The album Art (Argo LP 678), recorded in September of 1960, is considered one of Art Farmer’s finest and one of which he, himself was very proud. Backed by a stellar trio of pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Tommy Williams and drummer Albert ‘Tootie” Heath, the output of the recordings sessions from which the album was assembled demonstrate the essence of Farmer’s unique and often under-appreciated approach. Ira Gitler’s 5-star review in the June 8, 1961 issue of Down Beat Magazine is spot on:
“This is art. Farmer is a mature, personal, sensitive, lyrical trumpet artist. His sound, delicate and strong simultaneously, is integrated perfectly with the beautifully phrased content of his playing. His support is of the finest. Flanagan is an equally melodic, flowing player, and Farmer’s Jazztet-mates, Williams and Heath, are the perfect accompanists.
Farmer’s choice of tunes is especially astute, but it is his rendition that really justifies them. He is the epitome of tenderness on [Goodbye, Old Girl], wears his heart on his sleeve without becoming maudlin on [I’m a Fool to Want You], is appropriately nostalgic on Benny Golson’s lovely [Out of the Past], flows with facility but not glibness on [Who Cares?]. I am particularly fond of his revival of [That Ole Devil Called Love], a song that Billie Holiday sang so memorably. Several moments in his second solo here will have you putting the tone arm back again.”
For further information on this recording, see the September 21-23, 1960 session in part 2 of the discography.
But there is another aspect of the album Art that is unique (and eye-catching) and that is the painting of Farmer on the cover. The artist is Ernest Fiene (November 2, 1894-August 10, 1965), an award-winning, German-born graphic artist who worked mainly in the United States. He was a versatile and prolific creator of mainly landscapes and portraits. The painting of Farmer was done towards the end of the artist’s life and how it came to be is unclear. This seems to be the only jazz album cover he ever did.
Maria Fiene, Ernest’s daughter, remembers Farmer sitting for the portrait around the time she was 5 or 6 years old but no details as to its origin. One possible connection between Farmer and Fiene may be the family of actor/comedian Billy Crystal. Jack Crystal, Billy’s father, was a jazz concert producer and owner and co-founder (with Milt Gabler) of Commodore Record Shop in New York City. Bernhardt Crystal, Billy’s uncle and Jack’s brother, was an artist who opened the Washington Irving Gallery in New York City where works of Ernest Fiene were displayed. Thus it is tempting, although unsubstantiated, to speculate that the link between Farmer (or Argo Records) and Fiene was arranged or facilitated by one of the Crystals. Hopefully, further research will determine if this scenario is an accurate one.
It does appear that the painting was commissioned for use as an album cover. It does not seem to have been displayed anywhere except, possibly, at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
Moving to the present, on October 22, 2024, Maria Fiene formally donated the original Art Farmer portrait to the Living Jazz Archives at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey. Present at the event were David Demsey (Coordinator of Jazz Studies and Curator of Living Jazz Archives), Andres Cladera (Director of Development Major Gifts), Lynne Mueller (jazz events producer and owner of artfarmer.org) and trumpeter/graduate student Josh Mercado, the current recipient of the Art Farmer Jazz Master Annual Scholarship, who performed a solo version of Cole Porter’s “I Love You” as his personal tribute to Farmer. Below is a photo of Maria and Dr. Demsey with the painting. Note that it is actually rectangular and was cropped to fit on a square LP jacket.
Here is Josh Mercado with the painting:
This beautiful painting is a significant addition to the Living Jazz Archives.