To Bird with Love: Live at the Blue Note was taken from a month that Dizzy Gillespie was featured at the Blue Note in New York, virtually at the end of his playing career, the 74-year-old trumpeter is quite erratic on this set of bop standards. However, his supporting cast (heard from in different combinations) includes such major players as altoists Jackie McLean, Antonio Hart and Paquito D'Rivera and tenors Benny Golson, Clifford Jordan and David Sanchez, in addition to a strong trio led by pianist Danílo Perez. The sidemen are in generally fine form and Bobby McFerrin literally came out of the audience to scat on "Oo Pa Pa Da." The good spirits and obvious love that these musicians had for Gillespie make up for his technical lapses. Scott Yanow Tracklist + Credits :
Although flugelhornist Art Farmer permanently moved to Europe in 1968, he has returned many times to the United States to play. For this live LP (recorded for East Wind and released domestically by the defunct Inner City label), Farmer joins up with tenor-saxophonist Clifford Jordan, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Billy Higgins for lengthy versions of Charlie Parker's blues "Barbados," "I Remember Clifford," "'Round Midnight" and "Will You Still Be Mine." The group had not rehearsed beforehand but rehearsals were not really needed for these hard bop veterans and even an uptempo version of the ballad "Will You Still Be Mine" comes off quite well. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Barbados 13'05
Charlie Parker
2 I Remember Clifford 10'55
Benny Golson
3 'Round About Midnight 13'24
Bernie Hanighen / Thelonious Monk / Cootie Williams
4 Will You Still Be Mine? 8'27
Tom Adair / Matt Dennis
Credits :
Bass – Sam Jones
Drums – Billy Higgins
Piano – Cedar Walton
Tenor Saxophone – Clifford Jordan
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Art Farmer
This exciting live set by Art Farmer is also culled from the same 1976 performances as the earlier album Live at Boomer's. Although the full quintet had not rehearsed prior to the engagement with Clifford Jordan (the rhythm section, consisting of Cedar Walton, Sam Jones, and Billy Higgins, had been working together with Farmer for over a year), the sparks fly as they stretch out on each of the four tracks present. The tenor saxophonist particularly shines in Walton's up-tempo "Fantasy in D," while the leader's inventive flügelhorn keeps "Manha De Carnaval" from being reduced to a cliché. Sam Jones is showcased on his well-known original blues "One for Amos," and the finale is an energetic take of the often placid ballad ""What's New." This well-recorded album, which was available only briefly during the LP era, was reissued by the Japanese label East Wind in early 2003. Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1 Fantasy in "D" 11'47
Cedar Walton
2 Manhã Do Carnival 12'07
A. Maria, F. Llenas, L. Bonfa
3 Blues for Amos 13'54
Sam Jones
4 What's New 11'12
Johnny Burke / Robert Haggart
Credits :
Bass – Sam Jones
Drums – Billy Higgins
Piano – Cedar Walton
Tenor Saxophone – Clifford Jordan
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Art Farmer
This is one of the better Art Farmer recordings of the 1980s, which is saying a great deal, for the flugelhornist is among the most consistent of all jazz musicians. The two ballads that open and close this set ("Blame It on My Youth" and "I'll Be Around") give Farmer an opportunity to display his warm and attractive sound (with fine support from pianist James Williams, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Victor Lewis), while the other five pieces (Benny Carter's "Summer Serenade" and more obscure material) add the great tenor saxophonist (and so-so soprano player) Clifford Jordan to the group. It's an enjoyable and very successful outing. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Blame It on My Youth 7'05
Edward Heyman / Oscar Levant
2 Fairy Tale Countryside 9'46
Fritz Pauer
3 The Smile of the Snake 6'01
Donald Brown
4 Third Avenue 8'16
Clifford Jordan
5 Summer Serenade 6'16
Benny Carter
6 Progress Report 4'32
James Williams
7 I'll Be Around 5'04
Alec Wilder
Credits :
Acoustic Bass – Rufus Reid
Drums – Victor Lewis
