{"id":12749,"date":"2017-08-31T09:00:19","date_gmt":"2017-08-31T09:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/2017\/08\/31\/first-listen-arturo-ofarrill-chucho-valdes-familia-tribute-to-bebo-chico\/"},"modified":"2017-08-31T09:00:19","modified_gmt":"2017-08-31T09:00:19","slug":"first-listen-arturo-ofarrill-chucho-valdes-familia-tribute-to-bebo-chico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/first-listen-arturo-ofarrill-chucho-valdes-familia-tribute-to-bebo-chico\/","title":{"rendered":"First Listen: Arturo O'Farrill & Chucho Vald\u00e9s, 'Familia: Tribute To Bebo & Chico'"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Felix Contreras<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\n

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\n Chucho Vald\u00e9s and Arturo O’Farrill pay tribute to their historic fathers on Familia: Tribute to Bebo and Chico.<\/em><\/p>\n

Courtesy of the artists<\/p>\n

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It’s impossible to overstate the importance of both B\u00e9bo Vald\u00e9s and Chico O’Farrill to 20th century Afro-Cuban music and jazz.<\/p>\n

Their rich and multi layered influence is evident in iconic compositions, big band arrangements written 60 years ago that still sound cutting edge, and piano playing that echo Cuban classical music and jazz pianist Bill Evans.<\/p>\n

The curious thing is that each made those contributions on opposite sides of the Florida Straights. Bebo Vald\u00e9s (1918-2013) was a pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader in Havana, while Chico O’Farrill (1921-2001) was busy leading ensembles in New York. Their paths through Cuban music reflect unbreakable musical ties between the U.S. and Cuba that defied politics and a Cold War.<\/p>\n

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Familia: Tribute to Bebo and Chico, <\/em>is just that: a multi-generational celebration of their lofty contributions led by their sons, pianist and composer Chucho Vald\u00e9s and pianist and bandleader Arturo O’Farrill, in a series of performances that not only pay tribute to their fathers, but also continue to expand the tradition of Afro-Cuban jazz.<\/p>\n

Tribute<\/em>‘s generational magic doesn’t stop there. Pianist Leyanis Vald\u00e9s and drummer Jessie Vald\u00e9s would have made their grandfather proud, and the same can be said about trumpeter Zack O’Farrill and drummer Adam O’Farrill. These inclusions are not just acts of empty nepotism. The playing is skilled, creative and impressive. For fans of Chucho and Arturo, this will come as no surprise since each pair of progeny have recorded extensively under the family name.<\/p>\n

Chucho Vald\u00e9s is literally a towering figure of Cuban music made on the island. Standing over 6 feet in height, his explorations of the African influences in Cuban music are so profound that he is revered by musicians who play jazz, dance music, Buena Vista styled classic Cuban son, and even the island’s hip-hop community.<\/p>\n