JAZZ : In Brief

*** Ron Carter and Art Farmer, “Live at Sweet Basil,” V.I.E.W. Video ($19.98). Subtlety is the watchword of this set, which features the bassist and trumpeter-fluegelhornist, along with drummer Billy Higgins and pianist Cedar Walton. Recorded live at the well-known New York jazz spot, and augmented with a bit of informative interview footage with Carter, the program spotlights performances that are low-key on the surface but have their share of intensity. Farmer is an uncommon soloist, playing convoluted ideas that seem simple. Likewise, Walton constantly surprises, deftly turning out tricky ideas in a solid, assured manner. Carter’s solo on “When Love Is New” is moving.

Items in this periodic survey of jazz-related books, videocassettes and laser discs are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to five (a classic).