Joe Farnsworth

Joe Farnsworth is already regarded as one of the top jazz drummers in the world, but as far as he is concerned, he is just getting started. He is dedicated to the great tradition of jazz drumming as conceived by men like Max Roach, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Billy Higgins and Arthur Taylor and it keeps him in the practice room trying to continue and extend it.

Joe was born on February 21, 1968 in South Hadley, Massachusetts into an unusually musical family. His father was a renowned music teacher who immersed his five sons, and it became clear early on that, Joe as the youngest would choose a career in music and would ultimately be a great success. His eldest brother, John, a renowned trombone and saxophone player, exposed him at the age of 12, to the music of Count Basie, John Coltrain, Charlie Parker and the drumming of Tony Williams which led Joe to seek lessons with Alan Dawson out of Boston.

Ultimately enrolling in William Patterson College in New Jersey, he met and befriended Harold Mabern who introduced him to tenor saxophonist George Coleman. Both Harold and George became major influences on Farnsworth's playing. During this time, Joe also sought out and studied with Art Taylor and became friends with saxophonist Eric Alexander.

After moving to New York City with brother James, a saxophonist for Ray Charles (1992-1999) when he unexpectedly passed away, Joe became the leader on Friday and Saturday nights as the infamous jazz club Augie's (now Smoke) where he would meet and play with Junior Cook, Cecil Payne, John Ore, Big John Patton, Harold Mabern, Eddie Henderson and John Jenkins. Joe's undeniable talent and hard work ethic started to pay off. He began working with Jon Hendriks in 1992 and then with Diana Krall off and on until he became a full member for a year and half from 1999-2000.

Joe Farnsworth is now known as one of the most recorded drummers on the scene, with over 70 cd's behind him, for musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Cedar Walton, Pharoah Sanders, Eric Alexander and Benny Golson. His first recording as a leader, "Beautiful Friendship" (Crisscross Records) featured pianist Cedar Walton and trumpeteer Eddie Henderson while his second, "It's Prime Time" (88 Records) included special guest artists Ron Carter, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson and Harold Mabern, Jr.

At 38, Joe has already performed on most of the greatest American and international stages. He appears regularly at New York City clubs like The Village Vanguard (Wynton Marsalis, Cedar Walton), Blue Note (Johnny Griffin, Horace Silver), Birdland (Lou Donaldson), Iridium (George Coleman, Pharoah Sanders) and Jazz at Lincoln Center (Wynton Marsalis). In any given year he is likely to be found backing major artists at the leading jazz clubs and festivals all over the world.

Joe Farnsworth, Sam Dillon, Etienne Charles, Cory Weeds and more

by Benjamin Boddie
July 31, 2025

Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Joe Farnsworth, Sam Dillon, Etienne Charles, Tyreek McDole, Cory Weeds, Sarah Wilson, Peter Lin & AAPI Jazz Collective, Ola Annabel/Nicolas Meier, NYO Jazz, Jimme Greene, Jordan VanHemert, Alan Broadbent, Antonio Adolfo, Anaïs Reno, Dave Anderson, Gabriel Latchin, Danny Grissett, Atlantic Jazz Collective, Gregory Tady, Greg Murphy, John Clayton, Nicole Glover, Art Hirahara, and more. Playlist Joe Farnsworth “Continuance" from The Big Room (Smoke Sessions) 00:00 Sam Dillon “No Promises" from My Ideal ...

Album Review

Eric Scott Reed: Out Late

by Neil Duggan
July 25, 2025

Prioritizing energy and passion over musical precision, pianist Eric Scott Reed recorded every track on his album Out Late as a first take, with all musicians performing together in one room. Nothing was added later--this old-style approach gives the recording its vintage feel. As Reed explains, “We rehearsed a song for a few minutes, and once everybody got the melody under their fingers, we went ahead and made a track while it was fresh. The energy is there; the rawness ...