Flugelhorn, Arranged By – Art Farmer
Piano – James Williams
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Clifford Jordan
Among the most consistent of jazzmen, flugelhornist Art Farmer sounds in fine form on this quintet outing with tenor-saxophonist Clifford Jordan, pianist Fred Hersch, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Akira Tana. The material, other than the standards "Nostalgia" and "Have You Met Miss Jones?" is more obscure than usual, with an adaptation of a Scriabin classical prelude and numbers by Rufus Reid, Farmer ("Flashback") and Benny Carter ("Souvenir"). Creative bop-based music with Farmer's usual subtlety clearly in evidence. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 You Make Me Smile 4'19
Rufus Reid2 Prelude No. 1 7'02
Alexander Scriabin
3 Nostalgia 5'42
Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro
4 Flashback 7'51
Art Farmer
5 Souvenir 6'52
Benny Carter
6 Have You Met Miss Jones? 4'48
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
Credits :
Double Bass – Rufus Reid
Drums – Akira Tana
Flugelhorn, Producer – Art Farmer
Painting – Giuliano Crivelli
Piano, Directed By [Recording Coordinator] – Fred Hersch
Tenor Saxophone – Clifford Jordan
Among the most consistent of jazzmen, flugelhornist Art Farmer sounds in fine form on this quintet outing with tenor-saxophonist Clifford Jordan, pianist Fred Hersch, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Akira Tana. The material, other than the standards "Nostalgia" and "Have You Met Miss Jones?" is more obscure than usual, with an adaptation of a Scriabin classical prelude and numbers by Rufus Reid, Farmer ("Flashback") and Benny Carter ("Souvenir"). Creative bop-based music with Farmer's usual subtlety clearly in evidence. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 You Make Me Smile 4:19
Rufus Reid
2 Prelude No. 1 7:02
Alexander Scriabin
3 Nostalgia 5:42
Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro
4 Flashback 7:51
Art Farmer
5 Souvenir 6:52
Benny Carter
6 Have You Met Miss Jones? 4:48
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
Credits :
Double Bass – Rufus Reid
Drums – Akira Tana
Flugelhorn, Producer – Art Farmer
Piano, Directed By [Recording Coordinator] – Fred Hersch
Tenor Saxophone – Clifford Jordan
Flugelhornist Art Farmer recorded quite a few records with tenor-saxophonist Clifford Jordan during the late '80s/early '90s. This sextet outing (which also includes guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist James Williams, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith) was one of their better efforts. With the exception of "Like Someone in Love," all of the material is obscure. James Williams contributes three tunes that alternate with songs by Donald Brown, Thad Jones, Kenny Drew and Clifford Jordan. The advanced hard bop music has enough unpredictable moments to hold one's interest. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Ph.D. 8:09
James Williams
2 Affaire d'Amour 6:42
Donald Brown
3 Mr. Day's Dream 6:02
James Williams
4 The Summary 6:10
Thad Jones
5 Blue Wail 8:31
Kenny Drew
6 Like Someone in Love 6:42
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
7 Rise to the Occasion 6:13
James Williams
8 Ballade Art 4:47
Clifford Jordan
Credits :
Acoustic Bass – Rufus Reid
Drums – Marvin "Smitty" Smith
Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Art Farmer
Guitar – Kenny Burrell
Piano – James Williams
Tenor Saxophone – Clifford Jordan
Tracklist :
1 Sophisticated Lady 6:11
Written-By – Ellington, Mills
2 Jordu 6:35
Written-By – Duke Jordan
3 Love for Sale 3:59
Written-By – Cole Porter
4 Long as You're Living 5:31
Written-By – Priester, Brown, Turrentine
5 Who Will Buy? 2:38
Written-By – Lionel Bart
6 Mop Mop 5:12
Written-By – Dalmerius, Williams
7 Ceciliana 6:21
Written-By – Max Roach
8 This Night Mountain 13:11
Written-By – Max Roach
Credits :
Bass – Eddie Kahn
Drums – Max Roach
Piano – Coleridge T. Perkins
Tenor Saxophone – Clifford Jordan
Vocals – Abbey Lincoln
Tracklist :
4 Midnight Mood 6:06
Esbjörn Svensson has stood not only once on stage in Montreux. He was already a guest in the summer of 1998 at the jazz festival on Lake Gen...
