Larry Harlow (salsa)
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Larry Harlow (born Lawrence Ira Kahn; March 20, 1939 – August 20, 2021) was an American
salsa music Salsa music is a style of Latin American music, combining elements of Cuban and Puerto Rican influences. Because most of the basic musical components predate the labeling of salsa, there have been many controversies regarding its origin. Most ...
pianist, performer, composer, band leader and producer. He was born into a musical American family of
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
descent.


Background


Summary

Harlow was born Lawrence Ira Kahn on March 20, 1939, in
Brownsville, Brooklyn Brownsville is a residential neighborhood in eastern Brooklyn in New York City. The neighborhood is bordered by Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Crown Heights to the northwest; Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Bedford–Stuyvesant and the subsection of ...
, the son of Rose ( Sherman; 1910–1975) and Buddy Kahn ( Nathan Kahn; 1909–1981), and brother of Andy Harlow ( Andre H. Kahn; born 1945). In 1957, Larry graduated from Music & Arts High School. His mother was an opera singer with the stage name Rose Sherman in New York. His father was the bandleader at the
Latin Quarter The Latin Quarter of Paris (, ) is an urban university campus in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne. Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistros, t ...
in New York under the name Buddy Harlowe. Harlow was affectionately nicknamed ''El Judío Maravilloso'' (''The Marvelous Jew''). Harlow was a noted salsa bandleader and multi-instrumentalist, although he primarily played piano. He produced over 260 albums for
Fania Records Fania Records is a New York City, New York–based record label founded by Dominican-born composer and bandleader Johnny Pacheco and his American lawyer Jerry Masucci in 1964 in music, 1964. The label took its name from a popular luncheonette fre ...
as well as his manager and musician friend Chino Rodriguez two albums for Salsa Records and including his brother Andy's four albums on the Fania stable mate Vaya Records between 1972 and 1976: Sorpresa La Flauta, La Música Brava, El Campesino and Latin Fever. The first garnered a gold disc and spawned "La Lotería", the company's biggest selling 45 rpm release to date.


Music skills

Harlow excelled at an early age at various instruments. The music and culture of New York's Latino community led him to Cuba where he began an intense study of Afro-Cuban music. Harlow, who was known for his innovative blend of Afro-Cuban and jazz styles of piano playing, studied music in the 1950s in Cuba but was unable to complete his degree before the
Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution () was the military and political movement that overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who had ruled Cuba from 1952 to 1959. The revolution began after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état, in which Batista overthrew ...
forced him to leave the island in 1959. Larry's Orquesta Harlow was the second orchestra signed to the Fania label. Harlow also produced over 106 albums for various artists and over 50 albums on his own besides the ones he produced for Fania. Harlow continued to perform with Fania. Among his most popular albums were ''Abran Paso'' and ''Tributo a Arsenio Rodriguez'' with
Ismael Miranda Ismael Miranda, also known as ''El Niño Bonito de la Salsa'' ("The Pretty Boy of Salsa") (born February 20, 1950) is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter. Early years Miranda (birth name: Ismael Miranda Carrero) was born in Aguada, Puerto Rico ...
as the lead singer. Larry's opera ''Hommy'' (inspired by
the Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
's ''
Tommy Tommy may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tommy (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army * Tommy Giacomelli (born 1974), Brazilian fo ...
'') was credited as integral to
Celia Cruz Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during the 1950s as a singer of , earning the nickna ...
's comeback (from an early retirement). In other firsts, Harlow was the first piano player for the legendary salsa group known as the
Fania All-Stars The Fania All-Stars is a musical group formed in 1968 as a showcase for the musicians on Fania Records, the leading salsa music record label of the time. History Beginnings In 1964, Fania Records was founded in New York City by Jerry Masucci, ...
, generally regarded as the seminal and most-important Salsa group to date, and Fania's first record producer. He also appeared with the Fania All-Stars in the movies ''
Our Latin Thing (Nuestra Cosa) ''Our Latin Thing'' () was a 1972 documentary film directed by Leon Gast about the burgeoning Latin music scene in New York City. It focused on a concert put together by the management of Fania Records at Manhattan's Cheetah nightclub featuring a ...
'', ''Live in Africa'', and ''Salsa.'' One of the highlights of the film ''Our Latin Thing'' is the Orquesta Harlow 1971 performance of ''Abran Paso'' in front of an exuberant and dancing audience in East Harlem with a baby faced
Ismael Miranda Ismael Miranda, also known as ''El Niño Bonito de la Salsa'' ("The Pretty Boy of Salsa") (born February 20, 1950) is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter. Early years Miranda (birth name: Ismael Miranda Carrero) was born in Aguada, Puerto Rico ...
on vocals.


