BENNY GOLSON+ART FARMER BIG CITY SOUNDS ULTRA-RARE SEALED ORIG'60 ARGO STEREO LP

$

23

WE CURRENTLY HAVE  NEARLY 500  LISTED ITEMS

►Click here to see ALL our ROCK auctions ►Our PSYCH & PROGRESSIVE  auctions ►Our PUNK & NEW WAVE  auctions ► Our  JAZZ auctions ►Our BLUE NOTE JAZZ auctions  ►Our BLUES auctions ►Our CLASSICAL auctions ►Our COUNTRY auctions ►Our FUNK auctions ►Our LATIN auctions ►Our METAL auctions►Our REGGAE auctions ►Our SOUL auctions ► Our STILL SEALED ITEMS  ►Our PROMO auctions ►Our ACETATE  auctions ►Our TEST PRESSING  auctions  ►Our AUDIOPHILE auctions

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

·       ART FARMER AND BENNY GOLSON JAZZTET featuring CEDAR WALTON AND AL HEATH – BIG CITY SOUNDS – ORIGINAL 1960 ARGO RECORDS (A CHESS SUBSIDIARY ) STEREO LP LP-672

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

*** ULTRA-RARE STILL SEALED GUARANTEED ORIGINAL FIRST STEREO PRESSING ***

·       GUARANTEED ORIGINAL DARK BLUE ARGO STEREO LABEL WITH SILVER PRINT

·       GUARANTEED ORIGINAL DEEP GROOVE PRESSING.

·       EXTREMELY RARE ORIGINAL STEREO PRESSING, MANY TIMES RARER THAN MONO

·       THE THICKNESS OF THE VINYL, THE APPEARANCE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE COVER, LABEL’S LOGO AND OTHER PERIPHERAL ELEMENTS OF THE COVER, ARE ALL PERFECTLY CONSISTENT WITH THE ORIGINAL, FIRST PRESSING OF THIS TITLE.

·       THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST U.S. PRESSING; THIS IS NOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING.

·       ORIGINAL, THICK CARDBOARD COVER (AMERICAN STYLE)

·       ORIGINAL LAMINATED COVER

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

·       THICK, HEAVY VINYL PRESSING

(►PLEASE SEE THE IMAGE OF THE COVER, LABEL OR BOTH, SHOWN BELOW)

(Note: this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. This is NOT a "recycled" image from our previous auction. What you see is what you'll get.  GUARANTEED!)

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

When saxophonist Benny Golson and trumpeter Art Farmer Benny Golson decided to form a sextet in late 1959 with trombonist Curtis Fuller, they were stuck for a name. So Benny asked Fuller if they could use "Jazztet," a name the trombonist had come up with for a Savoy album date he led in August. Fuller agreed, and the first album the group recorded in February 1960 was Meet the Jazztet, a powerful outing that included Benny's I Remember Clifford, Blues March, Park Avenue Petite and Killer Joe.

The album remains such a strong, all-chips-in outing that the group's second album, Big City Sounds, often is overlooked, left hiding in the first album's large shadow. Recorded in September 1960, Big City Sounds was in fact a stunning followup that requires a careful re-listen.

Benny and Fuller were formerly of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, but Imagesthe Jazztet concept that Benny and Farmer had in mind wasn't quite hard bop. There was a new sophistication and lighter feel to the Jazztet's approach. Benny's writing and arranging had a greater finesse and sophistication than the beat-heavy hard bop groups of the time. Benny's melody lines and harmonies were more refined, influenced to some extent by the delicate and poetic stylings of Tadd Dameron.

The Jazztet's first album was a tough act to follow. Killer Joe was a big jukebox hit, and the Jazztet was named best new small band in the Down Beat Critics' Poll. But after the first album gained speed, Fuller decided to leave the Meet the Jazztet group, largely over financial issues related to the pay of sidemen. Both Benny and Farmer had been making sizable incomes before forming the Jazztet—Benny with his writing and Farmer with his prolific sideman dates. Both needed the bulk of the Jazztet's income to sustain their focus and participation. Bassist Addison Farmer and drummer Lex Humphries also decided to depart, along with McCoy Tyner, who joined John Coltrane.

So Benny needed to hire four replacements. The new Jazztet featured Tom McIntosh on trombone and Cedar Walton on piano, Tommy Williams on bass and Albert "Tootie" Heath on drums. The tracks were The Cool One, Blues on Down, Hi-Fly, My Funny Valentine, Wonder Why, Con Alma, Lament, Bean Bag and Five Spot After Dark.

Four of the tracks were Benny's compositions—The Cool One, Blues on Down, Bean Bag and Five Spot After Dark. Each is different from the other, but all exemplify the cooler, sculptured sound Benny was striving for with the Jazztet. In addition to the music and orchestral arrangements, the sound of Farmer's Melba-toast tone against Benny's serpentine lines and breathy phrasing makes for a rich result.

The Cool One has a Killer Joe feel and pace but it is a tad lighter. Blues on Down is given a funk feel. Bean Bag, an Images-1up-tempo tune, features voicings that lead you to think there are many more instruments playing. And the sly Five Spot After Dark has a drive that never feels heavy. Of the remaining tunes, Randy Weston's Hi-Fly and Dizzy Gillespie's Con Alma are particularly precious. And Farmer's reading of My Funny Valentine is a showcase for the trumpeter's sterling technique.

