Listen Art Farmer

This delightful LP features Art Farmer with a large orchestra not long after he switched from trumpet to flügelhorn. Oliver Nelson's arrangements provide great backdrops for the leader, as do the mix of dependable studio musicians and outstanding jazzmen assembled for the three sessions, including Tommy Flanagan, Phil Woods, Clark Terry, and Jim Hall, to name a few. The choice of material is inspiring: a snappy "Raincheck," and Farmer's moody "Rue Prevail," and a relatively (then) new work by John Coltrane, "Naima," which turns into a richly textured tour de force in the hands of Farmer & co.

The premise of this Atlantic set is a bit unusual. The Art Farmer Quartet (consisting of flügelhornist Farmer, guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Steve Swallow, and drummer Pete LaRoca), which was together from 1962-1964 (after the demise of the Jazztet), was passing through Stockholm, Sweden at the time of this date and the musicians felt inspired to record a full album of traditional Swedish folk songs. Respect is paid to the often haunting melodies, and Farmer sounds quite at home in this context, sometimes hinting a bit at Chet Baker. Fortunately, not all of the tunes are taken at a ballad pace, and once the themes are fully stated, Farmer and Hall have plenty of harmonically sophisticated solos. The band's cool and restrained style suits the music perfectly, turning it into jazz without losing its essence. Although a brief set (at under 33 minutes), every note counts on this successful outing.

Art Farmer - To Sweden with Love (1964) {2012 Japan Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series 24bit WPCR-27052)
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 225 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 85 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 58 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24-bit remaster
© 1964, 2012 Atlantic / Rhino / Warner Japan | WPCR-27052 | Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series
Jazz / Bop / Cool / Flugelhorn / Guitar

Features 24 bit remastering and comes with a mini-description. The premise of this Atlantic set is a bit unusual. The Art Farmer Quartet (consisting of flügelhornist Farmer, guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Steve Swallow, and drummer Pete LaRoca), which was together from 1962-1964 (after the demise of the Jazztet), was passing through Stockholm, Sweden at the time of this date and the musicians felt inspired to record a full album of traditional Swedish folk songs.

Art Farmer & Benny Golson - The Complete Argo-Mercury Jazztet Sessions (2004) {7CD Set, Mosaic MD7-225 rec 1960-1962}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 2.98 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 1.10 Gb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 67 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1960-62, 2004 Mosaic Records | MD7-225
Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet / Saxophone

The Jazztet was one of the best small groups playing hard bop during the early '60s, jointly led by Art Farmer and Benny Golson. This boxed set not only includes all six albums that they recorded for Argo and Mercury, but also features three sessions apiece led separately by Farmer and Golson. Farmer was in the process of making a switch from trumpet to flügelhorn during this time frame, while Golson's solid tenor sax was overshadowed somewhat by his impressive contributions as a composer and arranger, a primary reason the group is remembered.

One of the best all-star sessions ever produced by the legendary Creed Taylor. Actually, this album represented the ressurrection of the CTI label in 1990. Digitally recorded and filmed (in High Definition) "live" at Van Gelder's studio, features such stars as Dizzy Gillespie, Airto, Flora Purim, Anthony Jackson, Art Farmer, John Scofield, and Phil Woods, who play together in such outstanding tracks like Michel Camilo's "Caribe" and Salif Keita's "Wamba", all arranged by Benny Golson.