This post is by Dan
Recorded February 4 and 8, 1988
Art Farmer's series of albums recorded during the 1980s are some of the best evidence that jazz was alive and well. As Farmer entered his later years, he refined his already elegant style into something that, to me, epitomizes jazz at its best. At least six of his albums could easily be selected as the decade's favorite, three on Soul Note and three on Contemporary. They are listed below.
Blame it on My Youth boasts a select repertoire, modern recording and mastering, democratic sharing of the limelight, and the maturity to craft familiar material into performances without pretense or showmanship. It helps that Farmer plays flugelhorn exclusively on the album, sometimes muted and sometimes not.
In my opinion, the two best cuts are actually quartet performances. The opening title tune features Farmer on muted flugelhorn while Clifford Jordan lays out. His tone sends chills up my spine, it's so beautiful. The closing number, "I'll Be Around," is a quartet feature for Jordan. It's a marvelous study in straight ahead playing - pure jazz!
Other interesting aspects of Blame It on My Youth include Jordan playing soprano sax on two cuts. He has a fat sound, more like Sidney Bechet than Steve Lacy or John Coltrane. In addition, the group plays a great version of "Fairytale Countryside," composed by Fritz Pauer. I love this tune, which is also included in a live performance by the quintet (Live at Sweet Basil, Evidence, 1992). Jordan's "Third Avenue" and Benny Carter's "Summer Serenade" are other highlights of Blame It on My Youth.
Art Farmer remained a truly "class act" throughout his long career. It's rare that a musician can exhibit the same brilliance over 40 years of recording (roughly 1955-1996). He dressed up early bebop, sustained the genre through the 1970s, and delivered probably his signature statements in the 1980s. What an exemplary artist he was!
Soul Note:
Manhattan, 1981Mirage, 1982You Make My Smile, 1984
Contemporary:
Something to Live For, 1987Ph.D., 1989
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