Rhythm In Every Guise
December 2002

Rhythm In Every Guise
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By David A. Orthmann

In an age when one hears an abundance of rough-hewn, overstuffed jazz drumming, Joe Farnsworth is something of an anomaly. On the one hand, Fransworth's sticking and footwork packs as much of a wallop as any young firebrand, on the other, precision and restraint are characteristic of his approach to the instrument. A former student of both Alan Dawson and Arthur Taylor, he's assertive and loves to hit, but like his teachers Farnsworth's playing always entails design and calculation. Venerable leaders ranging from George Coleman, to Benny Golson, to Cedar Walton, frequently call on him to light a fire under their bands. The ability to set all kinds of material in motion, minus any fuss or clutter, has also placed him in a coterie of younger, tradition-minded musicians like Eric Alexander (a college classmate during the late 80s), Steve Davis, David Hazeltine, and Jim Rotondi.

Scrupulously executing every stroke with its effect on the entire band in mind, Farnsworth displays a flair for animating an arrangement. Each drum and cymbal speaks clearly, regardless of the dynamic level, and no single component stands out to the detriment of the others. During "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" (Steve Davis, Systems Blue, Criss Cross), his array of nimble four-bar breaks (very much in the manner of Billy Higgins) are tethered to Davis' apportioned statement of the tune. Farnsworth ably plays traffic cop during the tempo shifts that are built into Hazeltine's mercurial treatment of "My Old Flame" (David Hazeltine, Pearls, Venus Records; and Steve Davis, Systems Blue, Criss Cross), his brief fills ushering in each change. Persistent strokes to the hi-hat and a carefully crashed cymbal, all beneath Mike LeDonne's imposing piano riff, ignite the introduction to "Encounter" (Mike DiRubbo, Keep Steppin', Criss Cross). Furthermore, it's hard to imagine "Vibe Up!" (Steve Davis, Vibe Up!, Criss Cross) without Farnsworth's catchy, two-bar phrase, which precedes the main section of the composition and buttresses a portion of the melody.

When called on to execute tempos that are almost absurdly fast, Farnsworth makes them sound measured, rather than frantic or mechanical. He sustains a ride cymbal rhythm cleanly and without any sign of strain, stays in sync with the bassist (his hook-up with Peter Washington is exceptional), makes brief yet meaningful comments on all of the drums, and never loses momentum while leaving the cymbal to produce two-handed fills. During the head of a wired version of "On A Slow Boat To China" (Eric Alexander, Heavy Hitters, Alfa Jazz) he relentlessly stays on top of Alexander's rendition of the melody, aping the saxophonist's phrases with remarks divided between the snare and bass drums. Frequently placing accents in unison with Hazeltine's chords, and increasing his level of activity as the choruses mount, Farnsworth waits to the climax of Rotondi's solo on a breakneck "Straight Up" (One For All, Optimism, Sharp Nine) to challenge the trumpeter with several bracing, multi-stroke outbursts.

Some of the most expansive playing of Farnsworth's career has been along with Eric Alexander. On scores of tracks spanning nearly two dozen recordings, he simultaneously responds to and stimulates the tenor saxophonist while tending to the music as a whole. Although it's thrilling to listen to them interact at rapid tempos, the moderate pace of "Esther's Step" (Eric Alexander, Heavy Hitters, Alfa Jazz) makes Farnsworth's contributions easier to absorb. Throughout his partner's five choruses, there's a driving, energetic perfection in everything he does. The ride cymbal clearly delineates time, frequent snare drum accents give off a jolt without breaking the flow, and occasional bass drum hits make a fitting contrast to the higher-pitched sounds. For the most part, all of this activity runs a course that is parallel to Alexander's. In other instances, however, Farnsworth is more forceful. During the onset of the second chorus, when Alexander digresses by floating a series of short phrases over the rhythm section, the drummer brings him back into the fold with a few bars of pronounced blows to the snare and tom toms.

When given the opportunity to take a solo beyond the customary four and eight measure exchanges, Farnsworth never disappoints. Balancing chops and smarts, his playing exudes a sense of abandon, yet he always works within the structure of the composition, diligently developing and tying together one theme after another. Incorporating various kinds of sticking and subtle changes in dynamics, Farnsworth's 24 bars on "Blue Port" (Three Baritone Saxophone Band, Plays Mulligan, Dreyfus Jazz) stays near the ground, suggesting both funk and march rhythms, while intimating that something spectacular is about to happen. A blend of cymbals and drums which sway as if blown by a stiff wind, the first 12 measures of the drummer's turn during "Naccara" (David Hazeltine, Blues Quarters Vol. 1, Criss Cross) replicate his playing on the head so well that you can almost hear the tune's melody. "On A Slow Boat To China" (Eric Alexander, Heavy Hitters, Alfa Jazz) contains a solo that is the fulfillment of a drum fanatic's fantasy. Not unlike Max Roach in his ability to combine furious playing with structural cogency, Farnsworth audaciously travels around the set, establishing unifying ideas without interrupting the barrage of strokes.

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

Joe Farnsworth, Beautiful Friendship (Criss Cross)
Steve Davis Sextet, Dig Deep (Criss Cross)
One For All, Upward And Onward (Criss Cross)
David Hazeltine Quintet, How It Is (Criss Cross)
Steve Davis Sextet, Crossfire (Criss Cross)
One For All, The End Of A Love Affair (Venus)
Jim Rotondi Quintet, Jim's Bop (Criss Cross)
Eric Alexander Quartet/Quintet, Two Of A Kind (Criss Cross)

Photo Credit: Chris Hovan