Larry Harlow

Harlow was influenced by his father, Buddy Kahn Harlow, a bassist. He began studying the piano when he was five. He wanted to be jazz pianist until he heard mambo for the first time while attending an arts and music high school in the early 50’s. During the World Fair in Flushing-Queens, Harlow played the piano for Johnny Pacheco’s conjunto before creating the Larry Harlow Orchestra.

Strongly influenced by Arsenio Rodríguez’s sounds, Harlow modernized those sounds, which made others call him "El Cieguito Maravilloso" (Arsenio’s nickname) disciple and christen him "El Judío Maravilloso" (the Wonderful Jew). After Arsenios’s death on December 31, 1970, Harlow stirred the Latin music world with a Fania label album "Tribute to Arsenio Rodríguez" in 1971. Two years later Harlow made headlines again for his record "Hommy" (Fania label), a Latin opera that was placed in Carnegie Hall.

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