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Critic's Review
Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
Art Farmer put together New York Jazz Sextet in 1965 (not long after he had switched from trumpet to flugelhorn for good), featuring James Moody(tenor sax and flute), trombonist Tom McIntosh, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath. Their only release was Group Therapy, issued by Scepter, which was long out of business until Lone Hill Jazz reissued this valuable music in 2004, and with an added bonus: All of the mono takes are here, which are different versions from the stereo masters. The primary focus of the CD is on original music, all arranged by the trombonist, starting with McIntosh's richly textured "Bottom on Top," a brilliant ballad feature for Moody's flute and the blend of the horns. McIntosh is the primary focus of the tense "Supplication," though Flanagan's introspective solo will surprise his fans. Four of the numbers were written by either David or Adolph Sandole, with whom Farmer had recorded a decade earlier, while Moody had studied with David. Adolph's tense "Another Look" is a great hard bop vehicle with tight ensembles and superb solos. David's "Dim After Day" is a warm yet complex ballad, while "Joy Shout" is as boisterous as its title suggests, combining elements of gospel and hard bop with a Caribbean rhythm. The one standard is a snappy take of Victor Herbert's "Indian Summer." Moody and Heath remain for a bossa nova arrangement of "Giant Steps" by singer Marie Volpee, with Patti Bown taking over the piano (though the instrument is in need of tuning) and Reggie Workman on bass. The wordless vocal makes this track sound a bit dated, though Moody's dancing flute solo is worth hearing. The mono versions follow on the second half of the CD, though the variations between them and the stereo masters are slight. Art Farmer fans will want to pick up this valuable reissue, especially since this represents the sole recording by this short-lived sextet.
