Jimmy Farace: Hours Fly, Flowers Die

SHIFTING PARADIGM 219 (RELEASED APRIL 11, 2025)

Most saxophonists wait until mid-career to tackle a session with strings. Not baritone saxophonist Jimmy Farace. His debut release. Hours Fly, Flowers Die, features original compositions and arrangements for a jazz quintet and the Kaia String Quartet. The results are a perfect balance between the full-bodied tone of Farace’s baritone, the striking improvisations from some of the top Chicago jazz players and the lush harmonies and counterpoint of the strings. As a baritone player, Farace has it all. He embraces ballads such as Kurt Weill’s “My Ship” and Duke Ellington’s “Single Petal of a Rose” with the contemplative sound of Gerry Mulligan. He attacks swingers such as “Directionally Challenged” and “Growing Pains” with the dexterity of Pepper Adams. He tackles the Motown groove of “Backyard Bob” with the funk of Ronnie Cuber. He pushes the envelope on the opening of “Signs of Spring” with the verve of Hamiet Bluiett. As a composer, Farace creates a range of moods grounded on simple and memorable melody lines. There are stunning ballads such as “Prophetic Dreams,” the musical imagery of “Signs of Spring” or the pure soul of “Backyard Bob.” As an arranger, Farace achieves a seamless blend between his sound, members of his quintet (pianist Julius Tucker, guitarist Kenny Reichert, bassist Clark Sommer and drummer Dana Hall) and the the Kaia String Quartet. At times, the string quartet provides a lush chamber music like cushion upon which Farace soars only to recede, allowing members of the quintet to shine. Hours Fly, Flowers Die, clearly positions Farace as a baritone player, composer and arranger on the move, and I can’t wait to see where this skill sets takes him next.

BOTTOM LINE: What do I like most about Hours Fly, Flowers Dies, the debut recording from Chicago baritone saxophonist, composer and arranger Jimmy Farace? It’s the simple fact, that he excels in all those areas with a recording that balances his full-bodied tone, the striking improvisations from a straight-ahead jazz quintet and the lush harmonies and counterpoint of the Kaia String Quartet. Not bad for a debut recording!