Among the rarest Blue Note recordings are the ones issued in the early '50s on 10" LPs, a format that did not catch on (being quickly overshadowed by 12" LPs). Among the two albums that fell into the cracks were sessions by Howard McGhee (another CD has his initial Blue Note date) and Tal Farlow. This 1998 CD contains all of the music from two former albums. McGhee's half matches the trumpeter with altoist Gigi Gryce (doubling quite effectively on flute), guitarist Farlow, pianist Horace Silver, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Walter Bolden. While that bop-oriented band plays originals by McGhee, Gryce, and Bolden (none of which caught on) plus the standard "Goodbye," and is joined by a new alternate take, the main reason to acquire this CD is for the Tal Farlow session. He is joined by second guitarist Don Arnone, bassist Clyde Lombardi, and drummer Joe Morello for three standards ("Lover," "Flamingo" and "All Through the Night") plus a trio of the leader's originals during what was Farlow's first recording as a leader. Even at that early stage, Tal Farlow was a giant.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo