Gemma Farrell Music

Jazz saxophonist, composer and educator.

Bio

About Gemma

Photography by Josh Wells

Gemma Farrell is a Perth-based jazz saxophonist, composer and educator.

She is a PhD candidate and lectures in jazz studies at WAAPA. She has led the WAYJO Pathways Program, Progressions (formerly Young Women in Jazz), since 2014. In 2023 the WAYJO Pathways Programs were nominated for an APRA AMCOS Art Music Award for Excellence in Music Education. In 2022 Gemma started the Femme Composers ensemble, a large ensemble at WAAPA dedicated to performing the music of people of marginalised genders.

Gemma has a Master of Music degree from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and a Bachelor of Music with Honours from the Queensland Conservatorium. In 2022, her band, the Artemis Orchestra, won WAM Song of the Year in the Jazz Category for their recording of “The Elephant in the Room.” In 2020 she won Best Brass, String or Woodwind Instrumentalist at the WAM awards. She has been nominated for 11 other WAM awards including Best Brass, String or Woodwind Instrumentalist (2018, 2019, 2023), Best Jazz Act (Gemma Farrell Quintet in 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, Artemis Orchestra in 2023), Best Funk Act (Lysistrata in 2007), Song of the Year – Jazz ("Requiem" in 2016, "Tony Umbridge" in 2018). Gemma was one of three finalists for the 2022 and 2023 Australian Women in Music Awards in the Humanitarian category. She was one of 16 Australian musicians nominated for the Freedman Fellowship Award in the Jazz Category in 2022. Gemma has released eight albums as a leader. In July 2022, Gemma was a guest artist with WAYJO’s Monday Night Orchestra, showcasing the saxophone family, the EWI and her original compositions as a part of their program. She was also a guest artist for WAYJO's 40th anniversary celebration at the State Theatre Centre.

  • The Gemma Farrell Quintet is Gemma’s main project as a leader. In 2018 they released their album "Organised Chaos" which was a local feature album on RTRFM and also featured on ABC Jazz Radio. The Quintet performed at RTRFM’s In The Pines Festival, before completing an Australian tour in 2019, performing at the Perth International Jazz Festival, the Sydney Women’s International Jazz Festival, JMI Brisbane and the Jazzlab in Melbourne. In 2021, they performed at RTRFM’s Neon Picnic, the Perth Festival, the York Jazz Festival, and PIJF “On Tour” in Busselton. After further PIJF “On Tour” performances in Margaret River and Mt Barker in 2022, The Gemma Farrell Quintet released their second album, “The View From The Top,” launched at Lyric Lane in May 2022, and also a local feature album on RTRFM. It received a four-star review in Dingo Australian Jazz Journal. The group performed as a part of Jazz Fremantle’s “Women to the Fore” festival in November 2022. The Quintet recently recorded their third album “Electronic” which is set to be launched in 2024. They performed at the Fremantle Art Center in November 2023.
  • Gemma is the founder and musical director of the Artemis Orchestra, a predominately female big band which performs the original music of Australian women, non-binary and transgender people. Their debut album “Elephant in the Room” was released in June 2021. It was a local feature album on RTRFM and also featured on ABC Jazz Radio. It received a five-star review in Dingo Australian Jazz Journal. In 2021, the orchestra performed at the Perth International Jazz Festival and RTRFMs In The Pines Festival. In 2022 they performed at the Lyric Lane Jazz Festival, Hidden Treasures Fremantle, the Perth International Jazz Festival, Fremantle Art Centre’s Sunday Music program, and celebrated their 5th birthday at the Sewing Room. As a result of winning WAM Song of the Year 2022, the Orchestra won a day of recording, and they plan to release these tracks in the near future. They played at Melville Summer Music in November 2023.


  • MFG is a project Gemma has with Cologne based guitarist Nico Maas, and Zurich based keyboardist Thomas Goralski. MFG have released three albums and completed two Australian tours and a European tour. MFG will be touring Europe in 2024.

