Art Farmer

Trumpet / Flugelhorn
Born on Aug. 21, 1928, in Iowa, Farmer was raised in Phoenix, Arizona along with his twin brother Addison. They moved to Los Angeles in 1945 and during the late '40s, Farmer worked with the West Coast based bands of Jay McShann, Johnny Otis, Roy Porter and Benny Carter. He also worked with Wardell Gray and in 1952-'53 he went to Europe on the same Lionel Hampton tour as Clifford Brown, Gigi Gryce and Quincy Jones. Upon his return he decided to settle in New York City and shortly thereafter, he worked with Gryce (1954-'56), Horace Silver (1956-'58) and Gerry Mulligan (1958-'59). Then, in 1959, he became a co-leader of the Jazztet with Benny Golson, a group that remained together from 1959-'62 and was revived in the early '80s. The Jazztet possibly enjoyed less success than it deserved. The unique combination of Farmer's improvisational talent and leadership combined with Benny Golson's gift for composition and arrangement produced a number of world-class recordings. Apart from Golson, the Jazztet included a young McCoy Tyner and trombonist Curtis Fuller. Following the first Jazztet, Farmer worked in a quartet format with Jim Hall, which lasted until 1964. In musical terms Farmer's trademarks have always been; carefully built melodic statements, beautifully proportioned solos and a rich and mellow sound. Since the early 60-s Farmer has played the flugelhorn as his primary instrument which has only enhanced the mellowness of his tone. He travelled to Europe in the mid '60s for solo tours and worked with Jimmy Heath at home, before taking a job with the Austrian Radio Orchestra in 1968. Since then he has toured around the world, often returning home for club dates and recordings. In the 80s he recorded 3 fine albums for Contemporary, Clifford Jordan plays sax on all three. In recent years he has taken up the flumpet, a hybrid blending qualities of the trumpet and flugelhorn. He died in 1999

Go to Art Farmer's page at emusic for free MP3 downloads
   
Recommended Recordings
Blues on Down (the Jazztet) GRP/ Universal
Out of the Past Chess Records
Featuring Gigi Gryce OJC
When Farmer Met Gryce OJC
Early Art OJC
Farmer's Market OJC
Modern Art Blue Note
Portrait of Art Farmer OJC
Two Trumpets (with Donald Byrd) OJC
Meet the Jazztet Chess Records
Blues March Bcd
Back to the City (The Jazztet) OJC
What is there to Say Columbia
Big Blues (with Jim Hall) Columbia
Blame It On My Youth (with Clifford Jordan) Contemporary
Ph.D (with Clifford Jordan) Contemporary
Something to Live For Contemporary
Real Time (The Jazztet) Contemporary
Live at Sweet Basil (with Clifford Jordan) Evidence Music
To Sweden With Love Koch Jazz
The Company I Keep Arabesque
Silk Road Arabesque
Interaction/ Sing Me Softly of the Blues Collectables
And the Jazz Giants Fantasy
Some of the Best Contemporary Jazz Trumpet Players

Wynton Marsalis
Dave Douglas
Roy Hargrove
Nicholas Payton
Terence Blanchard
Randy Brecker
Ryan Kisor