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FARMER, Art

(b 21 Aug. '28, Council Bluffs IA; d 4 Oct. '99, NYC) Trumpet, later flugelhorn, now flumpet, a combination made to his own specs which precisely reveals his lovely warm tone and intelligently pretty ideas. Grew up in Southwest; to L.A. '45 with twin brother Addison Farmer (bassist, b 21 Aug. '28, d 20 Feb. '63, NYC). Art played in Lionel Hampton band '52-3, settled in NYC; own quartet with Gigi Gryce '54-6, with Horace Silver, then Gerry Mulligan (including films I Want To Live '58, The Subterraneans '60). In his work '56-8 for Hal McKusick (The Arrangers on Bluebird, Now's The Time on GRP) and George Russell (The George Russell Smalltet on Bluebird) he met the demands of the beautiful (but then avant-gardish) music with aplomb, yet remained entirely himself. Formed Jazztet with Benny Golson and Addison '59-62 for four LPs on Argo '60-61 (Blues On Down now on Chess CD), one on Mercury '62; quartet with Jim Hall '63-4 (Interaction and Live At The Half Note on Atlantic '63), then Steve Kuhn on piano (Sing To Me Softly Of The Blues on Atlantic '65).

He worked in Europe, settled in Vienna '68 with frequent visits to USA, playing mostly warmer-toned flugelhorn since mid-'60s on records. First recorded on West Coast '49; popular sideman on many LPs e.g. with Silver on Blue Note. Very prolific as leader: nearly 60 LPs beginning '53 with Quincy Jones (piano and arranger), then seven more on Prestige through '56, with Gryce, Addison, Kenny Clarke, Art Taylor, Sonny Rollins, other stars in various small groups. On ABC with Jones '57; quartet Portrait Of Art Farmer on Contemporary '58; quintet Modern Art '58, Brass Shout tentet and Aztec Suite big band '59, all on UA; quartets Art '60 and Perception '61 on Argo; big band on Mercury '62 with Oliver Nelson; Baroque Sketches arranged by Golson '66, The Time And The Place '67 live at NYC Museum of Modern Art, quintet Plays Great Jazz Hits '67 all on Columbia. LPs made in Rome, Vienna, Heidelberg etc on Campi, MPS, Mainstream, Sonet, Pye; septet Homecoming '71 on Mainstream; quartet with Cedar Walton, Sam Jones, Billy Higgins: To Duke With Love, The Summer Knows, live At Boomers (with Clifford Jordan added) '75-6 all on Inner City; On The Road '77 on Contemporary has a quintet with Art Pepper; five LPs on CTI '77-9, three on Soul Note, two on Concord Jazz '80-82; LPs '83 with big band in NYC and string orchestra in Tokyo on Japanese labels. Like Mirage '82, You Make Me Smile on Soul Note '85 has a quintet with Clifford Jordan, as do Something To Live For '87 (the music of Billy Strayhorn) and Ph.D '89 on Contemporary; Central Avenue Reunion on Contemporary was made live '89 with yet another quintet incl. Frank Morgan. Re-formed Jazztet '86 with Curtis Fuller, Mickey Tucker, Ray Drummond and Marvin 'Smitty' Smith on bass and drums: Back To The City live at Sweet Basil on Contemporary; another Live At Sweet Basil '92 with a different quintet including Jordan. The Meaning Of Art '95 on Arabesque has Slide Hampton on trombone, Ron Blake on reeds and a first-rate rhythm section; Silk Road '96 also had Blake, on Arabesque; Live On Stanford Workshop '96 on Monarch included Harold Land.