Backgrounder: Art Farmer and Hal McKusick, 1956-58

Two of the prettiest and most sophisticated players in the 1950s were trumpeter Art Farmer and alto saxophonist Hal McKusick. They recorded often throughout the decade in big bands and ensembles but they only recorded 19 tracks in the quintet format—two albums in all.

In the years before Hal died, in 2012, we spoke often by phone and saw each other in Sa…