Horn player Art Farmer died on Monday, October 4th in New York at the age of 71. Farmer was born on August 21st 1928 along with his twin brother Addison. Addison Farmer was also a jazz performer and frequently played bass with Art. Addison's own passing in 1963 was quite premature and extremely devastating to Art at that time. Art Farmer started playing the trumpet professionally in 1945 when he moved to Los Angeles and went on the road with R&B maestro Johnny Otis. In 1948, Farmer returned to LA and played with notables like Benny Carter and Jay McShann. He also teamed up with saxophonist Wardell Gray and recorded his first classic composition, "Farmer's Market." In 1953 Farmer joined Lionel Hampton's big band for a tour of Europe and also recorded his first album as a bandleader with the Farmer Sextet. In the late fifties, Farmer formed the illustrious Jazztet with saxophonist Benny Golson and trombonist Curtis Fuller. The band survived many different incarnations and enjoyed the hit song "Killer Joe." Besides playing the trumpet, Farmer embraced the flugelhorn and was well known for his soft-spoken style when performing evocative ballads. After years of switching back and forth from trumpet to flugelhorn, Art Farmer began playing a little known instrument known as the flumpet. A man named Dave Monette designed the flumpet for Farmer. "The trumpet gives you more gives you more projection than the flugelhorn and the flugelhorn has a warmer sound," said Farmer. "The flumpet mixes both qualities together. The flumpet combines the straightforward distinctively brassy sound of the trumpet with the tender intimate sound of the flugelhorn. What I like about the flumpet is the wide range of dynamics. If you play the trumpet softly, you lose the sound. With the flumpet I can be more interpretive and creative." Farmer was a true elder statesman of jazz and was respected the world over. His last recording was made in 1997 and was entitled "Silk Road." A lyrical horn player who was comfortable as a sideman as well as a leader, Art Farmer's passing will be noted by many.
by Mitch Myers
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.