Fronted by Art Farmer and Benny Golson, the Jazztet was one of the best jazz combos during its three-year existence, from 1959 to 1962. Although their recordings are much revered now, they never obtained enough commercial success to maintain the group. According to All Music Guide critic Scott Yanow, “the Jazztet – along with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and Horace Silver’s quintet – was the definitive hard bop combo. Benny Golson’s compositions and arrangements gave the sextet a personal sound and a consistently fresh repertoire, the rhythm section (despite many changes in personnel) always swung steadily and the soloists were distinctive and inventive.”
This release consists every know recording by the Jazztet fronted by Farmer and Golson. It consists of their 6 complete studio LPs (presented in chronological order):
• Meet the Jazztet (Argo LP 664)
• Big City Sounds (Argo LP 672)
• The Jazztet and John Lewis (Argo LP 684)
• The Jazztet at the Birdhouse (Argo LP 688)
• Here and Now (Mercury SR 60698)
• Another Git Together (Mercury SR 60737)
as well as the set of the Jazztet at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival (with Duke Pearson on piano), and a single song from that period performed by the group on a “Tonight Show” TV broadcast.
CD1
01. Serenata [03:32]
02. It Ain't Necessarily So [04:29]
03. Avalon [03:31]
04. I Remember Clifford [03:12]
05. Blues March [05:19]
06. It's All Right With Me [03:56]
07. Park Avenue Petite [03:43]
08. Mox Nix [04:05]
09. Easy Living [03:36]
10. Killer Joe [05:00]
11. The Cool One [03:04]
12. Blues On Down [06:05]
13. Hi-Fly [05:52]
14. My Funny Valentine [04:35]
15. Wonder Why [05:55]
16. Con Alma [05:02]
17. Lament [03:33]
CD2
01. Bean Bag [04:55]
02. Five Spot After Dark [03:20]
03. Bel [04:07]
04. Milano [04:51]
05. Django [04:52]
06. New York 19 [07:07]
07. Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West [08:39]
08. Odds Against Tomorrow [11:30]
09. Junction [05:52]
10. Farmerҳ Market [08:36]
11. Darn That Dream [04:26]
12. Shutterbug [04:49]
CD3
01. ‘Round Midnight [10:13]
02. November Afternoon [06:16]
03. Tonk [06:51]
04. Rue Prevail [04:27]
05. Richie’s Dilemma [05:14]
06. Whisper Not [05:23]
07. Just In Time [05:25]
08. Ruby, My Dear [05:13]
09. In Love In Vain [07:17]
10. Sonny’s Back [04:07]
11. Tonk [45 Rpm Take] [03:04]
12. Sonny’s Back [45 Rpm Take] [02:51]
13. Space Station [05:16]
14. Domino [07:06]
CD4
01. Another Git Together [06:17]
02. Along Came Betty [05:31]
03. This Nearly Was Mine [06:29]
04. Reggie [04:32]
05. Another Git Together [45 Rpm Take] [02:58]
06. Announcements By Willis Conover And Art Farmer [01:15]
07. It Ain't Necessarily So [Live Newport] [07:24]
08. The Portrait [Live Newport] [04:28]
09. Bean Bag [Live Newport] [09:06]
10. Introduction By Benny Golson [01:07]
11. Killer Joe [Live Newport] [07:05]
12. Mox Nix [Live Newport] [12:31]
13. Serenata [Tonight Show Broadcast] [03:28]
14. Rue Prevail [Big Band Version] [04:09]
