Art Farmer

Art Farmer was born Arthur Stewart Farmer on August 21, 1928, in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Together with his twin brother Addison (a bassist), he grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where he began on piano, violin and marching band instruments before focusing on trumpet in his early teens. The pair moved to Los Angeles and attended Jefferson High School, immersing themselves in the vibrant Central Avenue jazz scene. Art began playing professionally while still in high school, performing with bands led by Horace Henderson, Jimmy Mundy and Floyd Ray, and developing a style that prized sound and expression over speed—a hallmark homage to his admiration for Freddie Webster, among others. In the early 1950s, Farmer’s composition “Farmer’s Market” brought him early renown, leading to his relocation to New York. There he collaborated with Horace Silver, Gerry Mulligan, Gigi Gryce and others, becoming a leading voice in the bebop and hard bop movements. In 1959 he co‑founded the Jazztet with tenor saxophonist Benny Golson, a group that contributed to the hard bop era and nurtured future stars like McCoy Tyner and Grachan Moncur III. His sensitivity and warmth as a soloist earned him recognition as one of jazz’s most lyrical improvisers. By the early 1960s, Farmer shifted from trumpet to the mellower flugelhorn and later embraced an instrument custom‑made for him called the “flumpet,” blending trumpet brightness with flugelhorn richness. This sound defined his unique voice. Farmer recorded over fifty albums as a leader and many more as a sideman, exploring mainstream, experimental, and orchestral jazz settings. Albums like To Duke with Love (1976), The Summer Knows (1977) and Something to Live For (1987) showcase his refined melodic touch and respect for jazz tradition. After moving to Vienna in 1968, Farmer became part of Europe’s jazz fabric, performing with the Austrian Radio Orchestra and international figures such as Dexter Gordon and Ben Webster. His contributions were honored with the Austrian Gold Medal of Merit in the 1990s and, in 1999, he was named an NEA Jazz Master in the U.S. Farmer continued touring and recording into his final year. He passed away from a heart attack on October 4, 1999, in New York, leaving a legacy defined by elegance, emotional depth and an unmistakably warm, lyrical tone.