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I am an Art Farmer fan but their is nothing modern about this music, This recording drags along at a soft west coast pace unlike Arts recordings with Blue Note. Art could cook but I prefer his style matched with the likes of Gigi Gryce or Clifford Jordan. I like when Art plays up tempo showing off blazing technique without being brash
Art Farmer Benny Golson and Bill Evans are just incredible together on this collection of originals and standards. Farmer and Golson went on to play together in the Jazztet but here the sound is a bit different primarily due to Evans remarkable piano playing. This is a truly fine CD and well worth checking out.
Rank this session a total triumph on the part of all the musicians. Art Farmer shows why he was arguably among the five best trumpeters in jazz after the death of Clifford Brown. Benny Golson plays more cogently, emotionally and logically than on any other recording that comes to mind (by contrast, his playing on the Art Blakey "Moanin'" session is sound and fury--lots of pyrotechnics with little sense of flow or direction). On this session, he makes every note count--and contributes an unexpected gem to the playlist--"Fair Weather."
This session was recorded shortly before the "canonical" Miles Davis recording, "Kind of Blue." Both sessions employ Bill Evans' piano, and both reflect his incalculable influence. On the Davis recording, Bill would introduce Miles to the modes that serve as the basis for the tunes with the exception of "Freddie Freeloader." Also, his piano playing on that recording practically mirrored the stark minimalism of Miles' trumpet.
On "Modern Art" Bill is far more generous during his solo turns, submitting fleet and inventively swinging Bud Powell-like lines, yet performing with such economy that the listener would be hard-pressed to find a single extra, gratuitous note. And he contours his phrases dynamically, allowing his lines to swell and contract. The only other pianist I've heard who could make his single-note lines "breathe" like Bill was Tommy Flanagan (who, like Bill, was frequently referred to as "the poet of the piano").
"Cool Breeze" by Wade Legge has the most challenging harmonic progression. Golson executes it with a savage vengeance, while Bill Evans varies his rhythmic phrasing and allows some breathing rooms between each melodic-rhythmic idea. Since several tunes are Evans staples that would stay with the pianist throughout his career--"The Touch of Your Lips," "Like Someone in Love," "I Love You"--it's all the more likely that Bill's influence shaped the musical conceptions and playing by all hands on the album. On "I Love You" his is the first solo, followed by arguably what is at once the most coherent and emotive Golson solo. What's undeniable is that Golson's aggressiveness vs. Evans' thoughtfulness supply much of the interest--and excitement--that sustain the album from the first through the final track.
Eight sublime tunes and arrangements; three jazz giants serving up three flawless performances. This one comes off even better than a listener would have a right to expect.
I am writing a review of this excellent CD only to seek clarification. Note that the track listing has asterisked the second half of these tracks (seemingly with no explanation).
This is additional to the original review - the problem with downloading is that you have no info until you get to see a CD - which I have now done and the mystery is (almost) completely solved (and brings into question the ethics of cover art).
With Art Farmer are:
Tracks 1-8: Benny Golsen, Bill Evans, Addison Farmer & Dave Bailey.
Tracks 9-12: Bob Brookmeyer, Zoot Sims, Teddy Charles (vibes), Addison Farmer & Ed Thigpen - no pianist is listed! (see below)
Tracks 13-17: Jimmy Buffington (flugelhorn), Anthony Ortega (flute, clarinet & alto), John Hafer (bass clarinet), Ray Tricarico (Bassoon), Dick Wetmore (violin), Ahmed Abud Malik (bass) "among others" - arranger Bob Zieff - again, no pianist listed!
I hope this is useful.
Addendum - tracks 9-12 are from a Teddy Charles Sextet salute to Lionel Hampton which confirms the personnel listed above and also names the pianist as Hank Jones - it is possible that he is not listed on this CD because he does not feature on the four selected tracks.
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2007
This is top-of-the-line Art Farmer, one of his best albums ever. Recorded in 1958 for United Artists, everything clicks to perfection: the tune selection is an excellent mix of exciting originals and standards, the tempos are varied, and the playing by the quintet is brilliant. Everyone seems juiced to play. Particularly impressive is tenor man Benny Golson whose Coltrane hat is very much in evidence; the notes come pouring out of his horn on many of the tunes - especially noteworthy on THE TOUCH OF YOUR LIPS. He can be both powerful and pretty. Junior Mance's JUBILATION is churchy for sure, but not fire and brimstone: it's very mellow instead. Pianist Bill Evans plays well throughout, taking perhaps his best and most introspective solo on I LOVE YOU. Farmer is a delight, whether playing beautifully muted (LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE) or tempestuously afire (COLD BREEZE). This album will delight listeners no matter how many times it's heard.
