JOE FARRELL
Genres: Post Bop, Classic Fusion, Funk Jazz, Hard Bop • United States

Joe Farrell, real name Joseph Carl Firrantello (16 December 1937 Chicago Heights, Illinois, USA - 6 January 1986 Los Angeles, California) was a jazz saxophonist and flautist. Farrel, best known as a member of the original line-up of Chick Corea's Return to Forever, was heavily influenced by John Coltrane, among others. His early solo CTI LP, "Follow Your Heart", with Chick Corea and Jack DeJohnette, showed an avant-garde style. In the 1960s Farrell played with Maynard Ferguson's Big Band, the Thad Jones and Mel Lewis Big Band, Elvin Jones's combo, and Slide Hampton, and recorded with Charles Mingus, Dizzy Reece, Andrew Hill and Jaki Byard. After his time with Elvin Jones' combo ended in 1970, Farrel joined Chick Corea on his album "Return To Forever". With the same line-up of musicians featured on the album, the original line-up of Chick Corea's influential fusion group Return to Forever was born. Joe read more...