In August 2018, Gemma travelled to Stockton California on behalf of WAYJO to be a tutor at the Brubeck Institute’s Summer Jazz Colony at the University of the Pacific.

Gemma also performs in Perth Saxophone Rockers and the 950 express. Gemma runs the Femme Jam, a jazz jam for people of marginalised genders, with an all-female house band.

Discography

Gemma recorded. Links to listen or purchase.

The View From The Top

Gemma Farrell Quintet

Gemma Farrell - Saxophones
Sam Hadlow - Trombone
Dan Garner - Guitar
Kate Pass - Bass
Ryan Daunt - Drums

All tracks composed by Gemma Farrell

Ninjaneered and mixed by Kieran Kenderessy at Loop Studios Perth, December 6 and 7, 2021. Mastered by Paul Große-Schönepauck at Skyline Tonfabrik studios Düsseldorf.
Album artwork and layout by Annie Mitchell. Photography by Josie Nolan. Get it HERE

Isolation Emancipation

Mace Francis Plus 11

Mace Francis - Trombone, Composer, Bandleader
Gemma Farrell - Alto Saxophone
Jayden Blockley - Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute
Jemima Mills - Baritone Saxophone
Marty Pervan - Trumpet
Ricki Malet - Trumpet
Tahlia Denn - French Horn
Steve Bickley - Trombone
Mace Francis - Trombone
Harry Mitchell - Piano
Alistair Peel - Bass
Bronton Ainsworth - Drums
Lucy Iffla - Voice

Available Digitally and for CD pre-order. Listen and Purchase HERE

The Elephant In The Room

Artemis Orchestra

Gemma Farrell - Musical Director
Daisy Fanning - Vocals (Track 3)
Lucy Iffla - Vocals (Track 5)
Laura Igglesden - Vocals (Track 8)

Erin Royer - Soprano Saxophone (Track 4, 7, 8 & 9), Alto Saxophone (Track 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 & 10), Tenor Saxophone (Track 9) & Clarinet (Track 3)
Holly Forster - Alto Saxophone (Tracks 1-10) & Flute (Track 3)
Claire Keet - Tenor Saxophone (Tracks 1-10) & Clarinet (Track 3)
Thea Woodward - Tenor Saxophone (Tracks 1-10), Flute (Tracks 3, 7 & 9) & Alto Flute (Track 3)
Jemima Mills - Baritone Saxophone (Tracks 1-10), Bass Clarinet (Track 3)

Charlie Teakle - Trumpet (Tracks 1-10) & Flugal Horn (Tracks 3, 5 & 8)
Julia Wallace - Trumpet (Tracks 1- 4, 6-10) & Flugal Horn (Tracks 3, 5 & 8)
Zoe McGivern - Trumpet (Tracks 1-10) & Flugal Horn (Tracks 3, 5 & 8)
Chris Zappa - Trumpet (Tracks 1- 4, 6-10) & Flugal Horn (Tracks 3, 5 & 8)
Jenny Bylund - Trumpet (Tracks 3 & 9) & Flugal Horn (Tracks 3 & 5)

Katie Hodson - Trombone
Holli Hatherly - Trombone
Halle Mitchell - Trombone
Sophie Bennett - Bass Trombone

Dan Garner - Guitar
Kirsten Symczycz - Piano
Kate Pass - Double Bass
Imogen Thomson - Vibraphone (Tracks 6 & 8), Congas (Tracks 4, 6 & 10), Shaker (Track 10)
Julius Rogers - Drum Kit

Ninjaneered and mixed by Kieran Kenderessy at Crank Recording Perth, January 18 and 19, 2021.
Mastered by William Bowden at King Willy Sound Tasmania. Album Artwork by Grace Mander, Photography by Josie Nolan and Layout by Fred Farrell.

