Chico O'Farrill

"After years of writing TV commercials and contributing (however brilliantly) to other people’s projects Chico recorded an entire album of his own music with a hand-picked band. The results show that he’s still the living master of orchestral Afro-Cuban jazz." (David M. Carp 98/99 Catalog)
"If Machito came to jazz through Cuban music, with Chico it was the other way around. The paternity of Afro-Cuban jazz has been hotly debated of late, but there's little doubt that it was maestro O'Farrill who first dressed it up in black tie and tails. Here's a deluxe sampler of his broad musical palette. It has Grammy written all over it." (Nat Chediak 96/97 Catalog)
"Chico's writing and arranging are inextricably linked to the origins of Latin jazz; indeed, he's one of the music's most important living exponents and a master of the arranger's art. This all-star big band session showcases his creativity through a variety of stylistic approaches and orchestral moods." (Mark Holston 96/97 Catalog)
"This is a new recording of big band Latin jazz by one of the greatest arranger/composers in the Latin field. The writing is simply great and well played by the all-star line-up." (Victor Rendón 96/97 Catalog)