Contributions

Among Harlow's further contributions to music was his insistence on creation of a Latin Grammy Award (before the category merged in 2010 with less-specific Jazz ones. A year after the Trustees who oversee the Grammy Awards cut 31 categories in May 2011, they drew fierce protests from Latin jazz musician
Bobby Sanabria Bobby Sanabria (born June 2, 1957) is an American drummer, percussionist, composer, arranger, documentary film producer, educator, activist, radio show host, and writer of Puerto Rican descent who specializes in jazz and Latin jazz. Biography S ...
,
Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the Rock music, rock band Santana (band), Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he r ...
,
Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...
and
Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...
among others, and the Grammys Trustees Board voted to reinstate the award for Best Latin Jazz Album in June 2012.) Larry Harlow's 1977 salsa suite ''La Raza Latina,'' an ambitious history of the Latin music musical genre created with singer/songwriter
Rubén Blades Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna (born July 16, 1948), known professionally as Rubén Blades (, but in Panama and within the family), is a Panamanian musician, singer, composer, actor, activist, and politician, performing musically most often in th ...
, was nominated for a Grammy Award. Partially in recognition of his early efforts to establish the Latin Grammy categories (which for some years were awarded in a separate ceremony) as well as for his impressive career contributions to the tropical dance music genre (and Harlow's ''jazzified'' pianistic approach to it), in November 2008 Larry Harlow was presented with the Trustees Award by the Latin Recording Academy.


The Latin Legends Band a.k.a. Latin Legends of FANIA

In 1994, at the suggestion of his manager at the time Chino Rodriguez, Larry Harlow teamed up with
Ray Barreto Raymundo "Ray" Barretto Pagán (April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) was an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent. Throughout his career as a percussionist, he played a wide variety of Latin music styles, as well as Lati ...
,
Adalberto Santiago Adalberto Santiago (born April 23, 1937) is an internationally known salsa singer. Career Born April 23, 1937, in Pozas barrio, Ciales, Puerto Rico, Adalberto's relaxed and flawless lead vocals are among the best in the salsa genre of Latin ...
, and cuatro guitar virtuoso
Yomo Toro Víctor Guillermo "Yomo" Toro (26 July 1933 – 30 June 2012) was a Puerto Rican left-handed guitarist and cuatro player. Known internationally as "The King of the Cuatro," Toro recorded over 150 albums throughout a 60-year career and worked exte ...
to found the Latin Legends Band, with the aim of both educating Latino and American youth about Latin music heritage and pioneering new ideas in the music, resulting in Larry Harlow's Latin Legends of Fania Band 2006. This was an idea from Barretto and Harlow and the Latin Legends band continues to work around the world. With this same purpose he collaborated with multi-disciplinary artist David Gonzalez in "Sofrito!", a spicy stew of folk tales set to salsa, mambo, and jazz rhythms. In 2005, Harlow contributed to
The Mars Volta The Mars Volta is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 2001. The band's only constant members are Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, producer, direction) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals, lyrics), whose partnership forms the core of the ban ...
's album ''
Frances the Mute ''Frances the Mute'' is the second studio album by American progressive rock band The Mars Volta released in February 2005 on Gold Standard Laboratories and Universal. Produced by guitarist and songwriter Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, the album incor ...
'', on which he played a piano solo toward the end of " L'Via L'Viaquez." He also played piano with the group in some live shows.


Awards

Larry Harlow was inducted into the
International Latin Music Hall of Fame The International Latin Music Hall of Fame (ILMHF) was an annual event established in 1999 and held in New York City to honor artists who have largely contributed to the Latin music genre. In addition to the induction into the Hall of Fame, the a ...
in 2000 and was presented with the Beny Moré Memorial Award by the same organization in 2002. In 2008, Larry Harlow was presented with the Latin Grammy Trustees Award. He also received the Legacy Award at the 2016 La Musa Awards. Larry Harlow held a BA in Music from
Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn in New York City, United States. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls nearly 14,000 students on a campus in the Midwood and Flatbush sections of Brooklyn as of fall ...
, City University of New York since 1963, and a master's degree in philosophy from the
New School of Social Research The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...
also in New York City.


