Track Selection 1: Confab In Tempo – Rollins!
Art Farmer (tp) Sonny Rollins (ts) Horace Silver (p) Percy Heath (b) Kenny Clarke (d) recorded Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, January 20, 1954
Track Selection 2. AloneTogether - Wynton Kelly!
Art Farmer (tp) Wynton Kelly (p) Addison Farmer (b) Herbie Lovelle (d) recorded Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, November 9, 1954
Music:
Starting with the Zoot Sims 1951 recording a couple of posts back, we shift up a tad to 1954. Rollins guest appearance, and the Farmer tone is liquid gold. Short tracks as was customary for early Fifties recordings, so two short selections. Rollins is a brief reminder of the restless fast paced melodic lines at this time, still under the shadow of Parker, whilst both the Horace Silver and Wynton Kelly contributions are professionally executed bop piano of great warmth and character. An enjoyable outing, early or late.
Vinyl: Esquire 32-187 UK release of NJLP 8258
Original Prestige cover, Great! Communicates the vitality of the music and physical presence of Farmer. UK cover, memory lane family album dusty museum piece – literal interpretation – “its old stuff”, strictly for old-timers and archivists. Rubbish cover, I don’t know why I expect any different.
The Esquire catalogue 32-187 number is one of the very highest in the series before Esquire failed, so it would have been released around 1962-3. Early Art, but late Esquire.
The Matrix:
New Jazz catalogue number with RVG machine stamp
Collectors corner
Source: Ebay Location: UK
Seller Description:
Condition of Vinyl = (A) Excellent (B) Excellent; Conditions of Cover = Excellent – (sticker on front); Conditions of labels = (A) Excellent (B) Excellent . “A rare item with no reserve, superb (12″) LP Immensly rare item from Art featuring Sonny Rollins, Horace Silver and Wynton Kelly !! This is a great addition to any collection !!”
“Immensely rare”? WellI confess I have never seen it before, so qualified agreement. The sticker came off easily and was of no interest. One of those jumble sale/ thrift shop stickers that reminds you someone acquired it at some point for ten times less than you just paid for it on Ebay. However competition was low – not a record to send collector pulses racing, and the price very reasonable as a result. “People who like this sort of record will find it to be exactly the sort of record they like”
Postscript
Published just before some last minute required updates had been …ummm ….updated, now in the shape intended. Email subscribers will notice some small changes in the final version. Apologies. Mrs LJC distracted me, then Skype kicked in with a video call from a relative, and in the ensuing confusion the wrong button was pushed – “publish” instead of “update”. They look the same. Apology over, move on.
