Tal Farlow-Quadromania Jazz Edition

Read About This Recording

Tal Farlow was one of the major jazz guitarists of the 1950s and the subtitle to this four-CD set, The Fastest Guitar Player Of His Era, is not inaccurate. Farlow somehow could play the most complex lines very fast, displaying a remarkably light touch with his huge hands while acting as if playing the impossible was simple and always smiling.

Surprisingly, Farlow did not start on the guitar until he was already 21 in 1942. However he developed fast, was a professional within a year and became famous during 1949-53 when he was a member of the Red Norvo Trio, a vibes-guitar-bass group that originally had Charles Mingus on bass. During 1954-58, Farlow recorded regularly as a leader, but surprised the music world in 1959 by deciding to drop out and instead become a sign painter in New England. He made several comebacks during his remaining 40 years but chose to stay a part-time player.

This four-CD set has a full disc of Farlow playing in the trio with Red Norvo and Charles Mingus during 1950-51. The remainder of the music mostly draws from his 1954-56 recordings as a leader with such sidemen as pianists Gerald Wiggins, Claude Williamson and Hank Jones, bassists Ray Brown, Oscar Pettiford and Red Mitchell, drummer Joe Morello and his own classic trio with pianist Eddie Costa and bassist Vinnie Burke. Throughout, Tal Farlow is heard at the peak of his powers, making it all sound easy.

-Scott Yanow

Contents

Imported from Europe!

Remastered!

CD 1 (TT: 63:33): Cheek to Cheek; Night and Day; September Song; Time and Tide; Move; I've Got You Under My Skin; I Get a Kick Out of You; I'll Remember April; I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me; Little White Lies; Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart; Have You Met Miss Jones; If I Had You; Godchild; I'm Yours; Mood Indigo; Swedish Pastry; This Can't Be Love; Prelude to a Kiss; Deed I Do.

CD 2 (TT: 55:33): Strike Up the Band; Skylark; Have You Met Miss Jones; Tenderly; And She Remembers Me; My Old Flame; Cherokee; Autumn in New York; Tal's Blues; I Like to Recognize the Tune; There Will Never Be Another You; Just One of Those Things; Tenderly; It's You or No One.

CD 3 (TT: 55:40): Ev'rything I've Got; The Love Nest; With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair; Little Girl Blue; Autumn Leaves; It's You or No One; I Remember You; How Deep is the Ocean; There Will Never Be Another You; Fascinating Rhythm; Tea for Two; Out of Nowhere; Lorinesque; Moonlight Becomes You; The Way You Look Tonight.

CD 4 (TT: 65:04): Jordu; Bernie's Tune; Swinging Till the Girls Come Home; You Stepped Out of a Dream; I Love You; Chuckles; Anything Goes; Isn't it Romantic; Meteor; Yesterdays.

Tal Farlow, Barry Galbraith, Guitars; Bob Enevoldsen, Trombone; Bill Perkins, Tenor Sax; Bob Gordon, Baritone Sax; Charles Mingus, Ray Brown, Red Mitchell, Oscar Pettiford, Monty Budwig, Vinnie Burke, Basses; Gerald Wiggins, Claude Williamson, Hank Jones, Eddie Costa, Pianos; Chico Hamilton, Joe Morello, Stan Levy, Lawrence Marable, Henry Bellson, Drums; Red Norvo, Vibes.