Tone Report Weekly 179 | Page 27

Tal Farlow If you’ve ever spent any time studying jazz chord melody stylings, then you probably know who Tal Farlow is. Though not a household name, Farlow was a groundbreaking early be-bopper who achieved initial notoriety playing in a trio with pianist Red Norvo and a young Charles Mingus on upright bass. His virtuosic solo chord melody inventions are why we still talk about him today, however. His skill in this area is unequaled, and at the time of his professional debut his facility with solo jazz guitar was positively shocking. Despite this, Farlow spent his whole life drifting in and out of the jazz world, appearing on the scene periodically to make a record or play a few sets before heading back to his home town of Sea Bright, New Jersey, where he made a living painting signs and giving guitar lessons out of his house. ToneReport.com 27