Joe Farrell

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For other people named Joe Farrell, see Joe Farrell (disambiguation).
Joe Farrell

Joe Farrell performing at Lush Life in New York, 1985
Background information
Birth name Joseph Carl Firrantello
Born December 16, 1937
Origin Chicago Heights, Illinois, United States
Died January 10, 1986 (aged 48)
City of Hope National Medical Center, California
Genres Jazz, jazz funk, fusion, hard bop
Occupations Musician, composer, bandleader
Instruments Tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute
Years active 19621986
Labels CTI
Associated acts Elvin Jones Trio
Return to Forever
Flora Purim
Fuse One
Joseph Carl Firrantello (December 16, 1937 January 10, 1986),
[1]
known as Joe Farrell, was
an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. He is best known for a series of albums under his own
name on the CTI record label and for playing in the initial incarnation of Chick Corea's Return to
Forever.
Contents
[hide]
1 Biography
2 Discography
o 2.1 As leader
o 2.2 As sideman
3 References
Biography[edit]
Farrell was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois, United States.
[2]

In the 1960s, Farrell played with Maynard Ferguson and The Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra.
He also recorded with Charles Mingus, Andrew Hill, Jaki Byard, Players Association and Elvin
Jones.
With the group Fuse One, he released two albums in 1980 and 1982. He also can be heard on
the pop recordings of Hall & Oates playing oboeand soprano saxophone.
Farrell performs with Brazilian percussionist Airto and Airto's wife Flora Purim on the
album Three-Way Mirror. A message on the CD jacket dedicates the 1987 album to Farrell and
states it contains his final recordings.
Farrell died of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in Los Angeles, California on January 10, 1986
at the age of 48.
[3]

In 2008, Farrell's daughter Kathleen Firrantello filed a lawsuit against rappers Kanye
West, Method Man, Redman and Common, and their record labels for allegedly using portions of
Farrell's 1974 musical composition "Upon This Rock" in their songs without approval. Firrantello
was seeking punitive damages of at least US$1 million and asked that no further copies of the
songs be made, sold or performed.
[4][5]

Discography[edit]
As leader[edit]
1970: Joe Farrell Quartet (CTI, with John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, Dave
Holland)
1971: Outback (CTI, with Chick Corea, Buster Williams, Elvin Jones, Airto Moreira)
1972: Moon Germs (CTI, with Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke, Jack DeJohnette)
1973: Penny Arcade (CTI, with Herbie Hancock, Joe Beck, Herb Bushler, Steve Gadd, Don
Alias)
1974: Upon This Rock (with Herbie Hancock, Joe Beck, Herb Bushler, Jim Madison, Don
Alias, Steve Gadd)
1975: Canned Funk (with Joe Beck, Herb Bushler, Jim Madison, Ray Mantilla)
1976: Benson & Farrell (with George Benson, Eddie Daniels, Don Grolnick, Andy
Newmark, Sonny Bravo)
1978: Night Dancing (Warner Bros.)
1979: Skate Board Park (Xanadu Records, with Chick Corea, Bob Magnusson, Larance
Marable)
1980: Sonic Text (Contemporary Records, with Freddie Hubbard, George Cables, Tony
Dumas, Peter Erskine)
1980: Farrell's Inferno (with Victor Feldman, Bob Magnusson, John Guerin)
1982: Darn That Dream (with Art Pepper, Tony Dumas, John Dentz, George Cables)
1983: Vim 'n' Vigor (Timeless Records, with Louis Hayes)
As sideman[edit]
With Patti Austin
End of a Rainbow (CTI, 1976)
With Average White Band
AWB (1974)
With The Band
Rock of Ages (1972)
With George Benson
Tell It Like It Is (A&M/CTI, 1969)
Good King Bad (CTI, 1975)
With Willie Bobo
Bobo's Beat (Roulette, 1962)
With Frank Butler
Wheelin' and Dealin' (Xanadu, 1978)
With Jaki Byard
Jaki Byard Quartet Live! (1965)
The Last from Lennie's (1965 - released in 2003)
With Billy Cobham
Spectrum (1973)
With Chick Corea/Return to Forever
Tones for Joan's Bones (1966)
Return to Forever (1972)
Light as a Feather (1972)
The Leprechaun (1976)
Musicmagic (1977)
The Mad Hatter (1978)
Friends (1978)
Live (1978)
Secret Agent (1978)
With Lou Donaldson
Sophisticated Lou (1973)
With Maynard Ferguson
Let's Face The Music And Dance (Roulette, 1960)
Newport Suite (Roulette, 1960)
Maynard '61 (Roulette, 1961)
Double Exposure (Atlantic, 1961)
Two's Company (Roulette, 1961)
Primal Scream (Columbia, 1976)
Conquistador (Columbia, 1977)
With Fuse One
Fuse One (1980)
With Grant Green
The Main Attraction (Kudu, 1976)
With Urbie Green
The Fox (CTI, 1976)
With Andrew Hill
Dance with Death (1968)
Passing Ships (1969 - not released until 2003)
With Jackie and Roy
A Wilder Alias (CTI, 1973)
With Elvin Jones
Puttin' It Together (Blue Note, 1968)
The Ultimate (Blue Note, 1968)
Poly-Currents (Blue Note, 1970)
Genesis (Blue Note, 1971)
Merry-Go-Round (Blue Note, 1971)
New Agenda (Vanguard, 1975)
With John Larkin
John Larkin (1986)
With The Jeff Lorber Fusion
Soft Space (1978)
With Arif Mardin
Journey (Atlantic, 1974)
With Pat Martino
Strings! (Prestige, 1967)
With Jack McDuff
The Fourth Dimension (Cadet, 1974)
Sophisticated Funk (Chess, 1976)
With Airto Moreira
Free (CTI, 1972)
With Ray Barreto
La Cuna
With Lalo Schifrin
Black Widow (CTI, 1976)
Towering Toccata (CTI, 1976)
With Don Sebesky
Giant Box (CTI, 1973)
With Bobby Timmons
Got to Get It! (Milestone, 1967)
With the Bee Gees
Main Course (1975)
With Laura Nyro
Eli and the Thirteenth Confession (Columbia, 1968)
Christmas and the Beads of Sweat (Columbia, 1970)