JOE FARNSWORTH

THE BIG ROOM

Smoke Sessions Records

Joe Farnsworth, drums/composer; Emmet Cohen, piano/composer; Yasushi Nakamura, bass; Joel Ross, vibraphone/composer; Sarah Hanahan, alto saxophone/composer; Jeremy Pelt, trumpet/ composer.

Always pushing the boundaries, Joe Farnsworth is unafraid of blending the younger generation with their seasoned elders to create a high-quality production. This is an intergenerational sextet. Sarah Hanahan has written the first composition, “Continuance.”  The band puts all their mastery and creativity into exploring this original piece of music using dynamics and excitement. The arrangement is reminiscent of the Coltrane days. They all enter this experience at a raging rate of speed.  Joe Farnsworth pushes them forward with his outstanding and seasoned drum mastery, locking the rhythm so they stay creative and on-point. This opening number is speedy and full of energy. Hanahan is spectacular on her alto saxophone.

“The Big Room” is the title of this album.  Farnsworth shared in his press package, “This isn’t a place, but a spiritual dimension.”

I was so captivated by this music, and the energy that infused it, I had to play their first song twice.

“It’s a spiritual dimension, a vast, wide-open terrain that the most gifted of artists could reach.  It’s a place where all of the discipline, rules, and language that a musician spends a lifetime mastering suddenly fades, and pure, transcendent creation can occur,” Farnsworth explained.

As quickly as we were pulled into the rush of Straight-ahead energy with that premier tune, we are lovingly settled down with a Joel Ross composition called, “What Am I Waiting for?”  The vibraphonist opens his tune tenderly, letting the vibes speak. Then he lets the curtain open to expose Hanahan’s soulful saxophone solo. I am swooning on this beautiful song.  When Jeremy Pelt sings his trumpet solo, I feel as though I’m levitating.

Sarah Hanahan joined the Farnsworth sextet over the last few years. Farnworth was especially impressed with this budding saxophonist. She’s become a dazzling addition to his group. Another musician who impressed and intrigued Joe Farnsworth was pianist, Emmet Cohen. Through Cohen, Farnsworth met the talented Yasushi Nakamura on bass.  The newest member to their sextet is Joel Ross, a young vibraphonist and composer, who adds spunk and spark to their group. Jeremy Pelt always brings trumpet excitement to the bandstand and he’s a great composer. In fact, “All Said and Done” is a song Jeremy Pelt composed.  It is steeped in the blues with an enchanting arrangement and a slow-swing groove. Each musician takes time to shine during this arrangement. When assembling this band, Joe Farnsworth invited each member to contribute original compositions for their album and most obliged.

This album brought great jazz into my listening room and spotlights some of the young lions roaring inside today’s jazz jungle. Led by legendary drummer and bandmaster, Joe Farnsworth, the sextet will premiere this album at SMOKE Jazz Club in NYC, September 3 – 7, 2025.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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