Art Farmer's Flugelhorn Floats Over Bryant's Blues
Farmer's flugelhorn transforms Bryant's trio into something warmer, more introspective than usual.
What makes Slow Freight (1967) distinctive is Art Farmer's flugelhorn. Bryant was a capable swinger on piano — nimble, blues-steeped, rarely precious — but this session belongs to Farmer's warm, melodic sound floating over the top. Farmer plays both flugelhorn and trumpet here, but it's the flugelhorn that lingers: softer than trumpet, rounder in the middle register, perfect for ballads and mid-tempo blues that don't need flash. Richard Davis on bass and Freddie Watts on drums provide the pocket, solid and unshowy, which lets Farmer breathe.
Bryant's trio records could be brisk and efficient — straightahead swing without much decoration — but Farmer's presence here mellows things. He doesn't dominate; instead, he shapes the mood, hanging back on some takes, pushing through on others. The interplay with Bryant is conversational rather than competitive. Bryant comps and solos with his usual competence, but the album's tone is set by Farmer's restraint and tone.
This is a solid mid-career date, not a landmark, but it's the kind of record that rewards attention if you're drawn to Farmer's playing. He was always a player's musician — respected by peers, never quite a household name — and Slow Freight is a good example of why. It's intimate without being precious, swinging without needing to prove anything.
Who's playing
Richard Davisbass
Ray Bryantpiano
Art Farmerflugelhorn, trumpet
Snooky Youngflugelhorn, trumpet
Freddie Wattsdrums
Where next?
More by Ray Bryant
All 26 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
