Arturo "Chico" O'Farrill was one of the definitive figures of Afro-Cuban jazz. Born in Havana in 1921, O'Farrill became enamored with jazz at an early age, eventually taking up the trumpet and studying composition at the Havana Conservatory and Juilliard.

His first breakthrough in the world of jazz was an arrangement he wrote for Benny Goodman called "Undercurrent Blues," which incorporated bebop sensibilities into the otherwise more traditional Goodman book. In 1950, O'Farrill authored what is considered by most to be his masterwork, "The Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite," which featured guest soloists Charlie Parker, Flip Phillips and Buddy Rich.

After a sojourn in Mexico, O'Farrill returned to New York in 1965 to work on some more collaborations, most notably with trumpeters Clark Terry and Dizzy Gillespie, but maintained a somewhat low profile until forming a new band in 1995 after the success of his album "Pure Emotion." The band continued to perform at Birdland every Sunday night even after his passing in 2001.

O'Farrill's legacy is carried on through the work of his son, pianist Arturo O'Farrill, and his grandsons, trumpeter Adam and drummer Zach, who continue to experiment and push the boundaries of Afro-Cuban music to this day.