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Howard McGhee Sextet
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Howard McGhee Volume II
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Rating
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7/10
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Review
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One of Tal Farlow's earliest recordings as a sideman in an all-star line-up with Howard McGhee as leader. Entertaining, hard-working, hard-to-get.
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Artie Shaw
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The Last Recordings: Rare and Unreleased
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Rating
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8/10
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Review
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Most notable for some of Artie Shaw's best and last work, this collection also contains some early recordings of guitarist Tal Farlow. Very smooth and easy listening.
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Artie Shaw
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More Last Recordings: The Final Sessions
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Rating
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6/10
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Review
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More late Artie Shaw, but less satisfying than the other "Last Recordings" collection: more of a "scraping the bottom of the barrel" feel here.
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Tal Farlow
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Tal Farlow Quartet
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Rating
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8/10
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Review
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Farlow's first solo recording as leader with an unusual line-up, later repeated, featuring a rhythm guitarist. The opening "Lover" announces Farlow's arrival at the top of the jazz guitar ladder with a stunningly fast single note line. The rarely-played "Flamingo" features an early and not-totally successful Farlow trademark harmonic solo which rather spoils his excellent more conventional playing in the remainder of the song.
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Ada Moore
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Jazz Workshop Volume III
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Rating
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3/10
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Review
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Sterile, experimental chamber jazz, unappetising listening. The listener senses tensions between the musicians and arrangers.
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Tal Farlow
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Autumn In New York
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Rating
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10/10
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Review
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A landmark recording in Farlow's career, illustrating both his speed and dexterity ("Cherokee", "Have You Met Miss Jones ?") along with remarkably sensitive chordal solos ("Autumn In New York", "Little Girl Blue"). Long overdue a reissue on CD!
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Tal Farlow
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Poppin' 'n' Burnin
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Rating
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7/10
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Review
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Farlow recorded the best of his earlier work on Verve. Collaborators throughout his career are present here (Jones, Mitchell, Brown) in a collection of recordings made over a 3 year period. Unfortunately I only have this on tape! :(
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Tal Farlow
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The Tal Farlow Album
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Rating
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7/10
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Review
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The tracks included here are perhaps variable in quality but the finest moment in Farlow's early recorded career is heard on "My Old Flame": Farlow's extended chordal solo introduces a spine-tingling reappraisal of the standard's main chorus melody.
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Tal Farlow
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A Recital By Tal Farlow
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Rating
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7/10
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Review
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Pleasant, unchallenging music. None of the musicians are stretched and Farlow, despite being leader, is often submerged behind the horns.
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Tal Farlow
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Tal
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Rating
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9/10
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Review
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Farlow's best 1950's work was in the trio format along with Burke and Costa: the absence of drums forces each musician to work that bit harder - this is especially evident on the rhythmically challenging "Yesterdays" and high-speed "Anything Goes". By this time Farlow showed great proficiency in the use of harmonics ("Isn't It Romantic?").
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Tal Farlow
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The Swinging Guitar Of Tal Farlow
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Rating
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8/10
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Review
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Farlow, Costa and Burke further develop their mutual understanding in this swinging mixture of standards, punctuated by a rare (and rather self-indulgent!) Farlow original ("Meteor").
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Tal Farlow
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Fuerst Set
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Rating
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9/10
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Review
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See "Second Set" review below.
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Tal Farlow
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Second Set
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Rating
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9/10
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Review
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"Fuerst Set" and "Second Set" capture the Farlow-Costa-Burke trio in Ed Fuerst's loft for a home-recording (complete with grunts, groans, humming etc.). In this relaxed setting the trio stretch out for extended and imaginative solos: these recordings deserve repeated listening for best appreciation of the empathy each musician shows for his partners.
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Various
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George Wein's Newport All-Stars
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Rating
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7/10
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Review
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Enjoyable 'though unremarkable listening. This recording has curiousity value due to the pairing of the two jazz guitar greats Barney Kessel and Tal Farlow in various duets.
