Tal Farlow Doc and 10 Tracks

Tal Farlow is widely considered the father of the modern jazz guitar. His commanding attack and speed had much to do with the large size of his hands. As for his robust sense of swing and rich jazz-chord voicings, they were unbeatable. Born in 1921, Farlow was self-taught and deeply influenced by Benny Goodman's guitarist Charlie Christian.

His first major recording session was as a member of the Red Norvo Trio in 1950, featuring Norvo on vibes and Charles Mingus on bass. His sideman recording sessions in the early 1950s were varied, from Howard McGhee and Oscar Pettiford to Gil Melle and Artie Shaw's last Gramercy Five. In 1954, Farlow formed a quartet and began recording extensively for Norman Granz's Norgran label, which became Verve. Farlow retired in the early 1960s to New Jersey to become a sign painter, returning to perform and record in the late 1960s. Farlow died in 1998.

I'll let Talmage Farlow, a 1981 documentary on Farlow directed by Lorenzo DeStefano, fill in the blanks. Watch it here.

Here are 10 clips of Farlow in action:

Here's Splash from 1954...



Here's Autumn in New York in 1954. Dig the chords...



Here's Have You Met Miss Jones in 1954...



Here's I Remember You in 1955...



Here's the full album of Red Norvo With Strings in 1955...



Here's How About You in 1956...



Here's Like Someone in Love in 1956...



Here's Wonder Why from 1958...



Here's Here's That Rainy Day in 1977...



Here's Farlow playing A Foggy Day on TV (again, note the chords)...



Bonus: Here's Farlow on The Guitar Show...