FRANCISCO MORA CATLETT  

FRANCISCO MORA CATLETT

“Led by the drummer and composer Francisco Mora-Catlett - the son of the Mexican painter Francisco Mora and the African-American sculptor Elizabeth Catlett - AfroHORN seeks a mystical but earthy vision of rhythm and folklore, inspired not only by Afro-Cuban music but also the Sun Ra Arkestra, in which Mr. Mora-Catlett played in the 1970s…”

--THE NEW YORK TIMES

"Mora is one of the most versatile percussionists in jazz and Afro-Latin music, as well as an original composer.... while Harding is a blaster who displays complete mastery of his instrument.”

--ALL ABOUT JAZZ

"Mexican-American drummer Francisco Mora-Catlett has been gigging around with the third incarnation of the rich Latin-jazz concoction that emerged out of his '70s stint in Sun Ra's Arkestra... expect fireworks.

– VILLAGE VOICE

“BEST OF THE YEAR!”

– OPEN SKY JAZZ

"Like the Art Ensemble of Chicago Francisco Mora Catlett's Septet blends the ancient and modern as well as the African and Latin streams into a most delectable blend". One of this year's best! – AFRO HORN MX,

--Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery" April 2012

“Like the most elegant hand-tooled walnut dashboard on the flight-deck of a Space Shuttle, is the sound of Francisco Mora Catlett”

--Straight No Chaser, London, UK 1999

“To redefine what people think is Jazz by doing music like Francisco’s album now”

--Carl Craig, ALL MUSICZINE 1999

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BIO: Francisco Mora Catlett: drummer, composer and educator. Began his musical career in Mexico City where he worked as a session musician for Capitol Records 1968-1970. Studied at Music School of UNAM. With a grant from the Mexican government from 1970 to 1973 he study drums with Alan Dawson and composition at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. He left Mexico City with Sun Ra in 1973 and worked with him until 1980. In 1987 while in Detroit he released his first album as a leader, the Pan-Afro project “Mora!”

Among several grants, he received one from the NEA to study with Max Roach in New York City. Mora Catlett worked with several Roach's percussion ensemble M'Boom, appearing on two Blue Moon LPs, 1990's “To the Max” and 1992's “Live at S.O.B.'s” and in addition to composing for Mr. Roach’s Uptown String Quartet.

In 1993, he became a visiting professor at Michigan State University. Mora-Catlett played on Detroit’s Techno producer Carl Craig's 1996 jazz/electronica fusion project, “The Innerzone Orchestra” and 1999's “Programmed”. The same year, using Innerzone cohorts Craig Taborn and Rodney Whitaker, Mora Catlett issued a second album, “World Trade Music”. Following Mora Catlett's departure from Detroit in 2000 the Outer Zone Band’s first recording featuring Marshal Allen, Craig Taborn and Carl Craig was released.

In New York City Mora-Catlett co-founded the “Oyu Oro Afro-Cuban Experimental Dance Company” with his wife Danys Perez Prades “La Mora” dance-music project experimenting with and music from the African Diaspora that performs nationally and internationally.
 
Mora-Catlett has issued two releases with the “Freedom Jazz Trio. “ New Under The Sun”, recorded in 2010 featured Francesco Tristano, while “Live At The Bronx Museum” showcased Craig Taborn. A new ensemble, the Outer Zone Band’s issued “Andromeda M-31”, featuring Craig Taborn and JD Allen. Subsequent releases included: double Cd, “AfroHORN MX” (2012), AfroHORN "Rare Metal" (2013), and for AfroHORN "At the Edge of the Spiral (2015 -2016). A solo electronic music project recording (“Electric Worlds”) solo project to be released in 2021. Back to Berklee College of Music due to COVID -19 pandemic, enrolling in Composing and Producing Electronic Music I & II, and now preparing for a new Elctronic Music project 2022. 

In recent years, Mora-Catlett has been featured in “artist residencies” at University of Iowa, Wayne State University, and Booker T. Washington
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Long Island University, Brookhaven College, Richard College and others where his presentations often explore the themes of jazz and creativity while highlighting the work of his parents, artists Elizabeth Catlett and Francisco Mora Senior. He has established his own label AACE in order to distribute several of these projects. 

