Art Farmer (1928-99) was one of a number of great trumpeters who emerged in jazz during the 1950s. By the time he switched exclusively to flugelhorn in the early sixties, he had already become known for what journalist Leonard Feather described as “a style of rare lyricism” and a player whose “solos invariably show[ed] a…
Stan Getz With Guest Artist Laurindo Almeida (1966)
This one is, if not a lost treasure, certainly a forgotten one among those who love both tenor saxophonist Stan Getz (1927-91) and guitarist Laurindo Almeida (1917-95) alike. It’s also one that really fell between the cracks. I didn’t even remember that I had a copy of this disc until I was asked about it…
Stan Getz/Gary McFarland – “Big Band Bossa Nova” (1962)
A genuinely joyful and rewarding musical experience, the glorious Stan Getz/Gary McFarland album Big Band Bossa Nova holds up well and sounds as new and as exciting, some six decades later, as it did when it was first released back in 1962. Big Band Bossa Nova was only the second of the tenor saxophonist’s five…
Gary McFarland – “Soft Samba” (1965)
“Soft Samba is the New Sound of ‘65” – Verve Records ad in DownBeat, Jan. 28, 1965. In the early sixties, Gary McFarland (1933-71) was one of jazz’s “golden boys.” He displayed his talent for clever arrangements on Stan Getz’s Big Band Bossa Nova and his own The Jazz Version of ‘How to Succeed in…
The Gary McFarland Orchestra -Special Guest Soloist: Bill Evans (1963)
This effervescent, occasionally haunting chamber-jazz set presents five remarkable Gary McFarland (1933-71) compositions performed by a small group of studio musicians, highlighted by the introspective pianist Bill Evans (1929-80). The two soloists are featured alongside Jim Hall on guitar (who also gets the occasional solo), Phil Woods and Spencer Sinatra on reeds, Richard Davis on…
Art Farmer with Joe Henderson – “Yama” (1979/1982) – Update
This post is meant to amend and update one written in 2022. Many listeners – in the U.S. in particular – have noticed that Yama‘s track line-up and song timings are all askew. Indeed, one of the responses to my original post even complained that “None of the track times match what’s on the label”…