Art Farmer

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Art Farmer
Birth name	Arthur Stewart Farmer
Also known as	Art
Born	August 21, 1928
Origin	United States
Died	October 4 1999 (aged 71)
Genre(s)	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Trumpeter
Instrument(s)	Trumpet
Associated acts	Benny Golson

Arthur Stewart (Art) Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999), was the son of a steelworker born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, who went on to become a distinguished jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet/flugelhorn combination designed for him by David Monette.

He began working out of Los Angeles from the mid-1940s, playing in the bands of Benny Carter and Jay McShann among others. In the mid 1950s he relocated to New York, and worked with Gigi Gryce, Horace Silver, Gerry Mulligan, among others.

During the late 1950s he featured in recordings by leading arrangers of the day, including George Russell, Quincy Jones and Oliver Nelson.

He co-led the "Jazztet" with noted composer and musician Benny Golson.

In the early 1960s he formed a small group with guitarist Jim Hall and bassist Steve Swallow.

He then moved to Europe where he performed with The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band.

Farmer also recorded extensively as a leader throughout his later career.

His identical twin brother, Addison Farmer was a bassist. Humphrey Lyttleton tells the following story: once, when an interviewer asked the brothers how they told each other apart, Art laconically replied: In the morning, I pick up the bass and if I can't play it, I know I'm Art.