Tal Farlow's guitar work from the 1950s remains exciting, and Finest Hour, consisting of his Verve work between 1952 and 1956, is dazzling. These small-group recordings of bop and cool jazz feature a number of top performers from the era. Bassist
Red Mitchell, drummer
Stan Levey, and pianist
Claude Williamson join
Farlow for "There Will Never Be Another You," "Fascinating Rhythm," and "How Deep Is the Ocean?" This group blazes through "Tea for Two" at such a quick pace that the tune almost loses its melodic structure (this certainly wasn't the way
Django Reinhardt played it!).
Farlow provides a sterling example of the technical competence necessary to play bop by stringing notes together at a dizzying rate.
Farlow, bassist
Vinnie Burke, and pianist
Eddie Costa turn out several lively pieces without the help of a drummer. They offer a sprightly version of
Cole Porter's "I Love You" and a bluesy take on
Clark Terry's "Chuckles." One of the fascinating qualities of
Farlow's guitar work is his ability to play fast while still retaining a style all his own. He developed a number of techniques (tapping the strings, playing harmonics) but also proved capable of sensitive interpretations of ballads like "Skylark." It didn't hurt that many repertoires of the day were filled with standards, complete with distinct melodies, by writers like
Irving Berlin and
George & Ira Gershwin. Finest Hour is a great collection of the music that made
Farlow a jazz legend in his own time. It is also an excellent introduction for those unfamiliar with this amazing guitarist. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.