Available in hard copy and digital. Listen and Purchase HERE

Small Town Tennis Hero

MFG

Nico Maas - Guitar
Gemma Farrell - Tenor Saxophone
Thomas Goralski - Rhodes
with Kane Shaw on Electric and Double Bass
& Ryan Daunt on Drums

Tracks 1 & 5 composed by Gemma Farrell
Tracks 2 & 4 composed by Nico Maas
Tracks 3 & 6 composed by Thomas Goralski

Ninjaneered by Kieran Kenderessy at Rada Studios Perth, July 9 2018. Edited and mixed by Nico Maas and Thomas Goralski in Zürich. Mastered by Paul Große-Schönepauck at Skyline Tonfabrik in Düsseldorf. Album photography, design and layout by Fred Farrell. Pictured Tennis Heroine: Abigail Farrell.

Available Digitally. Listen and Purchase HERE

Organised Chaos

Gemma Farrell Quintet

Gemma Farrell - Soprano, Alto,Tenor, Baritone Saxophones
James van de Ven - Trombone
Christopher Sealey - Guitar
Kate Pass - Double and Electric Bass
Ryan Daunt - Drums

All tracks composed by Gemma Farrell. Album Artwork by Isabelle, Abigail, Isaac, Parker, Louis and Violet Farrell and Amberley Edgcumbe. Layout by Fred Farrell

Ninjaneered and mixed by Kieran Kenderessy at Rada Studios Perth, January 24 and 25, 2018. Mastered by Paul Große-Schönepauck at Skyline Tonfabrik studios Düsseldorf

Available in hard copy and digital. Listen and Purchase HERE

People Places Lizards

MFG

Gemma Farrell - Tenor Saxophone
Nico Maas - Guitar
Thomas Goralski - Piano and Hammond
Dario Schattel - Double and Electric Bass
Richard Struck - Drums

Tracks 1, 5 & 11 composed by Thomas Goralski
Tracks 2, 3, 6, 8 & 9 composed by Gemma Farrell
Tracks 4, 7, 10 & 12 composed by Nico Maas

Recorded in Dusseldorf, 2016. Album artwork by Grace Mander.
Layout by Fred Farrell. Get it HERE

Live at the Brisbane Jazz Club

MFG

Gemma Farrell - Tenor Saxophone
Nico Maas - Guitar
Thomas Goralski - Piano
Joshua Hatcher - Double Bass
Nathan Goldman - Drums

Tracks 1, 3, 7, 8 & 10 composed by Gemma Farrell
Tracks 2, 5, 6 & 9 composed by Thomas Goralski
Track 4 composed by Nico Maas

Album Artwork and layout by Grace Mander. Additional layout by Fred Farrell
Recorded August 23, 2014 by Mark Smith live at the Brisbane Jazz Club.
Edited in Amsterdam by Thomas Goralski and mixed in Düsseldorf by Paul Große-Schönepauck.
Available in hard copy and digital. Listen and Purchase HERE

Vicissitude

Gemma Farrell Group

Gemma Farrell - Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone Saxophones
Robin Kahl - Trumpet and Flugal Horn
Filippo Vignato - Trombone
Nico Maas - Guitar
Thomas Goralski - Piano and Hammond
Theo Balbig - Electric and Double Bass
Richard Struck - Drums

All tracks composed by Gemma Farrell. Album Artwork by Grace Mander. Layout by Fred Farrell. Recorded May 18 and 19 by Paul Große-Schönepauck and Björn Mauder. Mixed also by Paul and Björn.Available in hard copy and digital. Listen and Purchase HERE

Get it Together

Say What?!

Recorded in Amsterdam, 2013.

Gemma Farrell - Soprano, Alto, Tenor Saxophones
Thomas Goralski - Hammond
Gianluca Liberatore - Double Bass
Stefan Franssen - Drums
with special guest: Nico Maas - Guitar

Tracks 1 & 7 by Thomas Goralski
Tracks 2 & 5 by Stefan Franssen
Tracks 3, 4, 6, 8 & 9 by Gemma Farrell
Album Artwork and Layout by Fred Farrell

Recorded April 19 by Dirk Hooglandt at Studio Dirk Amsterdam. Mixed also by Dirk. Available in hard copy and digital. Listen and Purchase HERE

Contact

Gemma Farrell Music

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