Joseph Allen Farnsworth (born February 21, 1968, in

Holyoke, Massachusetts Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,247. Loca ...

) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

drummer. Farnsworth was one of five sons born to trumpeter and bandleader Roger Farnsworth; one of the brothers played saxophone in

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

's band. He attended High School in Jakarta International School in Jakarta, Indonesia. He studied at

William Paterson College William Paterson University, known as WP, officially William Paterson University of New Jersey (WPUNJ), is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey, United States. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Founded in 1855 an ...

, studying under

Harold Mabern Harold Mabern Jr. (March 20, 1936 – September 17, 2019) was an American jazz pianist and composer, principally in the hard bop, post-bop, and soul jazz fields.Feather, Leonard; Gitler, Ira (2007) ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz''. p. 425 ...

and Arthur Taylor and receiving his BMus in 1990. Following this he played with

Junior Cook Herman "Junior" Cook (July 22, 1934 – February 3, 1992) was an American hard bop tenor saxophone player. Biography Cook was born in Pensacola, Florida. A member of a musical family, he started on alto saxophone before switching to tenor du ...

(1991),

Jon Hendricks John Carl Hendricks (September 16, 1921 – November 22, 2017), known professionally as Jon Hendricks, was an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is one of the originators of vocalese, which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and re ...

(1991),

Jon Faddis Jon Faddis (born July 24, 1953) is an American jazz trumpet player, conductor, composer, and educator, renowned for both his playing and for his expertise in the field of music education. Upon his first appearance on the scene, he became known ...

(1992),

George Coleman George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master. Early life Coleman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was ...

Cecil Payne Cecil Payne (December 14, 1922 – November 27, 2007) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist born in Brooklyn, New York. Payne also played the alto saxophone and flute. He played with other prominent jazz musicians, in particular Dizzy Gilles ...

(1993 and subsequently),

Annie Ross Annie Ross (born Annabelle Allan Short; 25 July 193021 July 2020) was a British-American singer and actress, best known as a member of the influential jazz vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. She helped pioneer the vocalese style of jazz sin ...

, and Benny Green (1995). He has played in the group One for All since 1995 with

David Hazeltine David Perry Hazeltine (born October 27, 1958) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and educator. Early life Hazeltine was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on October 27, 1958. He began studying the piano at the age of nine, and first pe ...

and

Jim Rotondi James Robert Rotondi (August 28, 1962 – July 8, 2024) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger, educator, and conductor. The youngest of five siblings, Rotondi was born in Butte, Montana. He played in New York City for twenty years b ...

, and worked with

Benny Golson Benny Golson (January 25, 1929 – September 21, 2024) was an American bebop and hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a p ...

Steve Davis Steve Davis (born 22 August 1957) is an English retired professional snooker player who is currently a Sports commentator, commentator, DJ, electronic musician and author. He dominated professional snooker in the 1980s, when he reached eight ...

, and Eric Alexander in the second half of the 1990s. During that period he also played with Alex Graham (1995),

Michael Weiss Michael Weiss may refer to: Sports * Michael Weiss (figure skater) (born 1976), American former figure skater * Michael Weiss (swimmer) (born 1991), American swimmer * Michael Weiss (triathlete) (born 1981), Austrian triathlete and cyclist * Michae ...

(1996, 1998), the

Three Baritone Saxophone Band 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...

(1997), and

Diana Krall Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, ''Billboard (magazi ...

(1999). He was a member of

Pharoah Sanders Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound", San ...

' band.

Discography

As leader

* ''Beautiful Friendship'' ( Criss Cross, 1999) * ''It's Prime Time'' (

441 Records __NOTOC__ Year 441 ( CDXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Seleucus without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1194 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomin ...

, 2004) * ''My Heroes'' (

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

, 2014) * ''Time to Swing'' (Smoke Sessions, 2020) * ''City of Sounds'' (Smoke Sessions, 2021)

As sideman

With Eric Alexander *''

Up, Over & Out ''Up, Over & Out'' is an album by tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander. It was recorded in 1993 and released by Delmark Records. Recording and music The album was recorded in August 1993. The four musicians are tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, pi ...

'' (Delmark 1993) *''

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...

'' (HighNote, 1997

000 Triple zero, Zero Zero Zero, 0-0-0 or variants may refer to: * 000 (emergency telephone number), the Australian emergency telephone number * 000, the size of several small List of screw drives, screw drives * 0-0-0, a Droid (Star Wars)#0-0-0, dro ...