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2007
In early 1965 I was working as a disc jockey at San Francisco's legendary jazz radio station KJAZ FM. I got a call from a listener who identified himself as pianist Bill Evans. He called to request a song from "Modern Art" saying it was his favorite recording session. At first I doubted it was really Bill Evans but later I was able to confirm it was indeed him. Evans went on to make many more historic recordings, but in '65 "Modern Art" was at the top of his personal list!
che con le sue splendide musiche ha dato un grande contribuito artistico alla leggenda del jazz. Di fatto questo umile trombettista non e' mai stato un personaggio da prime pagine, tuttavia ha lasciato un'impronta molto evidente in questo stile musicale, le sue opere pero' sono state sempre caratterizzate da grandi collaborazioni, e gli artisti che si sono cimentati con lui gli hanno sempre lasciato uno spazio musicale da vero leader, un po' come Miles Davis. In questo ottimo vinile c'e un grande Bill Evans in forma smagliante che con le sua geniali inventive ricama un tappeto di note dagli accordi decisamente piacevoli, accordi che sembrano ritagliati perfettamente sulle note della tromba di Farmer. Sono musiche molto eleganti e personali il titolo poi e' azzeccatissimo, d'altronde non poteva essere diverso, questa cari amici e' d'avvero ARTE MODERNA. Se ancora non conoscete Art Farmer e la sua straordinaria musica, questa e' l'occasione giusta per farlo. Il vinile poi suona benissimo, e' un suono vero, materico, dai connotati molto musicali. Evviva il VINILE!!
Das Ungewöhnliche an dieser Ende der 50er Jahre aufgenommenen Platte ist die Teilnahme von Bill Evans. Das auch im Jazztet zusammen agierende Duo A.Farmer u. B.Golson hat noch kurz vor Miles Davis (in 'Kind of Blue') den Pianisten hinzugezogen - wohlwissend, daß er mit seinem neuartigen Harmonieverständnis (das sich scheinbar mit dem bluesig-erdigen Hardbop schlecht verträgt) eine äußerst belebende Wirkung auf den teilweise recht formelhaften Hardbob haben kann. Genau dies geschieht in dieser Aufnahme - zwar nicht mit so neuartigen Wirkungen wie auf 'Kind of Blue', aber dennoch nicht zu überhören. Das Repertoire stammt im wesentlichen aus Golsons und Farmers Feder, ergänzt durch einige Standards. Die Band liefert rundum inspirierte Soli, Farmer u. Golson spielen wie gewohnt "cool" und spielen sich die Bälle nur so zu. Evans Soli bilden einen idealen Kontrast zu den Bläser-Soli: Er nimmt sich zurück und konzentriert sich ganz auf komplexe melodische Improvisation. Die Rhythm Section liefert ein straffes und felxibles Fundament und überläßt den anderen drei die Soli. Das Ganze ist akustisch (in Stereo) hervorgagend eingefangen - die Instrumente sind gut ausbalanciert und der Klang hat echte Raumtiefe.
Modern Art: Tolle Aufnahme, grandiose Musiker, mitreißende Performance. Trotzdem ein Punkt Abzug, weil: völlig unverständlich wurde auf der A-Seite ein Bonus-Track eingefügt, der das ganze Album zerstört. Wer kommt auf so eine Idee? Klar, Aufnahme aus dem selben Jahr (März 58) wie die Session für das Album (Sept 58), auch mit Bill Evans am Klavier (großartig), aber das Stück passt überhaupt nicht in das Gesamtbild - sehr experimentelle Version des Standards "it never entered my mind", interessantes Arrangement für Bass-Klarinette und Trompete, dazu noch Paul Chambers am Bass, tolltolltoll, aber halt völlig fehl am Platz. Hätte man vielleicht ans Ende der Platte setzen können, aber auch da hätte es eher gestört. Denn das Album ist voller Swing, absolut präzise Rhythmus-Abteilung, Bill Evans hält das ganze zusammen und Farmer/Golson/Evans spielen mitreißende Soli. Dagegen steht das düstere Bass-Klarinetten-Intro und eine langsame und schleppende Version eines Klassikers, total spannend, aber halt nicht in Kombination mit diesem grandiosen Album. Für die Produzenten gilt: Thema verfehlt, Note 6, setzen.
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