Art is an album by trumpeter Art Farmer, featuring performances recorded in 1960 and originally released on the Argo label.[1]: 18 Farmer stated in 1995 that the album, which consists mainly of ballads, was his favorite.
Background
Farmer was co-founder and co-leader of the Jazztet, which had recorded two albums for Argo, including Big City Sounds on September 16, 19, and 20, 1960.[1]: 6, 18 Two of the members of that sextet – bassist Tommy Williams, and drummer Albert Heath – were retained by Farmer for his recording as leader, and pianist Tommy Flanagan was added, completing the quartet.[1]: 6
Recording and music
The album was recorded immediately after the Big City Sounds sessions – on September 21–23, 1960.[1]: 6 The band did not rehearse the music before recording it.[2]
The music chosen had an "emphasis on less frequently played ballads."[1]: 6 "So Beats My Heart for You" features two solos by Williams.[1]: 6–7 "Goodbye, Old Girl", from the musical Damn Yankees, is played with a "mood of rueful farewell".[1]: 7 The Gershwins' "Who Cares?" and Irving Berlin's "The Best Thing for You (Would Be Me)" are up-tempo numbers.[1]: 7 Benny Golson's "Out of the Past" was intended to sound like a standard, and was first recorded in 1957.[1]: 7 The playing on "Younger Than Springtime" is "impressionistic" and "reflective".[1]: 7 "I'm a Fool to Want You" was described by Nat Hentoff in the original liner notes as "the essence of jazz lyricism – intimacy without self-pity".[1]: 7 "That Ole Devil Called Love" has solos from Farmer and Williams.[1]: 7
The Allmusic review stated "This series of studio sessions from 1960 [...] find the trumpeter in great form".[3]The Penguin Guide to Jazz described the album as "close to perfect, [...] measured, unflashy but deeply felt".[4]
Speaking in 1995, Farmer stated that Art was his favorite album: "Sometimes things gel, and sometimes things that should gel don't, and nobody can really anticipate it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't work. In this case, it worked."[2]
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