Latter years and death

Prior to his death, Harlow resided in New York with his wife, and regularly continued to lead and perform with ''Larry Harlow and the Fania Latin Legends.'' Harlow died in
the Bronx, New York The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County to its north; to its south and west, the New York City bo ...
on August 20, 2021, aged 82, due to heart failure while hospitalized for a renal condition.


Discography

* Heavy Smokin' (Fania, 1965) * Bajándote: Gettin' Off (Fania, 1966) * El Exigente (Fania, 1967) * Me and My Monkey (Fania, 1969) * Ambergris! (Gatefold, 1970) * Electric Harlow (Fania, 1970) * Abran Paso! (Fania, 1971) * Orchestra Harlow Presenta an Ismael Miranda (Fania, 1971) * Tribute To Arsenio Rodríguez (Fania, 1971) * Opportunidad (Fania, 1972) * Harlow's Harem (Fania, 1972) * Hommy: A Latin Opera (Fania, 1973) * Salsa (Fania, 1974) * Live in Quad (Fania, 1974) * El Judío Maravilloso (Fania, 1975) * Con Mi Viejo Amigo (Fania, 1976) * El Jardinero del Amor (Fania, 1976) * La Raza Latina: A Salsa Suite (Fania, 1977) * El Albino Divino (Fania, 1978) * ''Latin Fever'' (Fania, 1978) * Rumbambola (Fania, 1978) * ''La Responsabilidad'' (with
Fausto Rey Fausto Ramón Sepúlveda (born December 1, 1951, in Higuey), known by his stage name Fausto Rey, is a People of the Dominican Republic, Dominican singer. Rey is predominantly known as a crooner, with a versatile range including romantic ballads ...
) (Fania, 1979) * El Dulce Aroma del Éxito (Fania, 1980) * ''Our Latin Feeling (Nuestro Sentimiento)'' (Fania, 1980) * Así Soy Yo (Coco, 1981) * ''Yo Soy Latino'' (Fania, 1983) * ''Señor Salsa'' (Tropical Budda, 1984) * ''My Time Is Now/Mi Tiempo Llego'' (Cache Records 1990) * ''The Latin Legends Band'' (Sony International, March 31, 1998) * Romance En Salsa (Caimán, 1999) * ¡Sofrito! (Rainart, 2000) * Live at Birdland (Latin Cool, 2003) * Passing The Torch vol.1 (With Marlow Rosado)(Big Label Records 2016)


Filmography

*''
Our Latin Thing ''Our Latin Thing'' () was a 1972 documentary film directed by Leon Gast about the burgeoning Latin music scene in New York City. It focused on a concert put together by the management of Fania Records at Manhattan's Cheetah nightclub featuring a ...
'' (Fania 1972) *''Salsa'' (Fania, 1974) *''Celia cruz and the Fania All Stars In Africa'' (Fania, 1993) *''Live'' (Fania, 1995) * ''Larry Harlow's Latin Legends of Fania'' (2006) * ''
Soul Power "Soul Power" is a song by James Brown. Brown recorded it with the original J.B.'s (plus Fred Wesley) and it was released as a three-part single in 1971. Like "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" and other hits from this period it features ...
'' (2009)


Gallery

Image:Larry Harlow's CD 5-17-2006.jpg, Harlow's partial CD collection at Radio Voz WVOZ Puerto Rico (2006)


References


External links


Larry Harlow official website
* *
Descarga.com interviewLarry Harlow on Fania
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harlow, Larry 1939 births 2021 deaths Avant-garde jazz musicians Jazz fusion musicians Musicians from Brooklyn American jazz composers Jewish American composers Jewish jazz musicians American salsa musicians Record producers from New York (state) American music industry executives Fania Records artists Latin music record producers Latin music composers Brooklyn College alumni Jazz musicians from New York (state) 21st-century American Jews The High School of Music & Art alumni Fania All-Stars members