John Farnsworth (musician)
| John Farnsworth | |
|---|---|
| Origin |
 South Hadley, Massachusetts, USA |
| Genres | Jazz, straight-ahead |
| Occupation(s) |
Musician Bandleader Composer Arranger Educator |
| Instruments | Saxophone, Trombone |
| Website | link |
John Farnsworth is a jazz musician who plays tenor saxophone and trombone.
He was raised in a large musical family in western Massachusetts. After completing his formal education at Rutgers University, he moved to New York City and became involved in the jazz and Latin music scenes.[1]
Amidst collaborations with such artists as Slide Hampton’s World of Trombones, Archie Shepp’s Attica Blues Band, Frank Foster’s Loud Minority, and The Louis “Perico” Ortiz Salsa Orchestra, John’s touring career took to life. He toured with the legendary Glenn Miller Orchestra[1] and returned to New York to play with artists including Junior Cook, Cecil Payne, and Dr. Eddie Henderson.
His second album entitled "Live From Smoke: Monday Nights With John Farnsworth" is a compilation of three live shows features his brother Joe Farnsworth as well as Dr. Eddie Henderson, Frank Lacy, Jim Rotondi, Steve Davis, Mike LeDonne, Dwayne Burno, Carlton Holmes and John Webber.
Farnsworth has been hosting Monday night jam sessions at club SMOKE for the past eight years. Other notable players that he has played with include George Coleman, Junior Cook, Gerald Cannon, Duane Eubanks, Charles "Majid" Greenlee, and Curtis Fuller.
He has also played trombone for Aretha Franklin several dates a year. His notoriety landed him a spot in the 2005 VH1: Save The Music concert, where he backed Alicia Keys, John Legend, and Rob Thomas.
Farnsworth is also an educator. In past years, he was an instructor for the "Jazz in July" program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he attained his Master's degree and was a teaching assistant. He has also spoken in multiple seminars at the Hartt School of Music, and has performed and taught at Duke University and Millersville University in Pennsylvania.
Selective discography
| Year | Title | Genre | Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Roberto Lugo | Salsa | Roberto Lugo |
| 1987 | In Tradition | Salsa | Louis “Perico” Oritz Salsa Orchestra |
| 2001 | Victory | Calypso | Sugar Aloes |
| 2001 | ’S Go | Jazz | John Farnsworth Sextet |
| 2002 | Blue Christmas and Peace Party | Soca | Super Blue |
| 2003 | It’s Prime Time | Jazz | Joe Farnsworth |
| 2007 | Live From Smoke: Monday Nights with John Farnsworth | Jazz | John Farnsworth Quintet |
References
- 1 2 "John Farnsworth". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2009-12-17.