Joe Farrell


Joseph Carl Firrantello, 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. He is the flutist on the original recording of the Corea-penned jazz standard "Spain."
He did numerous sessions and contributed a flute solo to Aretha Franklin's 1973 hit "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)". The Santana track "When I Look into Your Eyes" includes prominent flute solos from Farrell. During this period, he also contributed tenor saxophone and oboe solos to Hall & Oates' Abandoned Luncheonette. Some of the most famous funk singles of James Brown feature Farrell as a part of the horn section.
In 1976, Farrell recorded a duo album with George Benson called Benson & Farrell on CTI Records.
Farrell recorded Flute Talk with Sam Most in 1979, which was billed as a duet of the world's two greatest jazz flutists.
Farrell performed 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.

Death

Farrell died of myelodysplastic syndrome at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, on January 10, 1986, at the age of 48.

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

As sideman

With Mose Allison
With Patti Austin
With Average White BandAWB
With The BandRock of Ages
With Ray BarretoLa Cuna
With the Bee Gees
With George Benson
With Willie Bobo
With Frank Butler
With Jaki ByardJaki Byard Quartet Live! The Last from Lennie's
With George Cables
With Billy CobhamSpectrum
With Chick CoreaTones for Joan's Bones The Leprechaun The Mad Hatter Secret Agent Friends Tap Step
With Return to ForeverReturn to Forever Light as a Feather Musicmagic Live
With Lou DonaldsonSophisticated Lou
With Cornell Dupree
  • Teasin
With Maynard Ferguson
With Aretha Franklin
With Fuse OneFuse One
With Art GarfunkelWatermark
With Grant GreenThe Main Attraction
With Urbie Green
;With Bobby Hackett
With Daryl Hall & John Oates
With Slide Hampton
With Andrew Hill Dance with Death Passing Ships
With Johnny Hodges
With Freddie Hubbard
With Jackie and Roy
With Antônio Carlos JobimStone Flower Tide Urubu
With Elvin JonesPuttin' It Together The Ultimate
With The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra
With Rufus Jones
With Lee Konitz
With John LarkinJohn Larkin
With Neil LarsenHigh Gear
With Jeff Lorber FusionSoft Space Water Sign
With Arif Mardin
With Pat MartinoStrings!
With Jack McDuff
With Charles Mingus
  • Pre-Bird
With Mingus Dynasty
With Blue Mitchell
With James Moody
With Airto Moreira
  • Free
  • Latino - Aqui Se Puede
With Laura Nyro
With Flora PurimHumble People
With The Rascals
With Dizzy Reece
With Sal Salvador
With Santana
With Lalo Schifrin
With Don Sebesky
With Carly Simon
With Harris Simon
With Dakota Staton
With Bobby Timmons
With Stanley Turrentine
With Allen Vizzutti'
  • Allen Vizzutti
  • ''Skyrocket''