MAO Legendás Albumok | The Tal Farlow Quartet

The significance of the Blue Note record label can hardly be overestimated. After 1945, the famous albums with the blue note label recorded the pioneers of bebop, followed by the defining small ensemble recordings of the hard bop era – these became the eternal highlights of jazz. The soloists of the Modern Art Orchestra revisit moments captured on the blue and white label records, drawing on recordings from the first great era.

The lanky guitarist Tal Farlow was entirely self-taught: he learned no trade other than coat of arms painting, and there was a time when he made a living from it. After the war, he played in clubs on the East Coast. In 1949, Red Norvo, the famous vibraphonist, hired him for his band, where his playing caused a sensation. For his first solo album, released in 1954, he invited rhythm guitarist Don Arnone to accompany him. Farlow plucked the two lower strings with his thumb and played chords and melodies on the upper four, with fast tempos and winding melodies. Although we hear two guitarists, the music is not meant to be virtuosic; the interpretation is always subordinate to the mood of the song and the narrative of the given piece.