Joe Farnsworth

Joseph Allen Farnsworth (born February 21, 1968, in South Hadley, Massachusettshttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/joe-farnsworth) is an American jazz drummer.

Farnsworth went to South Hadley High School, Massachusetts,https://valleyadvocate.com/2023/08/25/time-to-swing-jazz-drummer-and-south-hadley-native-joe-farnsworth-returns-to-the-valley-for-a-concert-honoring-his-idol-max-roach/ then William Paterson College. In William Paterson College, he studied under Harold Mabern, Arthur Taylor, Alan Dawson.https://valleyadvocate.com/2023/08/25/time-to-swing-jazz-drummer-and-south-hadley-native-joe-farnsworth-returns-to-the-valley-for-a-concert-honoring-his-idol-max-roach/  He received his BMus in 1990.

Following this, he moved to New York City in the early 1990s and played with Junior Cook (1991), Jon Hendricks (1991), Jon Faddis (1992), George Coleman, Cecil Payne (1993 and subsequently), Annie Ross, and Benny Green (1995). He has played in the group One for All since 1995. He's worked with Benny Golson and Steve Davis. In the second half of the 1990s, he worked with Eric Alexander, Alex Graham (1995), Michael Weiss (1996, 1998), the Three Baritone Saxophone Band (1997), and Diana Krall (1999-2000).https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/joe-farnsworth He was part of the Pharoah Sanders' band.

In July 2025, Farnsworth released the album "The Big Room". This album was ranked #2 at the JazzWeek charts for 3 weeks. It was ranked #1 for one week.

Discography

As leader
 Beautiful Friendship (Criss Cross, 1999)
 It's Prime Time (441 Records, 2004)
 My Heroes  (Venus, 2014)
 Time to Swing (Smoke Sessions, 2020)
 City of Sounds (Smoke Sessions, 2021)
 In What Direction Are You Headed? (Smoke Session Records, 2023)
The BIg Room (Smoke Session Records, 2025)

As sideman
With Eric Alexander
Up, Over & Out (Delmark 1993)
Alexander the Great (HighNote, 1997 [2000])
Live at the Keynote (Video Arts, 1999)
The First Milestone (Milestone, 1999)
The Second Milestone (Milestone, 2000)
Summit Meeting (Milestone, 2001)
Nightlife in Tokyo (Milestone, 2002)
Dead Center (HighNote, 2004)
Sunday in New York (Venus, 2005)
It's All in the Game (HighNote, 2005)
Temple of Olympic Zeus (HighNote, 2007)
Revival of the Fittest (HighNote 2009)
Chim Chim Cheree (Venus, 2009)
Don't Follow the Crowd (HighNote, 2010)
Touching (HighNote, 2012)
Chicago Fire (HighNote, 2013)
The Real Thing (HighNote, 2015)
Second Impression (HighNote, 2016)
With Junior Cook
You Leave Me Breathless (SteepleChase, 1991)
With Steve Davis
Dig Deep (Criss Cross, 1996)
Crossfire (Criss Cross, 1997)
Vibe Up (Criss Cross, 1998)
Portrait in Sound (Stretch, 2000)
Systems Blue (Criss Cross, 2001)
Update (Criss Cross, 2006)
Eloquence (JLP, 2009)
Say When (Smoke Sessions, 2015)
With Benny Golson
Tenor Legacy (Arkadia Jazz, 1996 [1998])
Remembering Clifford (Milestone, 1998)
One Day, Forever (Arkadia Jazz, 1996 [2001])
With Mike LeDonne 
Smokin' Out Loud (Savant, 2004)
Night Song (Savant, 2005)
With Brian Lynch
Brian Lynch Meets Bill Charlap (Sharp Nine, 2004)
With Harold Mabern
Don't Know Why (Venus, 2003)
Mr. Lucky (HighNote, 2012)
Live at Smalls (Smalls Live)
Right on Time (Smoke Sessions)
Afro Blue (Smoke Sessions)
The Iron Man: Live at Smoke (Smoke Sessions, 2018)
Mabern Plays Mabern (Smoke Sessions, 2018)
Mabern Plays Coltrane (Smoke Sessions, 2018)
With Cecil Payne
Cerupa (Delmark, 1993 [1995])
Scotch and Milk (Delmark, 1997)
Payne's Window (Delmark, 1999)
With Pharoah Sanders
 The Creator Has a Master Plan (Venus, 2003)
With Jesse van Ruller
Here and There (Criss Cross, 2002)
With Cedar Walton
One Flight Down (HighNote, 2006)
With Michael Weiss
Power Station (DIW, 1997)
Milestones (SteepleChase, 1999)
Soul Journey (Sintra, 2003)

References

 Other websites 

 https://www.joefarnsworthdrums.com

Gary W. Kennedy, "Joe Farnsworth". Grove Jazz online.
[ Joe Farnsworth] at Allmusic
One for All at AllMusic

Category:1968 births
Category:Living people
Category:American jazz musicians
Category:Musicians from Massachusetts
Category:American drummers
Category:20th-century American musicians