Song of the Day: Joe Farrell Quartet-CTI-1970: "Follow Your Heart"

 

Joe Farrell (Photo credit Don Schilten)

Today’s song of the day is from an album from 1970 titled Joe Farrell Quartet. Joseph Carl Firrantello was a multi-reedist and flute player born in Chicago Heights, Illinois in 1937. After graduating from the University of Illinois, he relocated to start his career as a professional musician in 1937, changing his name to the more generic Joe Farrell. In the sixties, Farrell’s skill and versatility found him recording with a range of musicians from Maynard Ferguson to Charles Mingus, from Jakai Byard to Elvin Jones. After John Coltrane’s passing in 1967, Farrell joined drummer Elvin Jones’ trio with bassist Jimmy Garrison and recorded Putttin’ in Together on Blue Note in 1968, one of three albums recorded with the trio through 1969.

Joe Farrell, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones (photo credit unknown)

In the early seventies Farrell maintained connection with Jones, who he recorded with through the mid-seventies, but became a founder, with Chick Corea, of the original Return to Forever with bassist Stanley Clarke, vocalist Flora Purim and percussionist Airto Moreira. His proficiency at both flute and soprano saxophone fit perfectly with Corea’s airy approach to Latin-inspired music.

Farrell joined Creed Taylor’s CTI label in 1970, where he recorded his debut as a leader on Joe Farrell Quartet, with Chick Corea on piano, Dave Holland on bass, Jack De Johnette on drums and John McLaughlin as a guest guitarist. McLaughlin’s composition “Follow Your Heart” was originally heard as “Arjin’s Bag” on the guitarists fantastic Extrapolation recorded five months earlier in 1969.

Farrell’s talent as a studio musician was in demand. His prolific work can be heard on popular albums by Aretha Franklin, The Band, Darryl Hall and John Oats, The Average White Band, Patti Austin, Mose Allison, Carly Simon and Santana.

This album was my initiation to Farrell’s artistry.  I got the opportunity to see this astoundingly talented artist in person, in a trio setting, at an intimate now defunct club in NJ in the early seventies. He was just mesmerizing. His performance and his many recordings have been the source of great joy and satisfaction for me for decades and this song never fails to make a lasting impression.

Unfortunately, Joe Farrell’s talent was short lived. He passed away from MDS in California at the age of forty-eight in 1986.  His music remains a testament to this talented musician’s legacy.