Joe Farrell

Joseph Carl Firrantello (December 16, 1937 – January 10, 1986), known as Joe Farrell, was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who primarily performed as a 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 as well as the last.

Early life and education Farrell was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois. As a child, Farrell began playing the flute and clarinet. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1959, he moved to New York City to work as a freelance musician.

Career He joined the Ralph Marterie Band in 1957 and later 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. After the death of John Coltrane, Elvin Jones formed a pianoless trio with Jimmy Garrison and Farrell, recording two albums for Blue Note in 1968.

In the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, Farrell performed with Chick Corea and Return to Forever.

Legacy In 2008, Farrell's daughter Kathleen Firrantello filed a lawsuit against rappers Kanye West, Method Man, Redman and Common, and their respective 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.

Discography

As leader / co-leader 1967: Jazz for a Sunday Afternoon Volume 4 (Live at the Village Vanguard) with Chick Corea, others (Solid State) 1970: Joe Farrell Quartet with Chick Corea, John McLaughlin (CTI) 1971: Outback (CTI) 1972: Moon Germs (CTI) 1973: Penny Arcade (CTI) 1974: Upon This Rock (CTI) 1975: Canned Funk (CTI) 1976: Benson & Farrell with George Benson (CTI) 1977: La Catedral Y El Toro (Warner Bros.) 1978: Night Dancing (Warner Bros.) 1979: Skate Board Park (Xanadu) 1980: Sonic Text (Contemporary) 1980: Farrell's Inferno (Contemporary), Recorded live at Pasquale's jazz club, Malibu, California. 1980: Joe Farrell & Paul Horn: Jazz Gala 1980 Vol. 3 (Legends Of Music), Recorded live at Palm Beach Casino, Cannes, France. 1982: Darn That Dream (Quartet/Quintet with Art Pepper, George Cables, Tony Dumas, John Dentz) (Real Time; reissue: Drive Archive) 1983: Vim 'n' Vigor with Louis Hayes (Timeless) 1985: Clark Woodard and Joe Farrell with Clark Woodard (BCS) 1985: Three-Way Mirror with Airto Moreira, Flora Purim (Reference Recordings)

As sideman With Mose Allison Hello There, Universe (Atlantic, 1970) Your Mind Is on Vacation (Atlantic, 1976) Middle Class White Boy (Elektra/Musician, 1982) With Patti Austin End of a Rainbow (CTI, 1976) In My Life (CTI, 1983) With Average White Band AWB (Atlantic, 1974) With The Band Rock of Ages (Capitol, 1972) With Ray Barreto La Cuna (CTI, 1979 ) With the Bee Gees Main Course (RSO, 1975) With George Benson Tell It Like It Is (A&M/CTI, 1969) Good King Bad (CTI, 1975) Pacific Fire (CTI, 1983) With Willie Bobo Bobo's Beat (Roulette, 1962) With Frank Butler Wheelin' and Dealin' (Xanadu, 1978) With Jaki Byard Jaki Byard Quartet Live! (Prestige, 1965) The Last from Lennie's (Prestige, 1965 ) With George Cables Circle (Contemporary, 1979 ) With Billy Cobham Spectrum (Atlantic, 1973) With Chick Corea Tones for Joan's Bones (Vortex, 1966) The Leprechaun (Polydor, 1976) The Mad Hatter (Polydor, 1978) Secret Agent (Polydor, 1978) Friends (Polydor, 1978) Tap Step (Warner Bros., 1980) With Return to Forever Return to Forever (ECM, 1972) Light as a Feather (Polydor, 1972) Musicmagic (Columbia, 1977) Live (Columbia, 1977) With Lou Donaldson Sophisticated Lou (Blue Note, 1973) With Cornell Dupree Teasin (Atlantic, 1974)With Maynard FergusonNewport Suite (Roulette, 1960) Let's Face the Music and Dance (Roulette, 1960) Maynard '61 (Roulette, 1961) Double Exposure with Chris Connor (Atlantic, 1961) Two's Company with Chris Connor (Roulette, 1961) Maynard '64 (Roulette, 1959–1962 ) note: 1 track only Primal Scream (Columbia, 1976) Conquistador (Columbia, 1977)With Aretha FranklinLet Me in Your Life (Atlantic, 1973)With Fuse One Fuse One (CTI, 1980)With Art Garfunkel Watermark (Columbia, 1977)With Grant Green The Main Attraction (Kudu, 1976)With Urbie GreenThe Fox (CTI, 1976) With Bobby Hackett Creole Cookin' (Verve, 1967)With Daryl Hall & John OatesAbandoned Luncheonette (Atlantic, 1973)With Slide HamptonExplosion! The Sound of Slide Hampton (Atlantic, 1962)With Andrew Hill Dance with Death (Blue Note, 1968 ) Passing Ships (Blue Note, 1969 )With Johnny Hodges3 Shades of Blue (Flying Dutchman, 1970)With Freddie HubbardThe Love Connection (A&M, 1979)With Jackie and RoyA Wilder Alias (CTI, 1973)With Antônio Carlos Jobim Stone Flower (CTI, 1970) Tide (A&M, 1970) Urubu (Warner Bros., 1976)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 The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis OrchestraPresenting Thad Jones/Mel Lewis and the Jazz Orchestra (Solid State, 1966) Live at the Village Vanguard (Solid State, 1967) Monday Night (Solid State, 1968) Central Park North (Solid State, 1969) Consummation (Solid State, 1970)With Rufus JonesFive on Eight (Cameo, 1964)With Lee KonitzChicago 'n All That Jazz (Groove Merchant, 1975)With John Larkin John Larkin (Transition, 1986)With Neil Larsen High Gear (Horizon/A&M, 1979)With Jeff Lorber Fusion Soft Space (Inner City, 1978) Water Sign (Arista, 1979)With Arif MardinJourney (Atlantic, 1974)With Pat Martino Strings! (Prestige, 1967)With Jack McDuffThe Fourth Dimension (Cadet, 1974) Sophisticated Funk (Chess, 1976)With Charles MingusPre-Bird (aka Mingus Revisited) (Mercury, 1960)With Mingus DynastyChair in the Sky (Elektra, 1979) Live at Montreux (Atlantic, 1980)With Blue MitchellMany Shades of Blue (Mainstream, 1974)With James MoodyThe Blues and Other Colors (Milestone, 1969)With Airto MoreiraFree (CTI, 1972) Latino - Aqui Se Puede (Sobocode, 1984)With Laura NyroEli and the Thirteenth Confession (Columbia, 1968) Christmas and the Beads of Sweat (Columbia, 1970)With Flora Purim Humble People (Concord, 1985)With The RascalsPeaceful World (Columbia, 1971)With Dizzy ReeceAsia Minor (Prestige, 1962)With Sal SalvadorYou Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet! (Dauntless, 1963)With SantanaWelcome (Columbia, 1973)With Lalo SchifrinBlack Widow (CTI, 1976) Towering Toccata (CTI, 1976)With Don SebeskyGiant Box (CTI, 1973)With Carly SimonBoys in the Trees (Elektra, 1978)With Harris SimonNew York Connection (Overseas Records/Estwind, 1978 [1980-1984])With Dakota StatonI Want a Country Man (Groove Merchant, 1973)With Bobby TimmonsGot to Get It! (Milestone, 1967)With Stanley TurrentineA Bluish Bag (Blue Note, 2007) - Recorded in 1967With Allen Vizzutti'''Allen Vizzutti (Headfirst, 1981)Skyrocket'' (Summit, 1995)