During his five-decade long career, Farmer played with the best of the jazz world, including Johnny Otis, Lionel Hampton, Quincy Jones, and Gerry Mulligan. This CD combines two complete albums Farmer originally recorded for Columbia in the late 1960's. Highlights include "The Rhythm Of Life" from "Sweet Charity," "The Shadow Of Your Smile" from "The Sandpiper," and "Make Someone Happy." Personnel on "The Time And The Place" include Jimmy Heath and Cedar Walton.

2 LPs on 1 CD: BAROQUE SKETCHES (1966)/THE TIME & THE PLACE (1967).

Personnel includes: Art Farmer (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jimmy Heath (tenor saxophone); Cedar Walton (piano); Walter Booker (bass); Mickey Roker (drums);

The Baroque Orchestra.

Originally released on Columbia.

Personnel: Art Farmer (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jimmy Heath (tenor saxophone); Mickey Roker (drums).

Liner Note Author: Dan Morgenstern.

Two very different records by Art Farmer are combined on this Collectables CD reissue. Art Farmer enjoyed playing pieces with strong melodies, and the original concept of Baroque Sketches was to adapt the music of Johann Sebastian Bach into a jazz setting. After initial research, it was decided to also include works by Chopin and Albeniz, as well as John Lewis' "Little David's Fugue" and Sonny Rollins' "Alfie Theme." With arrangements by his former Jazztet partner Benny Golson, Farmer creates music that is entertaining, though unlikely to stand up to repeated listening. The Art Farmer Quintet are featured in a 1967 concert at the Museum of Modern Art in the second half of the disc, released originally as The Time and the Place. With arrangements by tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath, who is also present on the date, and a rhythm section made up of Cedar Walton, Walter Booker, and Mickey Roker, this live date mixes strong originals by Heath, one fairly well-known song from Broadway ("Make Someone Happy"), and lesser-known but potent pieces by J.J. Johnson ("Shortcake") and Sergio Mihanovich ("Nino's Scene"), who is better known for composing another favorite of Farmer's, "Sometime Ago." Although the overly enthusiastic audience tends at times to applaud prematurely and a bit too loudly, the music is first-rate. One small disappointment: By combining The Time and the Place with Baroque Sketches on a single disc, jazz fans who don't already own the 1982 Columbia reissue (a two-record set) of The Time and the Place will find themselves seeking it to obtain three additional numbers from this concert, as well as two studio tracks recorded later in the year. ~ Ken Dryden

Genre:

• Jazz

Labels:

• Collectables Records

Music Categories:

• Jazz General

Product Groupings:

• Clearance CDs
• Collectables Records - Audio CDs