Joe Farrell

Joseph Carl Firrantello (December 16, 1937 – January 10, 1986), 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.

Farrell was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois, United States.

In the 1960s, Farrell played with 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 oboe and 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.

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.

Discography

As leader

• 1970: Joe Farrell Quartet CTI 6003 (with John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland) reissued as Song of the Wind CTI 6067 in 1974)
• 1971: Outback CTI 6014 (with Chick Corea, Buster Williams, Elvin Jones, Airto Moreira)
• 1972: Moon Germs CTI 6023 (with Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke, Jack DeJohnette)
• 1973: Penny Arcade CTI 6034 (with Herbie Hancock, Joe Beck, Herb Bushler, Steve Gadd, Don Alias)
• 1974: Upon This Rock CTI 6042 (with Herbie Hancock, Joe Beck, Herb Bushler, Jim Madison, Don Alias, Steve Gadd)
• 1975: Canned Funk CTI 6053 (with Joe Beck, Herb Bushler, Jim Madison, Ray Mantilla)
• 1976: Benson & Farrell (Duo album with George Benson) CTI 6069 (with Eddie Daniels, David Tofani, Don Grolnick, Will Lee, Gary King, Andy Newmark, Sonny Bravo)
• 1978: La Cathedral Y El Toro Warner Bros 3121
• 1978: Night Dancing Warner Bros 3225
• 1979: Skate Board Park Xanadu 174 (with Chick Corea, Bob Magnusson, Larance Marable)
• 1980: Sonic Text Contemporary, Original Jazz Classics, Fantasy 1993 (with Freddie Hubbard, George Cables, Tony Dumas, Peter Erskine)
• 1980: Farrell's Inferno Jazz a la Carte (with Victor Feldman, Bob Magnusson, John Guerin)
• 1981: Last of The Lighthouse Unreleased (with George Cables, Bob Magnusson, Peter Erskine)
• 1982: Darn That Dream Drive Archive 41038 (with Art Pepper, Tony Dumas, John Dentz, George Cables)
• 1983: Vim 'n' Vigor (Timeless) with Louis Hayes

As sideman

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 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 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 Jeff Lorber Fusion

• Soft Space (1978)

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 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)

References

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