ART FARMER
ARTistry (Concord Records)
Reviewed by Ron Saranich

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Art Farmer recorded only two albums for Concord Records, A Work Of Art in 1981 and Warm Valley in 1982, and both are included in ARTistry - just re-released by Concord. On the first session, the personnel are Farmer on flugelhorn, Fred Hersch on piano, Bob Bodley on bass, and Billy Hart on drums. On the latter album, its Farmer on flugelhorn, Fred Hersch on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Akira Tana on drums.

Farmer was a lyrical trumpet player with a delicate and evocative sound. He switched to flugelhorn in the early 1960s and now plays it full-time, essential laying aside his trumpet. As a result, Farmer is credited with popularizing the flugelhorn, a more mellow-toned relative of the trumpet.

A critic once wrote that for Farmer: "...bop wasn't just about how many notes you could play or how fast you could play them; it was about being expressive and telling a story." ARTistry is that and more; a wonderfully warm, expressive recording with each song a tale of romance and imagination. Farmer shines on ballads, turning each one into a powerful sound poem with wide emotional range.

ARTistry is good acoustic jazz fit for everyone's Jazz collection. Concord Records should be commended for this wonderful package. If you find yourself digging Art Farmer, also check out three of his early works from the late 1950s and early 1960s - Portrait Of Art Farmer, Farmers Market, and Meet The Jazztet. All are essential.

© 2002 - Ron Saranich