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:
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 |  |