Bio
About Gemma
Gemma Farrell is a jazz saxophonist, composer and educator.
She is a PhD candidate and lectures in jazz studies at WAAPA. She has lead the Young Women in Jazz program for WAYJO since 2014.
Gemma has a Master of Music degree from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and a Bachelor of Music with Honours from the Queensland Conservatorium. In 2020 she won Best Brass, String or Woodwind Instrumentalist at the WAM awards. She has been nominated for 7 WAM awards prior including Best Brass, String or Woodwind Instrumentalist (2018, 2019), Best Jazz Act (2018, 2019), Best Funk Act (2007), Song of the Year – Jazz (2016, 2018). She is currently one of three finalists for the Humanitarian category of the 2021 Australian Women in Music Awards. The winner will be announced in May 2022. Gemma has released 7 albums as leader.
- 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. The Quintet completed 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. The Gemma Farrell Quintet recently recorded their second album, which was released digitally on the 9th of April 2022 and will be launched 14th of May 2022 at Lyric lane.
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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. The Artemis Orchestra will be featured at the 2021 Perth International Jazz Festival. They have also performed at RTRFMs In The Pines Festival and at the Perth Festival in 2021.
Gemma recently performed alto saxophone on the Mace Francis +11 album "Isolation Emancipation" which was released in November 2021. - 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 is hoping to tour and record again in 2023.
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 Farrell Garner Gardiner, the Namora Nonet, The Perth Cabaret Collective and the 950 express .
Projects
Links to Project Sites
Farrell Garner Gardiner
Farrell Garner Gardiner is a new trio, featuring saxophonist Gemma Farrell, guitarist Dan Garner and bassist Gwyneth Gardiner. The trio was formed for performances at the Perth Festival in February 2020, and they very quickly booked other performances. They are three friends coming together in this unique setting to play standards and original compositions. Between them they have a Master of Music degree, a Bachelor of Jazz and a Bachelor of Contemporary Music, and they have all played in various projects and genres around Perth and the world.
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
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
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