*''

Live at the Keynote ''Live at the Keynote'' is an album by tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander. It was recorded in concert in 1999 and released by Video Arts Music. Recording and music The album was recorded at the Keynote, Tokyo, in 1999. The quartet are tenor saxop ...

'' (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 ''Sunday in New York'' is a 1963 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Tewksbury from a screenplay by Norman Krasna, based on Krasna's 1961 play of the same name. Filmed in Metrocolor, the film stars Cliff Robertson, Jane Fonda, a ...

'' (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

*'' You Leave Me Breathless'' (SteepleChase, 1991) With

*''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

*'' Tenor Legacy'' (Arkadia Jazz, 1996

998 Year 998 ( CMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – Otto III retakes Rome and restores power in the papal city. Crescentius II (the Younger) and his followers ...

*'' Remembering Clifford'' (Milestone, 1998) *'' One Day, Forever'' (Arkadia Jazz, 1996 001 With

Mike LeDonne Michael Arthur LeDonne (born October 26, 1956) is an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, and educator. Having played with Benny Goodman, Milt Jackson, and Benny Golson in various stages of his career, he now leads several of his own groups ...

*'' Smokin' Out Loud'' (Savant, 2004) *'' Night Song'' (Savant, 2005) With Brian Lynch *''Brian Lynch Meets

Bill Charlap William Morrison Charlap (born October 15, 1966, pronounced "Shar-Lap") is an American jazz pianist and educator. Early life and education Born in New York City, Bill Charlap is the son of American Broadway composer Moose Charlap and the singe ...

'' (Sharp Nine, 2004) With

*''

Don't Know Why "Don't Know Why" is a song written and composed by Jesse Harris that originally appeared on his 1999 album, ''Jesse Harris & the Ferdinandos.'' A cover of the song was the debut single of American singer Norah Jones from her debut studio album ...

'' (Venus, 2003) *'' Mr. Lucky'' (HighNote, 2012) *'' Live at Smalls'' (Smalls Live) *'' Right on Time'' (Smoke Sessions) *''

Afro Blue "Afro Blue" is a jazz standard composed by Mongo Santamaría. Santamaria version Mongo Santamaria recorded his composition "Afro Blue" in 1959 when playing with the Cal Tjader Sextet. The first recorded performance was on April 20, 1959, at ...

'' (Smoke Sessions) *'' The Iron Man: Live at Smoke'' (Smoke Sessions, 2018) *'' Mabern Plays Mabern'' (Smoke Sessions, 2018) *''Mabern Plays Coltrane'' (Smoke Sessions, 2018) With

*'' Cerupa'' (Delmark, 1993

995 Year 995 (Roman numerals, CMXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * 17 May - Fujiwara no Michitaka (imperial regent) dies. * 3 June: Fujiwara no Michikane gains power and becomes Rege ...

*''

Scotch and Milk ''Scotch and Milk'' is an album by the American jazz saxophonist/flautist Cecil Payne, recorded in 1996 and released by the Delmark label the following year.

'' (Delmark, 1997) *'' Payne's Window'' (Delmark, 1999) With

* '' The Creator Has a Master Plan'' (Venus, 2003) With

Jesse van Ruller Jesse van Ruller (born 21 January 1972) is a Dutch jazz guitarist and composer. He won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Guitar Competition in 1995 and has recorded several albums as a leader and more as a sideman. Early life Van Ruller wa ...

*''Here and There'' (Criss Cross, 2002) With

Cedar Walton Cedar Anthony Walton Jr. (January 17, 1934 – August 19, 2013) was an American hard bop jazz pianist. He came to prominence as a member of drummer Art Blakey's band, The Jazz Messengers, before establishing a long career as a bandleader and c ...

*'' One Flight Down'' (HighNote, 2006) With

*''Power Station'' (DIW, 1997) *''Milestones'' (SteepleChase, 1999) *''Soul Journey'' (Sintra, 2003)

References

*Gary W. Kennedy, "Joe Farnsworth". '' Grove Jazz'' online. *

Joe Farnsworth Joseph Allen Farnsworth (born February 21, 1968, in Holyoke, Massachusetts) is an American jazz drummer. Farnsworth was one of five sons born to trumpeter and bandleader Roger Farnsworth; one of the brothers played saxophone in Ray Charles's ban ...

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

One for All at AllMusic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farnsworth, Joe American jazz drummers Jazz musicians from Massachusetts 1968 births Living people 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians One for All (band) members Criss Cross Jazz artists Venus Records artists Smoke Sessions Records artists Drummers from Massachusetts