Billboard : 05/21/1955
Score of 76

Farlow, to at least one reviewer, swings as strongly as any other guitarist around today, tho his ballad sensitivity is somewhat less than that of a Johnny Smith or Mundell Lowe. His jazz numbers then would be the most satisfactory in this collection, and they are ample. His backing, too, provides strong jazz interest, what with Claude Williamson on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, and Stan Levey on drums. It’s all forceful, articulate chamber jazz, with emphases, of course, on that highly popular instrument, the guitar.

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Cashbox : 07/09/1955

Tal Farlow, one of the country’s leading guitar manipulators, is offered here in an extensive display of his vast talents. Farlow fronts a four piece combo that includes Claude Williamson, piano; Red Mitchell, bass; and Stan Levey, drums. His improvisations and abilities remove the instrument from the secondary role and lift it to that of solo instrument. One of the most interesting and most effective parts of the album is the moving solo of Autumn Leaves. It is so beautifully done, one feels the tune was enhanced by the absence of accompaniment. The haunting quality of the instrument paints a most impressive picture of “Autumn”. Guitar enthusiasts will like this album. Tal is also in there swinging on a number of items, and listeners will find something for each mood.

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Down Beat : 06/29/1955
Nat Hentoff : 4 stars

Another well-conceived collection of Farlow performances with Tal receiving expert backing from Claude Williamson, Red Mitchell, and Stan Levey. Mitchell and Williamson also contribute a few tasteful solos. One of Farlow’s highlights is his unaccompanied Autumn Leaves. Recording quality of this set is improved over Tal’s previous two albums for this label. This one’s called The Interpretations of Tal Farlow and is further proof that Tal’s ideas, beat, and tone place him among the best modern jazz guitarists.

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Liner Notes by Alun Morgan

The contemporary jazz guitar style stems from the late ‘thirties experiments of Charile Christian. It was Christian who elevated the instrument from the rhythm section to a position of prominence alongside the front-line instruments by playing single-note lines in place of the more customary chords. With the added use of an amplifier he achieved a sound not unlike that of a tenor saxophone and thus found it possible to blend his playing with the reed instruments. His death in 1942 at the tragically early age of twenty-three was a severe blow to jazz. In retrospect, however, Christian’s work was virtually complete in the sense that he had helped in the foundation of an advanced jazz style and had given a new importance to the guitar.

Almost without exception the musicians who have followed in his path have been loud in their praise for Charlie’s work. Few guitarists playing today have not, at some time or another, come under the influence of this singular young man.

The most important of the newcomers are Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel, Jimmy Raney, Mundell Lowe, Chuck Wayne, Johnny Smith, John Collins, Arvin Garrison, Bill DeArango, Howard Roberts and Herb Ellis; after Christian most of these men cite Tal Farlow as being one of their favourite guitarists. To those familiar with Tal’s work this is not surprising for his artistry is unique both in its conception and execution.

Talmadge Farlow was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, on June 7th, 1921. On leaving school he took up sign writing and it was not until he was twenty-two years of age that he turned to the guitar after hearing Charlie Christian with the then current Benny Goodman Sextet. Despite this late start Tal was soon playing locally in a Trio lead by pianist Dardanelle. Visiting musicians were impressed by Farlow’s work and urged him to try his luck in New York. Taking the advice Tal left home and obtained a job in the Trio led by ex-Woody Herman vibes player Marjorie Hyams. In 1949 when Marjorie joined the George Shearing Quintet Farlow left to take up an appointment with the Buddy DeFranco Sextet. The following year he was picked for the new Trio being formed by another vibes player, this time Red Norvo. It was his service with Norvo that gave him the first chance to prove his worth before audiences in most of the American States. With Norvo he appeared on the first-ever colour television programme as part of the accompaniment for singer Mel Tormé. Tal left Red Norvo for Artie Shaw‘s new Gramercy Five in 1953 but rejoined Red in May 1954, taking over from Jimmy Raney who had taken his place during his absence.

Farlow has, perhaps, the most individual sound of all his contemporaries. His tone is softer and he makes greater use of his instrumental range. His guitar tone is close to the sound achieved by Chuck Wayne in his experiments with the mandola. Tal plays an instrument of his own design with a finger-board over an inch shorter than the standard pattern. This helps in the production of his unique tone, but no amount of mechanical assistance can detract from the fact that he is one of the most agile-fingered performers the guitar has known. With the Red Norvo trio he frequently confused listeners into thinking that a drummer had been added to the vibes-guitar-bass line-up; he was able to play chords while tapping out rhythms on the guitar box with his finger tips.

For the enclosed record he chose ten well-known and well-liked standard tunes from past years and gave each an individual interpretation without detracting from the original charm of the melodies. At the session, held in Hollywood in the spring of 1955, he was joined by three eminently suitable musicians. In fact, it would be difficult to improve upon the choice of Claude Williamson, Red Mitchell and Stan Levey. Pianist Williamson combines the talents of accompanist and soloist; he has worked in the former capacity with singers June Christy and Robert Clary and in the latter at Howard Rumsey‘s “Lighthouse” club in California. He has a sensitive touch although he can swing in the percussive style of his idol, Bud Powell, when the occasion demands. Bass player Red Mitchell worked with Farlow in the Red Norvo Trio and has since played with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet. Red is an accomplished pianist with a big, warm tone. Drummer Stan Levey worked with Dizzy Gillespie as long ago as 1942 and has since proved his versatility by playing in all sizes of jazz groups, from the small gatherings of musicians in New York’s 52nd Street clubs to the precision-built Stan Kenton orchestra.

These three men give Farlow the support he desires on nine of the tunes, the remaining Autumn Leaves being played solo by Tal. From the first notes of These Foolish Things on side one to the coda of Just One Of Those Things on side two Farlow’s guitar remains the focal point of interest. His lower register work infringes on the upper limits of the ‘cello and the five-string bass while his ability to change rapidly from one octave to the next, as in the opening chorus of I Remember You and the final chorus of Tenderly, gives a hint of the advantages of finger-style over the more popular pick method.

His playing spans a wide range of moods from the poignancy of the minor Autumn Leaves in which he delicately intersperses chords with single-note lines, to the up-tempo Just One Of Those Things where Levey’s four-bar drum breaks in the last chorus build upon a pitch of excitement.

Musicians who have heard Tal Farlow and worked in jazz clubs with him have hailed him as “the world’s greatest guitarist.” Playing thought the enclosed record will provide the evidence that this statement is not the exaggerated praise normally associated with jazz men’s eulogies.