On Saturday, January 28, 2023, Arnie Perez and VTY Jazz Arts, Inc. produced a tribute to Art Farmer held at The Cutting Room in New York City. The band was made up of Duane Eubanks, trumpet and flugelhorn, Steve Davis, trombone, Rick Germanson, piano, Tony Davis, guitar, Santi Debriano, bass and Jerome Jennings, drums.
Although Farmer was not known primarily as a composer, his 50-year recorded legacy provided a number of pieces with which he was strongly associated and these made up the basis of the titles selected for performance at the tribute. Here are the playlists with composers and solo orders for the two sets:
Set 1:
- Farmer’s Market (Art Farmer) (solos: trumpet, guitar, trombone, piano, bass, drums)
- Whisper Not (Benny Golson) (solos: trombone, trumpet, guitar, piano)
- Sometime Ago (Sergio Mihanovich) (solos: trombone. piano out; guitar, flugelhorn, bass)
- Social Call (Gigi Gryce) (solos: trumpet with cup mute, trombone, guitar, piano)
- Nica’s Tempo (Gigi Gryce) (solos: trombone, trumpet, guitar, piano, drums)
Set 2:
- Context (a.k.a. Contour) (Kenny Drew, Sr.) (solos: trumpet, trombone, guitar, piano, drums)
- Mox Nix (Art Farmer) (solos: trumpet, guitar, trombone, piano, bass, drums)
- Stablemates (Benny Golson) (solos: trombone, trumpet, piano, guitar, drums)
- Evening in Casablanca (Gigi Gryce) (solos: bass, flugelhorn)
- Farmer’s Market (reprise) (Art Farmer) (solos: trombone, trumpet, guitar, piano, drums)
At intermission, Lynne Mueller spoke briefly about recent developments regarding Farmer including her donation of his materials to the Living Jazz Archives at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey and the establishment of the Art Farmer Jazz Master Endowed Scholarship at that institution. Trumpeter Ernest Royeppen, the most recent recipient of the scholarship, was in attendance.
The audience enjoyed this remembrance of some great music from the past interpreted by jazz heavyweights of today. It is hoped that a follow-up event will look further at the legacy of Art Farmer, a jazz master.
When did Art Farmer record these tunes?
- Here is a summary listing: Recording Date/Album Title/Record Label/Leader.
- Listen to Farmer playing the tunes by clicking on the song titles below. The versions you will hear are the ones with the album title in bold.
1952-01-21 Wardell Gray Memorial, Vol. 2 Prestige Wardell Gray
1956-11-23 Farmer’s Market Prestige Art Farmer
1961-05-15 The Jazztet at Birdhouse Argo Jazztet (Art Farmer, Benny Golson)
1981-08-06 Foolish Memories Bellaphon (Ger.) Jazztet (Art Farmer, Benny Golson)
1983-05-30 Moment to Moment Soul Note (It.) Jazztet (Art Farmer, Benny Golson)
1958-12-28 Bags’ Opus United Artists Milt Jackson
1962-03-02 Here and Now Mercury Jazztet (Art Farmer, Benny Golson)
1978-02-02 Big Blues CTI Art Farmer
1982-04-24 Voices All East World (Jpn.) Jazztet (Art Farmer, Benny Golson)
1963-08-01 Interaction Atlantic Art Farmer
1964-01-10 Ralph Gleason’s Jazz Casual: Dizzy Gillespie, Art Farmer Koch Art Farmer
1955-05-26 When Farmer Met Gryce Prestige Art Farmer
1955-10-21 Art Farmer Quintet Featuring Gigi Gryce Prestige Art Farmer
1956-06-11 The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi ABC Paramount Oscar Pettiford
1956-08-03 2 Trumpets: Farmer/Byrd Prestige Art Farmer, Donald Byrd
1981-11-29 Manhattan Soul Note (It.) Art Farmer
1958-09-10 Modern Art United Artists Art Farmer
1960-02-06 Meet the Jazztet Argo Jazztet (Art Farmer, Benny Golson)
1982-04-24 Voices All East World (Jpn.) Jazztet (Art Farmer, Benny Golson)
1958-04-19 Portrait of Art Farmer Contemporary Art Farmer
1979-05-25 Something Tasty Baystate (Jpn.) Art Farmer
1981-09-05 Aurex Jazz Festival ‘81 East World (Jpn.) Hank Jones
1982-06-19 In Performance at the Playboy Jazz Festival Elektra Musician Art Farmer, Benny Golson
1955-10-21 Art Farmer Quintet Featuring Gigi Gryce Prestige Art Farmer