Meet the Jazztet

Meet the Jazztet

ASIN: B000002Q5W

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
When people discuss the cream of the hard-bop crop, names such as Clifford Brown and Max Roach, Art Blakey, and Horace Silver usually rise to the top. Without question, the Jazztet deserves inclusion in that discussion. Co-leaders Farmer and Golson had already made names for themselves before the sextet's 1960 recording debut; upstarts Curtis Fuller and McCoy Tyner were well on their way. Benefiting from Golson's usual crafty arrangements, the ensemble rolls through 10 cuts, offering a nifty combination of down-home funk and lyrical flair. Two of Golson's most revered compositions---the gentle "I Remember Clifford," led by Farmer's silky trumpet, and the urgent "Blues March"---accompany the original recording of Golson's "Killer Joe," which includes his verbal description of the title character. The band also rips merrily through Cole Porter's "It's All Right with Me" and struts easily through Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So." --Marc Greilsamer

Tracks:

Serenata
It Ain't Necessarily So
Avalon
I Remember Clifford
Blues March
That's All Right With Me
Park Avenue Petite
Mox Nix
Easy Living
Killer Joe

Amazon.com

When people discuss the cream of the hard-bop crop, names such as Clifford Brown and Max Roach, Art Blakey, and Horace Silver usually rise to the top. Without question, the Jazztet deserves inclusion in that discussion. Co-leaders Farmer and Golson had already made names for themselves before the sextet's 1960 recording debut; upstarts Curtis Fuller and McCoy Tyner were well on their way. Benefiting from Golson's usual crafty arrangements, the ensemble rolls through 10 cuts, offering a nifty combination of down-home funk and lyrical flair. Two of Golson's most revered compositions---the gentle "I Remember Clifford," led by Farmer's silky trumpet, and the urgent "Blues March"---accompany the original recording of Golson's "Killer Joe," which includes his verbal description of the title character. The band also rips merrily through Cole Porter's "It's All Right with Me" and struts easily through Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So." --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Farmer/Golson Jazztet.......2006-05-09

After working together on a couple of previous albums, Art Farmer and Benny Golson formed the Jazztet in 1960 and recorded a handful of albums for the Argo label; this was the first. (The group lasted only a couple of years, though Farmer and Golson revived it in the 1980s.)

The personnel here is somewhat of an anomaly in that it changed radically after this initial session (except for Farmer and Golson, of course). Curtis Fuller is on trombone and he's phenomenal on IT'S ALL RIGHT WITH ME, which is taken at breakneck speed. AVALON is also taken WAY up tempo; in fact, it's TOO fast - it's all notes. Golson's tenor is featured nicely on his classic tune I REMEMBER CLIFFORD and on the standard EASY LIVING. Farmer is excellent on his own composition MOX NIX, an up-tempo blues. Benny Golson was a superb composer and PARK AVENUE PETITE is a beautiful ballad. His BLUES MARCH is also performed, though not quite as successfully as on the Art Blakey Blue Note recording entitled MOANIN', which is definitive. And his KILLER JOE gets its first airing on this CD, taken medium-slow. McCoy Tyner (p) Addison Farmer (b) and Lex Humphries (d) round out the rhythm section. This is an excellent hard bop album and one of the best by the Jazztet.

Killer!.......2002-09-03

"Meet the Jazztet" is certainly a diamond in the rough. I find myself returning to it often--more than most jazz CDs. It's very easy on the ears, full of melodic compositions (say Benny Golson) with a mellow trombone presence from Curtis Fuller.

Recorded in 1960, I suspect this recording isn't better known for two reasons: the name of the band is non-descript and there are no big stars. But the stellar line-up of Art Farmer, Fuller, Golson, McCoy Tyner, Addison Farmer and Lex Humphries swings hard. You won't go wrong with this one. "Killer Joe" could be a pop tune or a jazz tune; it's a sure classic.

Good - but not the best of the Jazztet........2000-12-21

It's difficult to understand from this distance in time why this aggregation never really broke through to the kind of acclaim that they deserved. The playing on this collection is excellent, particularly on the self-penned material ( mostly from Golson - but "Mox Nix" from Farmer is stunning). The standouts are the version of "I remember Clifford", "Park Avenue Petite" and of course, the much lauded "Killer Joe".The ensemble playing is terrific and the rhythm section of Addison Farmer and Lex Humphries gave this version of the group real propulsion. So why not 5 stars ? Well, because the best it got for me, was the group that played on the now-out-of print Verve album "Here and Now" which has been available only from time to time (shame on you Verve Interactive) most recently in 1998.That's where the interplay between Golson and Farmer seemed at its best, and Farmer gets to play some great flugelhorn. However this is just fine!

Must have for a Jazz Collection!.......2000-06-02

I was turned on to this CD by my Jazz History professor at the University of Arizona. After listening to this album in class I immediately rushed out to buy it. This is probably the most influential jazz recording and a must have for any jazz enthusiast. "Killer Joe" is one of the all time greats. This is a great album that not too many people know about but everyone that I have played it for has loved.

Average customer rating:

Quintessential Hard Bop

Meet the Jazztet
Art Farmer with Benny Golson
Manufacturer: MCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Moanin'
Clifford Brown & Max Roach
Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers
Way Out West
The Sidewinder

ASIN: B00008KKTV
Release Date: 2003-05-05

Tracks:

Serenata
It Ain't Necessarily So
Avalon
I Remember Clifford
Blues March
It's All Right With Me
Park Avenue Petite
Mox Nix
Easy Living
Killer Joe

Customer Reviews:

Quintessential Hard Bop.......2003-11-21

This album has it all: tight arrangements of standards, fresh new tunes, and fantastic solos by all. Features Art Farmer, Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller, McCoy Tyner (only 24 years old, not yet into his cuartal harmonies and shimmering pentatonics), Addison Farmer, and Lex Humphries.

The dialogues between McCoy and Lex are fantastic as are all of Curtis Fuller's solos, which seem to all be at smokin' tempos. There is also a hip spoken intro to Killer Joe. Horns don't just sit around either. They back up the soloist or melody.