Art Farmer Quintet Manhattan

This is one of the better Art Farmer recordings of the 1980s, which is saying a great deal, for the flugelhornist is among the most consistent of all jazz musicians. The two ballads that open and close this set ("Blame It on My Youth" and "I'll Be Around") give Farmer an opportunity to display his warm and attractive sound (with fine support from pianist James Williams, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Victor Lewis), while the other five pieces (Benny Carter's "Summer Serenade" and more obscure material) add the great tenor saxophonist (and so-so soprano player) Clifford Jordan to the group. It's an enjoyable and very successful outing.

Art Farmer - Art Farmer Quintet featuring Gigi Gryce (1955) {Prestige OJCCD-241-2 rel 1992}
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© 1955, 1992 Prestige Records / Fantasy | OJCCD-241-2
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Trumpet / Saxophone

Seminal early work from Art Farmer – and one of the first full albums to capture his brilliance! The record has Farmer playing in a quintet, with able accompaniment from Gigi Gryce, a young newcomer at this point, with a post-bop complication to his style that was not to dissimilar from Farmer's. Gryce's mode is perhaps a bit more academic than Farmer's, but Art's lyricism offsets that tendency nicely, and the pair work together in a mode that's every bit as pleasing as Gigi's work with Donald Byrd. The set features some great tracks in sort of an exoticist hardbop mode – and titles include "Satellite", "Shabozz", "Sans Souci", and "Evening In Casablanca".

Art Farmer - Art Farmer Quintet At Boomers (1976) {2015 DSD Japan East Wind Masters Collection 1000}
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© 1976, 2015 East Wind Music / Universal Japan | UCCJ-9172
Jazz / Bop / Cool / Hard Bop / Flugelhorn

Reissue with the latest DSD remastering. Although flugelhornist Art Farmer permanently moved to Europe in 1968, he has returned many times to the United States to play. For this live LP (recorded for East Wind and released domestically by the defunct Inner City label), Farmer joins up with tenor-saxophonist Clifford Jordan, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Billy Higgins for lengthy versions of Charlie Parker's blues "Barbados," "I Remember Clifford," "'Round Midnight" and "Will You Still Be Mine." The group had not rehearsed beforehand but rehearsals were not really needed for these hard bop veterans and even an uptempo version of the ballad "Will You Still Be Mine" comes off quite well.

Art Farmer Quintet - At Boomers #2 (1976) {2015 DSD Japan East Wind Masters Collection 1000}
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© 1976, 2015 East Wind Music / Universal Japan | UCCJ-9202
Jazz / Bop / Cool / Hard Bop / Flugelhorn

Reissue with the latest DSD remastering. This exciting live set by Art Farmer is also culled from the same 1976 performances as the earlier album Live at Boomer's. Although the full quintet had not rehearsed prior to the engagement with Clifford Jordan (the rhythm section, consisting of Cedar Walton, Sam Jones, and Billy Higgins, had been working together with Farmer for over a year), the sparks fly as they stretch out on each of the four tracks present.

First time on CD for the album the Many Faces of Art Farmer (1964) plus Mundell Lowe's arrangement of Gershwin's Porgy & Bess (1958) featuring Art Farmer and Ben Webster. On the Many Faces Of…, Farmer surrounded himself with splendid musicians like alto saxophonist Charles McPherson, pianist Tommy Flanagan and bassist Ron Carter. As a bonus to this outstanding LP, we have added another equally rare album. Although this selection of tunes from Gershwin's Porgy & Bess was arranged by guitarist Mundell Lowe and originally released under his name, both Art Farmer and Ben Webster shine on it as featured soloists.

Art Farmer - The Complete Remastered Recordings On Black Saint & Soul Note (2013) {6CD Set, Cam London BXS1025 rec 1981-1987}
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© 1981-87, 2013 CAM London / Black Saint / Soul Note | BXS 1025
Jazz / Bop / Cool / Hard Bop / Flugelhorn

In an illustrious recording that spanned 50 years (1948-98), art Farmer seldom failed to impress. Whereas his contemporaries were obsessed with speed, having heard Freddie Webster, Farmer decided to concentrate on perfecting his already warm and melodic sound which would became even more personalized when switching to flugelhorn in the early 1960s. From 1966, farmer divided his time between New York and Wien. So high was his profile in Europe that from 1981 until 1987 he recorded five albums for BlackSaint/Soul Note (including one with the reassembled Jazztet) plus a duo with pianist Enrico Pieranunzi.

With a lyricism and warmth to his sound that was without equal, Arthur Stewart Art Farmer will always be remembered as one of the finest trumpet and flugelhorn players in jazz. Continually evolving in style and approach throughout his career, his playing was noted for its distinctive phrasing, letting the beat run ahead of him rather in the manner of Billie Holiday's vocals". Farmer produced a number records that remain among the most defining of the jazz genre, and which often featured him performing alongside other legendary musicians, including Benny Golson, Gigi Gryce, Horace Silver, Jim Hall and Sonny Rollins. 1961 saw one of the most important shifts in Art Farmer s career. Having played primarily trumpet up until that point, Farmer switched to the softer tone of the flugelhorn, and for the rest of his life it would remain his instrument of choice.