Zoho Records ZM201101
Format: CD
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The O’Farrill Brothers are Adam, who plays trumpet and writes most of the music, and Zack, who plays drums. If their last name is familiar, it’s no doubt due to their father, Arturo, who’s well known as a jazz educator and performer. This is such a good debut disc, however, that the brothers will likely be known in their own right before long. The O’Farrill Brothers’ quintet is completed by Livio Almeida on saxophone, Zaccai Curtis on piano, and Michael Sacks on bass. Though the young men are all in their early 20s and have the energy and enthusiasm to prove it, the group collectively projects a singular maturity. The tight ensemble is a toe-tapping joy to hear, and each player distinguishes himself with virtuoso solo stretches that are most impressive. The O’Farrill group has no set formula for each chart, and that spontaneity makes for a refreshing playlist. A track might start with the whole group, or it may begin with a rhythmic bass ostinato that both anchors and drives the composition, as in Almeida’s “Face It!” The young players certainly show influences, such as Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, and Freddie Hubbard, but the O’Farrill Brothers have established their own pulsing style. The sound is warm and clean, though it slights the bass.
