From an early age, Jimmy Farace has been captivated by the beauty and expressive power of the baritone saxophone. With an unwavering belief in the instrument’s ability to tell profound musical stories, Farace has already earned praise from some of jazz’s finest voices. "Jimmy Farace’s playing and writing are the mark of someone who demands the attention of a wide audience!" says saxophonist Walter Smith III, while baritone legend Gary Smulyan describes his tone as “deeply emotional, mature, and his sound simply gorgeous.”
Based in Chicago, Farace is quickly becoming recognized as an up-and-coming voice in jazz. His upcoming debut album, Hours Fly, Flowers Die (Shifting Paradigm Records, April 2025), is a heartfelt exploration of nostalgia and time, inspired by Henry Van Dyke’s For Katrina’s Sundial. Featuring GRAMMY-winning bassist Clark Sommers, Dana Hall, Kenny Reichert, Julius Tucker, the KAIA String Quartet, and producer Greg Ward, the album showcases Farace’s original modern jazz compositions and arrangements.
Farace has performed and recorded with a wide range of acclaimed artists, including Dana Hall, Clark Sommers, Sharel Cassity, Jeff Campbell, Scott Hesse, Scott Burns, Matt Ulery and Ethan Philion. As a leader, his groups have graced Chicago stages such as The Green Mill, Andy’s Jazz Club, The Hungry Brain, Constellation and Evanston SPACE, and have toured nationally at venues like Café Vivace, The Bop Stop, Con Alma, and Pausa Art House.
In addition to his performing career, Farace is deeply committed to education. He serves on faculty at the Merit School of Music in Chicago and mentors a thriving private studio of woodwind students. He earned a Bachelor of Music on a full scholarship from Indiana University’s prestigious Jacobs School of Music, and a Master of Music from DePaul University.
Whether on stage or in the classroom, Jimmy Farace continues to push the boundaries of what the baritone saxophone can express, carving out a unique place in the world of modern jazz.
What Musicians Are Saying
"Hours Fly, Flowers Die" is a COMPLETE musical statement, displaying an uncommon level of maturity for such a young artist. Jimmy Farace playing and writing are the mark of someone who demands the attention of a wide audience!"
— Walter Smith III
“Jimmy Farace has made a recording of timeless and immense beauty. His baritone playing is deeply emotional, mature, and his sound simply gorgeous. The combination of the writing and playing is stunning, wonderfully conceived, and in perfect balance and harmony.”
— Gary Smulyan
“Jimmy Farace's record was a true joy to listen to. He really explores the range of the baritone, from his incredibly beautiful melodies to his hard swinging bebop. It's so clear he has checked out the history of the instrument and the music, and has found his own voice and approach to it with his playing and his wonderful writing. I can't wait to hear more from him!”
— Paul Nedzela
What The Press Are Saying
“Farace’s tone is big and sonorous, getting visceral on the subtonal ‘Thinking of Crimson Skies’ while giving hints of Gerry Mulligan’s coolness on ‘Cloud Splitter.’”
— Jazz Weekly
“Delightfully elegant, flirtatiously succulent”
— Exclusive Magazine
“(Farace) effortlessly melds a diverse array of jazz genres, from hard bop to cool jazz, as well as the dissonance of the avant garde.”