Benny and Farmer would record separately for their next two Argo dates in 1960—Benny with Take a Number from 1 to 10 and Farmer with 'Art' backed by a quartet. The Jazztet reunited in January 1961 with John Lewis. As the Big City Sounds clearly illustrates, the concept was too good not to pursue.

 (EXCERPT FROM AN ONLINE REVIEW BY PHIL SCHAAP)

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

·                               CONDITION:

·                               THE RECORD

(IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALL records are graded visually, and NOT play-graded!; we  grade records under the strong, diffuse room light or discrete sunlight)

(a)          THE ALBUM IS STILL FACTORY SEALED AND IS BELIEVED TO BE PERFECTLY MINT. Please note: sealed items are assumed to be mint and are sold as-is, as we have no way of inspecting them. For our policy on still sealed records ►click here (PLEASE READ BEFORE PLACING A BID).

(b)            The record is  apparently pressed on a beautiful, thick, inflexible vinyl, which was usually used for the first or very early pressings. Usually, the sound on such thick vinyl pressings is full-bodied, vivid, and even dramatic. Do not expect to obtain such a majestic analog sound from a digital recording!

(c)             Stereo  pressing of this title is much rarer, and by far more preferable to its mono  counterpart. The mix is more graphic, the sound resolution more precise, and the channel separation (which does not exist on mono version) adds a whole new dimension to the music. Also, the stereo mixes are (by definition) somewhat different than on the mono version. We estimate that mono copies of this album outnumber stereo copies  by a ratio of at least 10:1.

(d)          Of course, this is a full-bodied ANALOG recording, and not an inferior, digital recording!!!

·       THE COVER (THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, LAMINATED, GLOSSY COVER):

COVER IS STRONG NEAR MINT, STILL SEALED AND COVERED IN ITS ORIGINAL ►SHRINK WRAP (ACTUALLY, A LOOSE-FITTING PERFORATED BAGGY TYPICALLY USED FOR SEALING RECORDS IN THE LATE '50s AND EARLY '60s)

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

-         The laminated cover has a few air 'bubbles' in lamination (this is a common problem with most laminated 50’s and 60’s covers

NO OTHER VISIBLE FLAWS OR IMPERFECTIONS ON THE  COVER

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

POSTAGE & SHIPPING:

We offer THREE postage rates for both Domestic and International Mail: Media Mail, Priority Mail and Express Mail for domestic, and First Class, Priority International Mail, and Express International Mail for international orders. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: WE RECOMMEND (BUT DO NOT INSIST) that you select USPS International Priority Mail OR International Express mail when making a payment.

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE rates vary from one region of  the world to another. For SPECIFIC international and domestic postage rates ►click here. While you can be rest assured that our packaging is careful, sturdy and impact-proof, please note that damage, loss or theft in transit is always possible, and in the case of some countries even PROBABLE. To discuss this potential problem and ensure flawless delivery, please contact us thru eBay BEFORE placing a bid.

WANT A DISCOUNT ?!? 

IT’S EASY: CLICK ►HERE TO see HOW!

(please note recent changes in our policy)

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

FOR OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION, CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW:

►OUR VOLUME DISCOUNTS AND POSTAGE REBATES ►OUR GRADING POLICY ►ITEMS WE DO NOT GRADE ►HOW TO ACKNOWLEDGE WINNING BID OR RESOLVE A DISPUTE ►OUR PAYPAL “CHARGEBACK” POLICY ►ACCEPTABLE PAYMENT METHODS ►OUR REFUND POLICY ►POSTAGE RATES AND DISCLOSURES ►PAYMENT DEADLINES ►FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

OUR REFUND POLICY :

WE OFFER UNCONDITIONAL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM THE RECEIPT OF THE MERCHANDISE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED; Still sealed items MUST be returned sealed in order to be eligible for a refund Some restrictions apply. Please read our complete refund policy before placing a bid. ►Click here  for the full text of our policy

FINE (BUT IMPORTANT!) PRINT

 (1) The year indicated in the title bar is the year of the original release,  NOT necessarily the year of the actual pressing; for the actual generation of the pressing, please see our item description (top section, text in red letters). (2) Please do NOT bid based on the title bar, subtitle bar or item specifics box alone; instead, please read the entire description and grading before bidding; (3) Absolutely NO order cancellations after the auction closes. ever, under any circumstances. We can ONLY cancel bids before the item closes. (4) We are unable to cancel bids in the final 12 hours of the auction; if you need to do so, please contact eBay for help (5) We are unable to provide matrix-, stamper- or other pressing  information in the final 24 hours of the auction. If you require this information, please contact us well before the final day of the auction. (6) Yes, we DO combine shipments. Please click on "Shipping and Payment" tab on top of the auction page for additional details. (7)  All Paypal payments must be made from confirmed Paypal shipping addresses. NO third party shipping addresses will be honored  (8) Absolutely NO partial refunds: if you are unhappy with the merchandise you received, please return it for a full refund, postage included (9). Civilized people can disagree without accusing each other of being indecent or dishonest; if you need proof of this seller's personal integrity, please check our eBay feedback, which speaks for itself  (10) All disagreements and miscommunications can be - and will only be - solved in a civil and mutually respectful manner;  please avoid puerile, offensive, abrasive or menacing language (attempted humor is fine and usually appreciated, although overused-to-death sarcasms can be really, really tedious. (11) This seller will accommodate all reasonable requests and is generally a flexible and agreeable person (12) Our love & appreciation for your trust, loyalty and business, always and forever;  Thank You & Good Night!

© 2001,2007 MDJ. All rights reserved.