Jimmy Farace: Big Shoulders, Big Sounds.

SHIFTING PARADIGM (RELEASED APRIL 11, 2026)

Chicago boasts a rich history of soulful tenor saxophonists including Johnny Griffin, Gene Ammons and Von Freeman. With the release of his second album, Chicago can also boast about a powerful homegrown baritone saxophonist — Jimmy Farace. Farace honors the Windy City as well as his distinctive style in the title of his new release — Big Shoulders, Big Sounds. Unlike his freshman release, Hours Fly, Flowers Die that featured a full rhythm section with a string quartet, Big Shoulders, Big Sound features the piano-less trio of Farace, bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Dana Hall. However, like his earlier release, Big Shoulders, Big Sounds features more compelling and memorable Farace originals. His baritone literally dances though the Jimmy Giufree-like folksy feel of Farace’s “Deborah’s Dance,” with Hall effortlessly switching from hand drumming to the full kit. Two Farace ballads — “Prophetic Dreams” and “Cloud Splitter,” demonstrate his knack for balancing tenderness and tenacity; “DST” showcases his ability for writing pieces that modulate from Latin to swing; and he flies free on the more abstract “Three Headed Dragon.” Having participated on Farace’s Hours Fly, Flowers Die, Sommers and Hall have developed a sense of musical camaraderie and adventure with Farace. Rather than simply supporting him, they provide just the right counterpoint and shifting rhythms to make the most of Farace’s tunes and playing. In addition to the five originals, Farace selected three standards for Big Shoulders, Big Sounds — a tour de force on baritone saxophonist Charles Davis’ “Just Us Blues;” a heartfelt version of “I’ll Be Seeing You,” featuring a melodically-rich solo from Sommers; and a stirring and sensitive version of Billy Strayhorn’s “Chelsea Bridge,” on which Hall accentuates the familiar melody with perfectly placed mallet hits. Farace is quickly building a reputation as a player that combines the lyricism of Gerry Mullgan, the agility of Pepper Adams and the eclecticism of Hamiet Bluiett. With Big Shoulders, Big Sounds, Farace can easily be included in the rich legacy of Chicago saxophonists who are known for swinging hard, writing soulfully and leading intuitively, and like the title suggests, their big sound!

BOTTOM LINE: When I reviewed Jimmy Farace’s 2025 release, Hours Fly, Flowers Die, I concluded with “I can’t wait to see what he does next.” Next is Big Shoulders, Big Sounds, a piano-less trio date that showcases Farace’s infectious writing, exciting playing and intuitive interplay with bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Dana Hall.
And once again, I say, “I can’t wait to see what he does next.”