Discography

AfroHorn AT THE EDGE OF THE SPIRAL 2015-2016  

2013 AfroHORN "RARE METAL” 

SAM NEWSOME: Soprano sax / SALIM WASHINGTON: Tenor sax, flute and oboe / ALEX HARDING: Baritone sax and bass clarinet / ARUAN ORTIZ: Piano / RASHAAN CARTER: Acoustic and electric bass / ROMAN DÍAZ: Percussion and Vocal   / ANDREW DANIELS: Percussion / DANYS “LA MORA” PEREZ, MEREDITH WRIGHT, LIETHIS HECHAVARRIA and SANDRA D. HARPER: “OYU ORO” Vocalists FRANCISCO MORA CATLETT: Drums, percussion, composer, arranger and general artistic director. 

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2012 Mora! (Japanese paper sleeve edition – with bonus tracks)

A legendary early set from percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett – with soprano and tenor sax from Vincent Bowens, piano from Kenny Cox, and lots of other percussion too! Titles include "Afra Jum", "Five AM", "Rumba Morena", "Samba De Amor", and "Cultural Warrior".

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2012 “AFRO HORN MX” double CD release, with a new outstanding line up; John JD Allen (Tenor Saxophone), Vincent Bowens (Tenor Saxophone), Alex Harding (Baritone Saxophone), Aruán Ortiz (Piano), Rashaan Carter (Bass), Roman Díaz (Percussion), and Francisco Mora Catlett (Drums).

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2011 LIVE AT BRONX MUSEUM / Freedom Jazz Trio / Francisco Mora Catlett features: piano virtuoso CRAIG TABORN and excelled New York bassist CARLO DE ROSA.

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2010 ANDROMEDA-M31 OUTERZONE 2010 / Francisco Mora Catlett FEATURING: John “JD” Allen: Tenor Sax, Graham Haynes: Cornet, electronics, Craig Taborn: Piano, electronics, Val Jeanty: Turn tables, electronics, Guido Gonzales: Trumpet, Tecla Esposito: Electric Keyboards, Rafael Monteagudo: Batas, Afro Cuban percussion, Carlo De Rosa: Bass, Francisco Mora Catlett: Drums

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2010 NEW UNDER THE SUN / Freedom Jazz Trio / Francisco Mora Catlett features: piano virtuoso FRANCESCO TRISTANO and excelled New York bassist CARLO DE ROSA.

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2007 OUTERZONE Francisco Mora Catlett, Featuring; Marshall Allen / Carl Craig / Craig Taborn

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2005 River Drum Francisco Mora Catlett, Featuring: Marcus Belgrave on Trumpet, Kenny Cox on Piano, Vincent Bowens on Tenor Saxophoe, Sherman Mitchell on Trombone and Rodney Whitaker on Bass.

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1999 World Trade Music Francisco Mora Catlett, Featuring: Craig Taborn on Pianp and Rodney Whitaker on Bass.

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1999 Programmed, Inner Zone Orchestra / Featuring: Carl Craig, Craig Taborn and Francisco Mora Catlett on Drums.

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1996 Bug in the Bass Bin Inner Zone Orchestra / Featuring: Carl Craig, Rodney Whitaker and Francisco Mora Catlett on Drums.

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1991 Live at SOB's / Max Roach

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1990 To the Max / Max Roach

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1987 Mora! Francisco Mora Catlett  Featuring: Kenny Cox, Vincent Bowens and Rodney Whitaker on Bass.

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1980 Beyond the Purple Star Zone

Sun Ra

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1968-70 Capitol Records in Mexico Studio Musician.

CHOREOGRAPHED MUSIC ....

Maestro Eduardo Rivero Walker for “Teatro Danza del Caribe” in Santiago de Cuba, 

Danys Perez "La Mora" for "OYU ORO" in Ney York City

Ramon Ramos for “Alayo Dance Company” in San Francisco

Ronald K. Brown for “Evidence” in New York City,

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COMISIONS MUSIC FOR:

UPTOWN STRING QUARTET

Just Wait a Minute!

Release Date: 08/01/1991              Label: Mesa/Bluemoon / Track 14. "SISTER HARRIET" / Jazz String Quartet



"BETTY & / y PANCHO"

Betty y Pancho (Mexico) - 1998     String Quartet  TARIACURI” Documentary of filmmaker Juan Mora Catlett, which focuses on his parents’ half-century artistic collaboration and marriage. Catlett’s father was Mexican print-maker and muralist painter, Francisco Mora (1922-2002). His mother is Elizabeth Catlett (b. 1915), the African American sculptor, print-maker and painter, who went to Mexico City in 1946. There, she met Mora, while studying printmaking at the Taller de Gráfica Popular.