Art Farmer / Benny Golson | Meet The Jazztet

Meet the Jazztet Review

 

by Stephen Cook

One of the top hard bop contingents of the '50s and '60s, the Art Farmer and Benny Golson co-led group known as the Jazztet featured some of the best original charts and soloing of the entire era. While the group was only in existence between 1959-1962, its excellent reputation could rest on this stunning disc alone. Cut in 1960, the ten-track date features four of Golson's classic originals ("I Remember Clifford," "Blues March," "Park Avenue Petite," and "Killer Joe") and one very fetching Farmer-penned cut ("Mox Nix"). The rest of the standards-heavy mix is given the golden touch by the sextet. And what a combo this is -- besides Farmer's svelte trumpet lines and Golson's frenetically vaporous tenor solos, one gets a chance to hear a young but already very accomplished McCoy Tyner, the tart and mercurial trombonist Curtis Fuller, and the streamlined rhythm tandem of Addison Farmer and Lex Humphries. An essential hard bop title.

   Art Farmer   Benny Golson    Meet The Jazztet    

All compositions by Benny Golson except as indicated

1. "Serenata" (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish) – 3:30
2. "It Ain't Necessarily So" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 4:26
3. "Avalon" (Buddy DeSylva, Al Jolson, Vincent Rose) – 3:29
4. "I Remember Clifford" – 3:10
5. "Blues March" – 5:16
6. "It's All Right with Me" (Cole Porter) – 3:53
7. "Park Avenue Petite" – 3:41
8. "Mox Nix" (Art Farmer) – 4:01
9. "Easy Living" (Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin) – 3:33
10. "Killer Joe" – 4:57

• Art Farmer – trumpet
• Benny Golson – tenor saxophone
• Curtis Fuller – trombone
• McCoy Tyner – piano
• Addison Farmer – bass
• Lex Humphries – drums 

Meet the Jazztet is an album by the Jazztet, led by trumpeter Art Farmer and saxophonist Benny Golson featuring performances recorded in 1960 and originally released on the Argo label.^[1]

Meet the Jazztet was the debut recording of the Jazztet, a sextet co-led by Art Farmer and Benny Golson.^[2]: 2 The band had first performed in public in November 1959;^[2]: 2 the original drummer was Dave Bailey, but he was replaced by Lex Humphries prior to the recording sessions.^[2]: 3

From Wikipedia