Art Farmer, "Something You Got"

[seashorepiano]

I recently picked up this album by Art Farmer w/ Yusef Lateef & David Matthews' Big Band, Something You Got, (CTI 7080, 1977) and was a little disappointed in the arrangements. Some of the tunes, like the title track, just seem to noodle around. I will say that the song "Saudhade" is a stand-out and the big band really gets going there. Is anyone familiar with this recording?

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I haven't heard that album at all, but I'm not too surprised about the outcome. Creed Taylor (I assume he was the producer?) did some really crappy things about that time for CTI. Reminds me of an Urbie Green album called The Fox which was just plain awful. David Matthews was a part of that as well. They did better with Urbie's next album Senor Blues.

I do have an Art Farmer & Jim Hall LP on CTI called Big Blues, which is a pretty decent album - a quintet date. I love Farmer's flugelhorn playing. He had a really rich, full sound on the horn. Surprisingly for me, I don't have anything by Yusef Lateef as a solo artist.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[seashorepiano]

Yes, Captain- Creed Taylor produced it. It seems that around the time between '76 and '78 the label was turning out some pretty mediocre albums. I've seen copies of Urbie Green's The Fox but haven't been interested in them.

David Matthews... I know very little about him. His piano work on Farmer's album is unexciting. He sure as hell is no Bob James (who by then had gone to ... Tappan Zee I think?) I'd frankly much rather hear Farmer on the trumpet rather than flugelhorn here- he doesn't really play much on some tunes. Big disappointment.

I've heard Big Blues is one of those albums where Creed sat back and actually let the musicians do their own thing the way they knew best. I'll try to grab that when I'm at the record haunts sometime.

BTW, this isn't intended as a slam against Creed Taylor. I think he was a fine producer, and like all producers, had his own ideas on what directions musicians should take. But frankly, some of the 7000-series on CTi are not his best. (Some Hubert Laws outings come to mind.)