Wardell Gray - Central Avenue

A friend asked me to repost this lp. It was a perfect opportunity to revisit it as well and I thought it was so fantastic that I decided to revise my much earlier post and give it it's due right here.

 Wardell Gray came of age in that special time between swing and bop. It was the west coast and things were as far out as they were back east just yet. Gray's easy tone and swinging feel make this a delight to listen to. Too bad his early demise relegated him to obscurity to all but hardcore jazz fans.

Other than a couple of alt versions this lp was also released as Wardell Gray Memorial Album. With the additional tracks it will no longer fit on a snigle disc so....
The first disc worth of tracks are the same as the memorial lp, you can skip them if you have a copy.


1. Twisted
2. Southside
3. Sweet Lorraine
4. Scrapple from the Apple
5. Move
6. A Sinner Kissed An Angel
7. Blue Gray
8. Grayhound
9. Treadin'
10. April Skies
11. Bright Boy
12. Jackie
13. Farmer's Market
14. Sweet and Lovely
15. Lover Man
16. The Man I Love
17. Lavonne
18. So Long Broadway
19. Paul's Cause


This bonus disc is the bomb! The first 3 tracks are the unissued sessions from Central Ave. "The Great Lie" is from an IAJRC release. "Stoned" is on a Mainstream comp. The last track is actually Gray's first ever release.

1. Twisted (alt.)
2. Easy Living (alt.)
3. Southside (alt.)
4. The Great Lie
5. Stoned
6. The Chase - Dexter Gordon's All Stars
7. Relaxin' at Camarillo
8. Cheers
9. Carvin' The Bird
10.Stupendous
11. Easy Living



There ya go. The whole shebang! A much better post than the first time around.

Something New, Something Blue - Columbia Special Projects lp

Well isn't that a tiny little cover? Pretty cool lp though...for what it is. Columbia special projects? Whatever that may be. Was this stuff released elsewhere? I have no idea.

Basically a bunch of blues tunes, originals and covers arranged by 4 up and coming composers. All star casts were supplied. It may not be perfect but it actually works.

You really have to love finding this kinda thing in the dollar bins at local flea markets!

Something New, Something Blue

1. Night Crawlers
2. Tin Roof Blues
3. Blues for Amy
4. St. Louis Blues
5. Swinging Goatsherd Blues
6. Blues in The Night
7. East Hampton Blues
8. Davenport Blues

1-4 recorded 5/15/59

Manny Alban - leader
Bill Evans - piano
Art Farmer - trumpet
Phil Woods - saxophone
Frank Rehak - trombone
Eddie Costa - vibes
Al Cohn - saxophone
Addison Farmer - bass
Ed Shaughnessy - drums
Teo Macero - leader

5-8 recorded 4/30/59

Teddy Charles - vibes, leader
Bill Russo - leader
Ed Shaughnessy - drums
Mal Waldron - piano
Bob Brookmeyer - trombone
George Duvivier - drums
Donald Byrd - trumpet
Hal McCusnick - saxophone
Frank Socolow - saxophone

CL 1388

Art Farmer Quartet - A Work Of Art

Not to be confused with Farmer's very first session as a leader. That was titled Work of Art. This much later session later session finds Farmer working exclusively with the flugelhorn. I generally shy away from the flugelhorn as it always seems to lack the fire, the sharpness I have come to associate with the trumpet. As I have grown older I have come to appreciate the fluidness and lyrical nature that the masters coax out of this horn.

This session from 1982, is on a label that I usually connected with an almost third stream sensibility. That and the completely horrid cover caused me to pass this record over several times.

I know now that Concord has a nice reputation and has released many fine records, but no one is getting let off the hook for that cover.

The Art Farmer Quartet
A Work Of Art

1. Red Cross
2. You Know I Care
3. (I Got A Woman Crazy For Me) She's Funny That Way
4. Change Partners
5. Summersong
6. Love Walked In
7. One For Sam

Art Farmer - flugelhorn
Fred Hersch - piano
Bob Bodley - bass
Billy Hart - drums

recorded Sept. 1981, NYC

CJ-179

Eddie Costa Art Farmer - In Their Own Sweet Way

This is a pretty cool little record. Very short barely clocking in at 31 mins. The copy posted here is also the mono version.

I suspect that Premier, like TCB was licensing these records from other sources. Regardless we have once again a fine little bop session.

Since Costa died in 1962, I would put these sessions somewhere in the late '50s. The appearance of Phil Woods and a young Paul Motain are welcome additions.

I'm pretty sure this is another record that was aquired in the semi-famous trunkload.

Be forewarned, there is a small glitch about halfway through side two.

Eddie Costa & Art Farmer Together
In Their Own Sweet Way


1. Get Out Of The Road
2. In Your Own Sweet Way
3. Big Ben
4. Nature Boy
5. Blues Plus Eight
6. I Didn't Know What Time It Was

Eddie Costa - piano, vibes
Art Farmer - trumpet
Phil Woods - alto sax
Teddy Kotick - bass
Paul Motain - drums

Premier PM-2002

To Duke With Love - Art Farmer

With Duke's "birthday" rolling around at the end of the month, I thought I might post some of my favorite Duke related stuff. This first is probably the least rare of all but as I was listening to the records I was surprised at how much I really enjoyed this one. At one time I had dismissed this record. A nice quartet date with some standards and a few surprises.

To Duke With Love Inner City Records 1978 (IC 6014)

1. In A Sentimental Mood

2. It Don't Mean A Thing

3. The Star Crossed Lovers

4. The Brown Skin Gal In The Calico Gown

5. Lush Life

6. Love You Madly

Art Farmer - flugelhorn

Cedar Walton - piano

Sam Jones - bass

Billy Higgins - drums

recorded March 5, 1975