Adam O'Farrill's Stranger Days

"There’s little disagreement that [Adam O'Farrill] is among the leading trumpeters in jazz — and perhaps the music’s next major improviser." - NY Times

Trumpet player Adam O’Farrill and his quartet Stranger Days will appear in concert at Theodore Parker Church on Saturday evening, October 16th. The"omnipresent, omnivorous young trumpeter” (David A. Graham, The Atlantic) and his brother Zack come from a rich musical background: their grandfather was the Afro-Cuban-Irish composer and arranger Chico O’Farrill; their father is the cultural boundary-pushing composer and pianist Arturo O’Farrill, and their mother Alison Deane is a classical pianist and educator. 

Stranger Days also features Xavier Del Castillo on tenor sax, Walter Stinson on bass and Zack O’Farrill on drums.

Adam's latest album, HUESO, was released in August. He writes this about it: "In preparation for the recording of HUESO, I participated in a WorldwideOpportunites on Organic Farms (WWOOF) residency at Morning Glory Farm in Bethel, ME, along with the members of my band Stranger Days. Morning Glory is a deeply important place to me: I first WWOOF’ed there in August 2017, and was warmly welcomed by the farm’s proprietors, Christine Trefethen and Eric List. At the time, I’d been reading a lot about environmental issues, and, growing up in New York City, I'd felt that I needed to foster a closer connection to and relationship with the ground that we all walk on. During my time at Morning Glory, I learned how heavy full buckets of water are, I got my hands slobbery wet from luring a cow onto the pasture while holding an apple to its mouth, I helped build hoop houses for growing produce in the colder months, and carried bale after bale of hay down from the attic of the barn in order to keep the animals well-fed. These and many other activities lent credence to the idea that ‘farm strong' wasn't just a turn of phrase, and in the process I noticed this strength spreading into my creative practice, feeling an unprecedented level of focus and rejuvenation. I knew that I wanted my fellow artists to experience this, so I thought, who better to share this with than my band? This album comprises music that we had been playing for quite some time before our residency, but our experience on the farm together undoubtedly carried us into a different zone. I could say more, but I would prefer to let the music speak for itself."

O’Farrill’s music is both abstract and personal, his compositions reflecting such diverse subjects as being mixed race, growing up in New York, family history, and spirituality, while drawing inspiration from film, literature, and folk traditions. In addition to his work as a bandleader, O'Farill is an in-demand sideman, performing regularly with bandleaders Hiromi, Mary Halvorson, Anna Webber and others.

Doors open at 7:30 and music starts at 8. General admission tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Students with ID $15 at the door only. Kids under 18 are free.

Sesh by The Boston Calendar | Advertise Terms | Privacy Policy | About