this field.