AMG Review of Live at Stanford Jazz Workshop

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

Art Farmer (on his flumpet, a compromise between a trumpet and a flugelhorn) swings in creative fashion on a live set with veteran tenor Harold Land, pianist Bill Bell, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath. The quintet performs a pair of Thelonious Monk tunes, a few ballads, Land's "Rapture" and "Straight No Chaser." There are spots where Farmer (67 at the time) and Land show their age a little, but their enthusiasm, decades of success at developing their own sounds, and constant creativity within the hard bop tradition result in many strong moments.