Art Farmer: Interaction

Rating: ★★★

Record and Artist Details

Sing Me Softly Of The Blues

Musicians:

Steve Kuhn (p)
Art Farmer (t)
Walter Perkins (d)
Steve Swallow (el b)

Label:

Atlantic

July/2014

Catalogue Number:

8122-79672-6

RecordDate:

12, 16 and 30 March 1965

Musicians:

Art Farmer (t)
Walter Perkins (d)
Jim Hall (g)
Steve Swallow (el b)

Label:

Atlantic

July/2014

Catalogue Number:

8122-79694-7

RecordDate:

25 and 29July, 1 August 1963

To Sweden With Love

Musicians:

Art Farmer (t)
Pete La Roca
Jim Hall (g)
Steve Swallow (el b)
Pete La Roca (d)

Label:

Atlantic

July/2014

Catalogue Number:

8122-71341-2

RecordDate:

28 and 30 April 1964

Jimmy Guiffre, Paul Desmond, Bill Evans, Sonny Rollins, Michel Petrucciani and Wayne Shorter were just a few of many A-listers to engage in most rewarding collaborations with guitarmeister Jim Hall. While signed to Atlantic, Farmer turned in a run of four truly fine small group albums. The first three paired him with Jim Hall, (two of which are under review) while his final session ‘Sing Me Softly Of The Blues’ had pianist Steve Kuhn replacing the guitarist. Hall's tenure in Art Farmer's quartet (1963-65) was particularly fruitful bringing out the best in both players – the tender warmth of Farmer's flugelhorn and Hall's equally sensitive approach helped to create a most well measured intimate tapestry enhanced by Steve Swallow's thoughtful bass playing and Pete LaRoca's drums. It was a stance similarly favored by Mis'ter Chet. Interaction may well be a perfectly focused recital of six standards, but the often-overlooked To Sweden With Love is more of a minor revelation. Half-a-dozen traditional (if unfamiliar) Swedish folk tunes reinterpreted skillfully (in Stockholm) with the quartet at the top of their game. Sing Me Softly Of The Blues demonstrated that Jim Hall was a hard act to follow. But as a replacement for the plectrumist, pianist Steve Kuhn helped steer the quartet in a much less introverted stance with a couple of Carla Bley compositions plus Steve Swallow's ‘Petite Bell’ and LaRoca's ‘One For Majid’.

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