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TalFarlow
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The Return Of Tal Farlow/1969
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Rating
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10/10
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Review
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After a long break from recording Tal Farlow returned to prove he had lost none of his speed and feeling, while gaining warmth and maturity. Farlow's chordal solos had now devleoped to a remarkable degree of virtuousity ("Darn that Dream", "My Romance"). "My Romance" is one of Farlow's most accomplished recordings containing a long chordal solo introduction, single line statement of the chorus and a mid-song harmonic solo. Throughout Scully, Six and Dawson provide immaculate accompaniment and fine solos. Great summer listening for any jazz fan, this recording should be in ALL jazz guitar fans' collections!
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Tal Farlow
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On Stage
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Rating
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7/10
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Review
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Enjoyable back-slapping meeting, recorded in concert. Many old friendships are renewed to play a series of old and very old standards.
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Tal Farlow
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Trinity
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Rating
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4/10
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Review
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Patchy, poorly recorded/produced/engineered work. The music on this recording is also variable in quality and has a certain experimental and highly improvisational feel about much of it. Undoubtedly there are some good (perhaps startling) performances here ("My Shining Hour", "Angel Eyes") and most of the album has a very "free-jazz" feel. However, it has been said that all musicians have at least one item in their recording portfolio that they would like to forget: the final track here ("Funk Among the Keys") must surely be that track for Farlow - an embarassingly poor effort with sweeping synthesisers. I'm afraid middle-aged white men just can't play funk convincingly!
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Buddy DeFranco-Tal Farlow Quintet
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The Great Encounter
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Rating
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8/10
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Review
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Aptly titled, DeFranco's beautiful tone is perfectly complemented by Farlow and Smith's inventive and sympathetic backing. Hugely enjoyable!
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Tal Farlow
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A Sign of the Times
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Rating
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9/10
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Review
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A jazz super-group? Farlow teams up again with Jones and Brown, with whom he had first recorded over 20 years before. Excellent, hard-working (no resting after your solo in this drum-less format) and aurally challenging: the songs are all standards but what originality!
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Sam Most
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Mostly Flute
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Rating
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8/10
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Review
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A rarely heard instrument in jazz, Most turns in a virtuoso performance superbly backed by an all-star line-up. The highlight is "Rio Romance" featuring a frenetically strummed intro from Farlow which sets an impossible tempo and eventually leaves Most almost breathless after his solo!
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Tal Farlow
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Chromatic Palette
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Rating
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8/10
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Review
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Fine interplay between guitar, piano and bass produces a fresh sounding and unusual collection of standards ranging from Rheinhardt's "Nuages" to Rollins' "St. Thomas."
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Tal Farlow
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Cookin' On All Burners
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Rating
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10/10
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Review
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The highpoint of Farlow's career, this recording cannot be faulted. The full range of the great jazz guitarist's skills is on display here - single-line, chordal and harmonic solos are backed by a tight and talented rhythm section. A masterpiece.
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Tal Farlow
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The Legendary Tal Farlow
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Rating
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9/10
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Review
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A laid-back collection of standards ranging from a fluid "When Your Lover Has Gone" to a deeply sensitive "Everything Happens To Me". Most (who had recorded with Farlow 6 years before on Most's "Mostly Flute") and Farlow combine to produce some excellent duo work.
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Tal Farlow with John Abercrombie, Larry Carlton, Larry Coryell and John Scofield
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All Strings Attached
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Rating
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3/10
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Review
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Boring, disjointed, highly self-indulgent, of interest only to jazz-guitar nerds.
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Tal Farlow/Philippe Petit
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Standards Recital
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Rating
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6/10
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Review
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Certainly one only for Farlow fans, this would be difficult listening for more mainstream jazz enthusiasts. Virtuoso playing and highly inventive, undoubtedly this duo would be entertaining when viewed live, but the recorded version is rather sterile.
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Tal Farlow
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Verve Jazz Masters 41
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Rating
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10/10
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Review
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A well selected collection of Farlow's early recordings, this makes an excellent introduction to the work of the master jazz guitarist.
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