Art Farmer at Rudy Van Gelder’s Recording Studios

We recently had the opportunity to visit NEA Jazz Master Rudy Van Gelder’s recording studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. This was his second studio, constructed in 1959, when he moved from his original location in Hackensack, NJ. Over a period of 35 years (1954-1989), Art Farmer participated in 36 recording sessions as leader and sideman and at both the Hackensack and Englewood Cliffs studios. Many other renowned musicians recorded at these studios including Duke Ellington and John Coltrane; essentially every jazz musician of note recorded there.

We were impressed by the significance of this important venue where so much jazz history was made and overwhelmed with the thought that so many jazz greats, including Art Farmer, made their recordings in this space.

Maureen Sickler, Van Gelder’s long-time assistant, inherited the Englewood Cliffs studio and house after his death in 2016. In June 2018, Maureen and her husband, Don Sickler, received the ORATAM Award for preservation of a landmark building (house and studio).

Here are some photos of the studio tour taken on November 17, 2019:

Don Sickler demonstrating the Rudy Van Gelder studio acoustics on flugelhorn.
Don Sickler talking to tour participants.
Maureen Sickler in the Rudy Van Gelder Studio.
Van Gelder’s awards including the 2009 NEA Jazz Master award.

 

Art Farmer’s Recordings at the Rudy Van Gelder Studios

Recording Date Van Gelder Studio Location Ensemble Label First 12-in. LP Issue LP Cover
05/19/1954 Hackensack, NJ Art Farmer Quintet Prestige When Farmer Met Gryce, PRLP 7085
06/07/1954 Hackensack, NJ Art Farmer Septet Prestige Art Farmer Septet, PRLP 7031
11/09/1954 Hackensack, NJ Art Farmer Quartet Prestige Early Art, New Jazz NJ 8258
05/26/1955 Hackensack, NJ Art Farmer Quintet Prestige When Farmer Met Gryce, PRLP 7085
06/15/1955 Hackensack, NJ Gene Ammons Sextet Prestige Gene Ammons All Star Sessions, PRLP 7050
10/21/1955 Hackensack, NJ Art Farmer Quintet Prestige Art Farmer Quintet Featuring Gigi Gryce, PRLP 7017  
10/22/1955 Hackensack, NJ Gigi Gryce Nonet featuring Ernestine Anderson Signal Gigi Gryce Quartet and Orchestra, S 1201
10/30/1955 Hackensack, NJ Gigi Gryce Nonet Signal Gigi Gryce Quartet and Orchestra, S 1201
03/02/1956 Hackensack, NJ Earl Coleman with Quintet Prestige Earl Coleman Returns, PRLP 7045
04/13/1956 Hackensack, NJ Bennie Green Quintet Prestige Bennie Green with Art Farmer, PRLP 7041
04/23/1956 Hackensack, NJ Gene Ammons Septet Prestige Gene Ammons Hi Fidelity Jam Session, PRLP 7039
06/08/1956 Hackensack, NJ Earl Coleman with Quartet Prestige Earl Coleman Returns, PRLP 7045
07/13/1956 Hackensack, NJ Gene Ammons All Star Sextet Prestige Hi Fi Jam Session, PRLP 7060
08/03/1956 Hackensack, NJ Art Farmer and Donald Byrd Sextet Prestige 2 Trumpets: Farmer/Byrd, PR 7062
08/10/1956 Hackensack, NJ Gil Melle Octet Prestige Gil’s Guests, PRLP 7063
11/23/1956 Hackensack, NJ Art Farmer Quartet and Quintet Prestige Farmer’s Market, New Jazz NJLP 8203
01/11/1957 Hackensack, NJ Gene Ammons Septet Prestige Funky, PRLP 7083
01/15/1957 Hackensack, NJ Ernie Wilkins 5 Trumpet Octet Savoy Trumpets All Out, MG 12096
01/18/1957 Hackensack, NJ Gil Melle Septet Prestige Gil’s Guests, PRLP 7063
01/25/1957 Hackensack, NJ Prestige Records All Star Septet Prestige Earthy, PRLP 7102
01/26/1957 Hackensack, NJ Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, Idrees Sulieman Sextet Prestige Three Trumpets: Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, Idrees Sulieman, PR 7092
03/08/1957 Hackensack, NJ Hank Mobley Quintet Blue Note Hank Mobley Quintet, BLP 1550
05/08/1957 Hackensack, NJ Horace Silver Quintet Blue Note The Stylings of Silver, BLP 1562
07/21/1957 Hackensack, NJ Sonny Clark Sextet Blue Note Dial “S” for Sonny, BLP 1570
10/20/1957 Hackensack, NJ Hank Mobley Sextet Blue Note Poppin’, GXF 3660 (Japan)
11/10/1957 Hackensack, NJ Clifford Jordan Quintet Blue Note Cliff Craft, BLP 1582
12/01/1957 Hackensack, NJ Curtis Fuller Quintet Blue Note Curtis Fuller, Volume 3, BLP 1583
01/05/1958 Hackensack, NJ Sonny Clark Quintet Blue Note Cool Struttin’, BLP 1588
01/13/1958 Hackensack, NJ Horace Silver Quintet Blue Note Further Explorations By the Horace Silver Quintet, BLP 1589  
01/31/1958 Hackensack, NJ Mal Waldron Sextet and Septet Prestige Mal/3: Sounds, PRLP 8201
08/29/1958 Hackensack, NJ Prestige Records Blues Swingers tentet Prestige Outskirts of Town, PRLP 7145
Nov. & Dec. 1976 Englewood Cliffs, NJ Bob James Orchestra CTI BJ4, CTI 7074
Jan. 1977 Englewood Cliffs, NJ Art Farmer Sextet CTI Crawl Space, CTI 7073  
Dec. 1979 Englewood Cliffs, NJ Ron Carter Ensembles Milestone New York Slick, M 9096  
Sept. 1982 Englewood Cliffs, NJ Ron Carter Quartet Elektra Musician Etudes, 60214-1
06/19-21/1989 Englewood Cliffs, NJ Benny Golson All Star Ensemble CTI Rhythmstick, 10000