The idea of
the Jazztet playing arrangements by John Lewis written especially for them is intriguing. According to Gene Lees' liner notes,
Art Farmer first approached Lewis about writing something for the sextet, to which the composer replied that he'd rather score an entire record. Even though
the Jazztet and Lewis' own group,
the Modern Jazz Quartet, are dissimilar in many ways, the marriage is a successful one. Still a fairly new band at the time,
the Jazztet had already undergone a total change in personnel, except for the two co-founders,
Art Farmer and
Benny Golson. Trombonist
Tom McIntosh, pianist
Cedar Walton, bassist Thomas Williams, and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath round out the group. While the overall feeling is a little more conservative than typical recordings by
the Jazztet, the free-flowing interpretation of "Django" (with a spirited solo by
Golson) and the bluesy "2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West" (showcasing
Farmer's brilliant solo) are more than ample proof of the value of this Argo LP. Long out of print, it was finally reissued on CD in Japan. ~ Ken Dryden