Album Review

Anaïs Reno: Lady of the Lavender Mist

Read "Lady of the Lavender Mist" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
July 22, 2025

Anaïs Reno continues to strengthen her reputation among the top young interpreters of the Great American Songbook with her album Lady of the Lavender Mist. Four years after her debut, Reno returns with greater vocal maturity, deeper interpretive insights, and support from a seasoned rhythm section featuring guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist David Wong and drummer Joe Farnsworth. This ensemble grounds the project in classic jazz values while allowing her plenty of space to shine as she performs a set of ...

Album Review

Gabriel Latchin Trio: The Man I Love

Read "The Man I Love" reviewed by Neil Duggan

by Neil Duggan
May 3, 2025

In the 1920s and '30s, American composer and pianist George Gershwin, together with his lyricist brother Ira, composed a body of work that bridged classical compositions and popular songwriting. Their sophisticated melodies and lyrics produced dozens of enduring jazz standards that have formed a cornerstone of the American Songbook for nearly a century. With these songs recorded thousands of times, one might question whether there is a need for further interpretation. However, pianist Gabriel Latchin's trio brings such fresh insights ...

Album Review

Jacob Chung: The Sage

by Jack Bowers
March 22, 2025

On The Sage, his second album as leader, Canadian-bred saxophonist Jacob Chung lends credence to a speculative yet widely held belief that contempory jazz continues to grow and prosper north of the American border. Chung is no mere hobbyist, nor are his veteran helpmates --one of whom, alto saxophonist Vincent Herring, has been a force on the New York jazz scene for more than four decades, recording at least twenty albums under his name and appearing as a sideman on ...

Album Review

Anthony Stanco: Stanco's Time

Read "Stanco's Time" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
March 14, 2025

Anthony Stanco. Keep the name in mind, as you are likely to hear it mentioned soon enough as the most recent link in a chain of renowned bop trumpeters that started with Dizzy Gillespie and has numbered among its illustrious members Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd, Carmell Jones and a host of other luminaries. Now, after a lengthy period during which no one stepped forward to assume the mantle of bop trumpeter extraordinaire, and as ...

Liner Notes

One For All: Big George

by C. Andrew Hovan
February 9, 2025

The world has changed dramatically since the end of the 20th century, the time period when the jazz collective One For All began to forge their stamp on the history of hard bop. Using the club Augie's on New York's upper west side as their stomping grounds, the group would make their debut recording at the beginning of 1987. The Broadway club would eventually become home of Smoke, one of the gems of the city's jazz scene and continued purveyor ...

Performance / Tour

Smoke Jazz Club Announces September Schedule Featuring Kris Davis Tribute To Women Pianists, Joe Farnsworth Album Release, And More

Source: AMT Public Relations
July 28, 2025

Hailed as the “#1 Jazz Club in New York City (SecretNYC),” SMOKE Jazz Club today announced its concert schedule for September 2025. The month begins by celebrating the release of Joe Farnsworth’s latest album The Big Room (SMOKE Sessions Records) with “one of the best bands recording today” (WJTU Radio): Sarah Hanahan, Emmet Cohen, Joel Ross, Yasushi Nakamura, and Jeremy Pelt. Making her SMOKE debut as a bandleader is pianist Kris Davis—who was recently named the Pianist of the Year ...
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Event

New Year's Eve With Joe Farnsworth at The Kitano

Source: All About Jazz
December 15, 2004

176

Event

Drummer Joe Farnsworth To Perform at The Kitano New York Hotel

Source: All About Jazz
September 9, 2004

(NEW YORK, NY) The 149-room Kitano New York Hotel has teamed up with 441 Records, a new and innovative record label with a reputation of supporting and promoting top quality jazz, blues and electronic music, to present two all-star jazz performances on October 1st and 2nd by the Joe Farnsworth All-Stars with special guest Curtis Fuller, as announced by Hans Basse, General Manager.

The performances, which officially kick-off the hotel's fall season weekly live jazz performances, coincide with the release ...
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Music Industry