Album Review: Joe Farrell Quartet (1970)

CD cover of Joe Farrell Quartet, originally released in 1970, complete with Cheapo Records price sticker. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

Jazz saxophonist Joe Farrell in concert, 1985.

I bought the 1970 album Joe Farrell Quartet on a whim. It was in the “recent arrivals” section at Cheapo Records a couple of weeks ago. I looked at it, saw the striking cover art that was a trademark of Creed Taylor’s CTI Records, and decided to take a chance on it for $4.95. I couldn’t even tell you what instrument Joe Farrell played or see who was playing on the album with him. 

When I opened the CD up, I discovered that Joe Farrell played the tenor and soprano saxophones, the flute and the oboe. Playing on this album with him was a lineup of great jazz musicians: John McLaughlin on guitar on two tracks, Chick Corea on piano, Dave Holland on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. All of these musicians except for Farrell had recently spent time with Miles Davis’ bands. 

Looking up Farrell, I learned that he recorded two albums with Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison for Blue Note, and that he was in the group Return to Forever with Chick Corea. (I’ve never really gotten into fusion, so that explains some of my ignorance about Joe Farrell.) I also discovered that I knew one album of Farrell’s, the 1976 album he made with guitarist George Benson, titled Benson & Farrell. That album features a great cover, which is made up to look like a pack of cigarettes. 

I’ve always loved the covers of the albums that Creed Taylor produced on A&M and CTI. One of the first jazz albums that I ever listened to was Wes Montgomery’s 1967 album A Day in the Life, which featured an ugly/beautiful cover of cigarette butts stamped out. My Mom had that LP in her collection, and I was just drawn to it. The album also had a gatefold sleeve, which was fairly rare for 1960’s albums. I wanted to know, what did this album sound like? Turns out, it sounded great. Creed Taylor knew how to catch your eye with an album cover, and he still caught my eye with Joe Farrell Quartet, even if it’s on the diminutive CD rather than the LP. I still can’t really tell what the red object on the album cover is. A stoplight?

Joe Farrell Quartet was Farrell’s first album as a leader. Recorded on July 1^st and 2^nd, 1970, the album featured all original compositions—one by McLaughlin, two by Corea, and four by Farrell. Sonically, the album is a mixed bag, ranging from relatively straight-ahead songs to quiet gentleness to a free jazz freak out. 

The opening song, McLaughlin’s “Follow Your Heart” is my favorite song on the album. It sounds somewhat melancholy, as though it’s the theme song for some 1970’s TV show about a gritty, hard-drinking private detective. Features excellent solos by Farrell and McLaughlin. 

“Collage for Polly” is a brief assemblage of sounds that never quite coalesces into a song. You have to listen to it on headphones to really hear all the sonic details. 

“Circle in the Square” is a galloping excursion that finds Farrell on the soprano saxophone, entering John Coltrane territory as he wails. Features some simpatico comping by Corea under Farrell’s first solo. DeJohnette never solos, but he’s drumming up a storm in the background, pushing the soloists on. 

“Molten Glass” features Farrell on flute, and it’s a pretty, jaunty song. I feel like a song called “Molten Glass” should sound more like a 1960’s Blue Note groover, but that’s just me. Corea’s solo is all tinkling sparkles, full of effervescence. 

“Alter Ego” is another brief song, just under a minute and a half. It’s inconsequential and doesn’t add much to the album.

“Song of the Wind” is a duet between Farrell on flute and Corea on piano. This wind is gentle as a spring breeze, softly ruffling the hair of a woman sitting on a hill, overlooking a meadow on a sunny day. She exhales, sighing audibly. Her thoughts remain an enigma to us. 

“Motion” is the free jazz freak out. DeJohnette pounds the beat, rushing Corea’s solo along at the beginning. McLaughlin does some dive-bombing runs on his guitar. It doesn’t do a lot for me, other than rattle my nerves and force me to listen to something melodic. 

Joe Farrell Quartet is an interesting album, and it shows the promise of Farrell’s multi-instrumental approach. Thankfully Farrell appeared on many records before his death from leukemia in 1986 at age 48.