Chico O'Farrill Papers
name: label: Musician
content: O'Farrill, Chico, 1921-2001
label: Donor
content: O'Farrill, Lupe
label: Composer
content: Stravinsky, Igor, 1882-1971
topic: label: Topic
content: Jazz
label: Topic
content: Jazz musicians -- United States
label: Topic
content: Music -- 20th century
label: Topic
content: Musicians -- United States
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Guadalupe Valero O'Farrill, widow of Chico O'Farrill, donated the collection in 2005.
creator: label: Musician
content: O'Farrill, Chico, 1921-2001
label: Donor
content: O'Farrill, Lupe
label: Composer
content: Stravinsky, Igor, 1882-1971
setName: label: See more items in
content: Chico O'Farrill Papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The collection documents the professional career of Chico O'Farrill, Cuban-born trumpet player, composer and arranger of Afro Cuban, bebop, and other styles of jazz.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: : Arturo (Chico) O' Farrill was born October 28, 1921, into an Irish-German Cuban family in Havana, Cuba. He learned to play trumpet while attending Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Georgia.  O'Farrill later returned to Havana and studied composition. He arranged and composed classical music and jazz for mainstream and Latin musicians. He played trumpet throughout the mid-forties with various Cuban bands, including the Lecuna Cuban Boys.  In 1948, O'Farrill moved to New York to study at The Julliard School.  Later he composed and arranged music for Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Machito, Stan Kenton, Dizzy Gillespie, and Gato Barbieri.   He collaborated with impresario Norman Granz, who helped put together a recording session including Machito, alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, tenor saxophonist Flip Phillips and drummer Buddy Rich.  They recorded Afro Cuban Jazz Suite in 1950, a successful blend of the bebop sound he arranged for Benny Goodman and Latin jazz rhythms.  O'Farrill formed his own band and toured the United States and Cuba, returning to Havana around 1955, subsequently relocating to Mexico City.  O'Farrill moved to Los Angeles in 1965.  He recorded Afro Cuban Moods with Dizzy Gillespie in 1975. Around this time, he began to compose commercial music for advertising and television.  From 1998 until 2000, he conducted the Lincoln Center Latin Jazz Orchestra and the Chico O'Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Big Band in New York.  O'Farrill died on June 27, 2001 in New York City.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Cubic foot (5 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1975 - 1975
label: Date
content: 1999 - 1999
label: Date
content: 1949
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0892
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Scores
label: Type
content: Videotapes
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into two series.  

Series 1, Music Manuscripts, undated 

Series 2, Other Materials, 1949, 1975, 1999
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Sarah Allan (volunteer), supervised by Vanessa Broussard Simmons, archivist, 2008.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Scores
label: Genre/Form
content: Videotapes
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection consists of materials documenting the musical career of Chico O'Farrill.  There are no personal papers, and there is very little information about his life.
relatedmaterial: label: Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History
content: Paquito D'Rivera Music Manuscripts and Photograph (AC0891)

Tito Puente Papers (AC0894)

Mongo Santamaria Papers (AC0893)

Charismic Productions Records of Dizzy Gillespie (AC0979)

Latino Music Collection (AC0852)