Art Farmer / Benny Golson — Music Videos

Art Farmer and Benny Golson were American jazz musicians who co-led the Jazztet: Farmer on trumpet and Golson on tenor saxophone. The ensemble brought carefully shaped writing and a three-horn front line to the rhythmic language of hard bop.

Meet the Jazztet, recorded in 1960, provides a useful introduction to their partnership. Golson’s compositions, including “Blues March,” give the instruments distinctive roles while leaving room for individual improvisation. Farmer’s lyrical trumpet phrasing complements Golson’s rounded tenor sound.

The appeal lies in the balance of arrangement and spontaneity. A written figure can pass between horns before opening into a solo, with the rhythm section maintaining a shared sense of swing. Their recordings show how a small jazz group can achieve the variety of a larger ensemble.