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Bobby Porcelli

New York native Bobby Porcelli (b. 12/16/37) is one of Latin and Afro-Cuban jazz¥s most accomplished flautists and alto saxophonists. An exciting soloist influenced heavily by Charlie Parker and Sonny Still, Porcelli's alto has soared gracefully above the legendary percussive ensembles of Machito ('65-'66), Mongo Santmaria ('87-'90), and Tito Puente ('66-'00). Since the early '80s, Porcelli has toured Europe as a single, playing with local rhythm sections across the continent and performing at many festivals. An original member of T.S. Monk's sextet as well as the Monk on Monk Tentet, Porcelli has demonstrated his ability to creatively interpret the idiosyncratic pianist's quirky compositions.

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5
Album Review

Arturo O'Farrill: Four Questions

Read "Four Questions" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


Surprisingly this set marks the first time Arturo O'Farrill has recorded a set of solely his own compositions. It was worth the wait because this music, played by his Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, really demonstrates the cinematic sweep and variety of his writing. The set is constructed around two topical extended works. The first, “Four Questions," is based on four questions about the struggle for human rights and personal dignity first posed by African-American author W.E.B. DuBois in ...

4
Album Review

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra: Four Questions

Read "Four Questions" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The Four Questions addressed by composer / pianist Arturo O'Farrill's Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra on its latest album were first posed in 1903 by W.E.B. DuBois in his book The Souls of Black Folk and are answered herein by the esteemed educator / historian / social activist Dr. Cornel West. For the record, the questions are “what does integrity do in the face of adversity and oppression, what does honesty do in the face of lies and deception, what does ...

214
Live Review

Bobby Porcelli Quintet at The Turning Point Cafe, NY

Read "Bobby Porcelli Quintet at The Turning Point Cafe, NY" reviewed by David A. Orthmann


Bobby Porcelli Quintet The Turning Point Café Piermont, New York April 14, 2008

Every jazz fan knows the pitfalls of attending a casual club gig. The leader confers with the band and calls a string of too familiar tunes. A musician looks--and plays--as if he or she would prefer to be elsewhere. An hour-long set is comprised of seemingly endless solos by everyone on the bandstand. Sometimes it all adds up to nothing ...

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"...a longtime Latin jazzman who has worked with Tito Puente and others in that world, yet he can turn around and play first rate unhyphenated jazz." —Leonard Feather

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