Any love for Art Farmer?

[Tom Storer]

I've been listening to the Complete Live Recordings of the Art Farmer & Jim Hall Quartet, recorded in New York and London in Dec. 1963 and June 1964 respectively. Steve Swallow on the stand-up bass and Walter Perkins (NY) or Pete LaRoca (London) on drums.

What a great group. Farmer's Jazztet with Benny Golson had disbanded after several years. Swallow and Hall had both been members of Jimmy Giuffre's chamber-jazz groups by then; a year earlier Hall had been with Sonny Rollins' quartet. Starting with this group, the mid-60's were a period of open, lyrical, small-group interaction for Farmer that doesn't get enough recognition. Prior to these live recordings this quartet, with Perkins, recorded "Interaction" in the summer of 1963, and in between the New York and London live dates recorded "To Sweden with Love." Later in 1964 Farmer returned to a more straight-ahead sound with "The Many Faces of Art Farmer," a quintet with Charles McPherson. In March 1965, the quartet with Paul Bley replacing Hall recorded the beautiful "Sing Me Softly of the Blues," with the title tune composed by Carla Bley.

Throughout that period, Miles was reaching heights of sophistication, Freddie Hubbard was blowing the house down with Art Blakey, and Don Cherry was a pillar of the avant-garde. Farmer was conservative by comparison, and his calm classicism didn't excite as much as the fire of hard bop or the thrill of experiment. But what a consummate player he was, and what a rewarding vein he mined during those few years.

Farmer was an exceptionally consistent artist. His early work as a kind of moderate hard-bopper with Gigi Gryce or Golson was never less than very solid and enjoyable, and later he would go on to make fine records with Cedar Walton's trio, quintets with Clifford Jordan, and many more. What are your recommendations?

[BFrank]

I recently picked up from Mosaic. It's a nice live album and in interesting story behind it (described on the website).

[Ron Thorne]

Thanks for this thread topic and your thoughts, Tom

I was thrilled as a neophyte, teenage jazz fan and musician when I discovered theJazztet with Art Farmer & Benny Golson. What a perfect union. That group also propelled a few other player's careers, including pianist McCoy Tyner. I also loved Farmer's playing with Gigi Gryce and Gerry Mulligan.

One of the things I always enjoyed and respected about Art Farmer's sound was his consistency. His melodic approach and romanticism, combined with his warm tone were appealing, and served as a welcome contrast to other trumpeter's approaches. Part of that warmth was created by Farmer himself and part was a natural byproduct of what became his instrument of choice, the flugelhorn, a larger, mellower brass instrument. He also played a unique horn called a flumpet, a cross between a trumpet and flugelhorn, especially designed for him.

Arrangers were always confident that Art could handle their work, while bringing his signature sound. He was extremely versatile, stylistically, though you always knew that it was Art Farmer.

This classic Jazz Casual clip is both enjoyable and informative.

[Tom Storer]

That's a great clip. Those Jazz Casual shows are invaluable.

Jim Hall in the 60's was just wonderful. With Farmer and Desmond, but also with Sonny Rollins. Here's another Jazz Casual where Hall is perfectly situated in the eye of the storm.