Mono vs Stereo LP's

I tried a little experiment this evening based on suggestions here and the Asylum. I got two Y connectors at Radio Shack with reversed male and female RCA connectors and used them to blend down the stereo outputs to mono and then in to the phono pre ins. This produced a clear 50+% reduction in the noise. I had read that the noise is out of phase between the channels and some will cancel out. The level is now quite low and easily makes the record quite enjoyable. I think, however, that a good mono cartridge may be in my future.
BTW 4yanx, the record is the plrp 8203 purple label (also identified as New Jazz. This is listed as 1958 issue, the same year as the more coveted (but more expensive) Yellow Label. Goldmine shows a number of NJLP 8203 for these but my record has prlp 8203 on the label. The Prestige 24032 was supposedly released in the 70's.

Glad you got some resolution, there, J.
Fair enough on the pressings. Mine is a yellow and was originally my father's who bought it new. Farmer was born in Iowa as was my dad and I. They shared some mutual friends, and Farmer was one of his favorites. He swears the LP came out in 1956, and it won't be me that argues the point with him! Ha!

Glad for you if you have that recording 4yanks! According to Allmusic Jazz, Farmers Market was a compilation of sessions that Art made in the mid 50's which explains the date ambiguity. Love that Art Farmer!! I also recently picked up a 10" original issue of prlp 209 "Art Farmer Quintet" with Gigi Gryce from 1955. Interestingly this mono recording is quite quiet (except for a little scratch on side 2) with my stereo cart and benefits only slightly from the mono mixing described

That stuff with Gigi is good stuff, man. Wish I could find more of that stuff (along with a few thousand others). As I have chronicled before, my dad lost what was then a small, and what is now a princely fortune when our house burned in the late 60's along with nearly all of his 1,000-odd Jazz LP's - and I'm talking those that everyone (mostly the rich) clamors for now. The Farmer is one of a scant few saved and I would not sell it for any price. I have spent the better part of the past 5 years finding some of them and, when he visits, playing them for him like he's never heard them before. He's cried in the process and that's something for an old B-25 pilot who's seen it all.

1000 melted classic jazz albums! That was a sad day indeed!