Art Farmer and Benny Golson - Meet the Jazztet (1960/2003)

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.

Tracks:

01. Serenata (Anderson-Parish) 3:30
02. It Ain't Necessarily So (Gershwin) 4:26
03. Avalon (Rose-DeSylva) 3:29
04. I Remember Clifford (Benny Golson) 3:10
05. Blues March (Benny Golson) 5:16
06. That's All Right With Me (Cole Porter) 3:53
07. Park Avenue Petite (Benny Golson) 3:41
08. Mox Nix (Art Farmer) 4:01
09. Easy Living (Rubin-Ranger) 3:33
10. Killer Joe (Benny Golson) 4:57

Personnel:

Art Farmer, trumpet
Benny Golson, tenor sax
Curtis Fuller, trombone
McCoy Tyner, piano
Addison Farmer, bass
Lex Humphries, drums