 Bill Farrish has performed and or recorded as a leader in various groups ranging in size from solo to quintet and also released six CD’s for MCR Records. His music has been featured on several radio broadcasts in Europe the Far East and South America. As a sideman Bill has performed with Bernard Purdie, David Garibaldi, Arthur Prysock, Ray Alexander, Jimmy Halperin, Cecil Bridgewater,Kiku Collins, Wes Belcamp, Steve Kenyon, and Off-Broadway productions of The Man of LaMancha, Lil’ Shop of Horrors, Hair and Tapestry.session work for gold and platinum recording engineer Remo Leomporra Jr, the bands StrangeColud, QCC, Kim Novak and many others.Television credits include: Bea Moss Productions and The Carl Bruno Show– TCI Cable, TV., featured artist in the independently released!production “An Evening with Bill Farrish” by Raven Productions, QPTV. composer of the theme and incidental music for The Park, Eun Kyung Show– Radio Seoul, Flushing NY. Born to a military family in St. Albans, NY, Farrish grew up on Long Island, where he began playing the guitar at age 12. Like many teenagers at the time, he started out imitating Chuck Berry and B.B King licks. But it was the music of Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock that attracted him to jazz. Farrish enrolled at Five Towns College of Music where he teamed up with other students to play local clubs and bars. Bill graduated Five Towns College with degrees in Jazz Performance with honors. As a student he was the recipient of the Tiny Grimes Memorial Scholarship for jazz guitar and received two consecutive Awards for Excellence in Jazz Performance. After graduating from Five Towns with a BM in Jazz Performance , Farrish headed to Manhattan where he quickly began to establish himself on the local jazz scene. It wasn’t long before Bill was signed to MCR Records, a small label out of Minneapolis, Mn, which lead to the release of 6 CD’s. Bill also appeared as a regular headliner at Manhattan’s Mikell’s, The Angry Squire and other Manhattan venues. Farrish also held a weekly gig at the Village Lantern on Bleecker St. for 4 straight years.

As a sideman Farrish has performed in both concert and club settings with:

Wes Belcamp, Robin Radus, Paula Berardinelli, Neil Waltzer, Bernard Purdie, David Garibaldi, David Gomez, Tito Puente Jr., Mike Portnoy, Jimmy Halperin, Steve Kenyon, Vince Scuderi, Dennis Bram,Kiku Collins, Cecil Bridgewater, Mike Fijal, Greg Bobulinski, George Berardinelli, Eric Goletz, Dennis Wilson, Kim Novack, Arthur Prysock, Dave Ambrosio, Terry Newman, John Ray, Bobby Brennen, Tony Romano, Joe Carbone, Peter Rogine, Dave Kain and many others. 

 

Reviews and Comments:

“Bill is one of the most musically creative guitarists I’ve ever heard…..the ideas ﬂow from him effortlessly.” —Carl Bruno/host of the Carl Bruno Show,TCI Cable, Brookhaven, New York

“If you want to hear some excellent and intensely reﬂective playing in a small- combo format, check out this and the rest of the songs on “Dialogue” –Jazz Fusion Central ( Dialogue)  

”Improv tracks, original and barely produced. It’s Zen recording time, kids and this talented duo pulls it off. ….Farrish and Radus are able to ﬂy on their axes and the musical axis and the result is pleasing, moody, smooth and great with a cup of ultra-strong java”. –Frank Cotolo, – Pure Reviews (Dialogue)
“it is some of the best that is out there. Get out of overdrive…. …listenin to Bill…you will hear guitar playing with “the feel” only one in 6 billion has….and you’ll like it.” –Neal Bond – CentralAudio.com (Sketches of a Summer Day)

”Bill has the increasingly rare gift of old school knowledge and ethics, coupled with a modernist’s sensibility of melody, harmony, and rhythm.” Tony Romano(recording artist & adjunct faculty at Five Towns College, Long Island University, and a Teaching Artist for the Kupferberg Center at Queens College.)
”An Amazing Guitartist!” - Dennis Wilson, Trombonist and Grammy winning Arranger.  
 

Club and Concert Performances:

In NYC: Mikell’s, The Angry Squire, The Trocadero, Cleopatra’s Needle, The Village Lantern, Cookin’ with Jazz, The Colden Center, Tavern on the Green, Pocket’s Billards
Long Island: Carol’s Place, Chez Antoine, Ray’s Rhythm Room, Oceanside Alive, Dix Hills Performing Arts Center, Sonny’s Place, Crescent City Cafe, The Carltun on the Park
Upstate NY: The Concord Hotel, The General Clinton Pub, The B-Side, My Father’s Place, SUNY Oneonta

Radio:

Dialogue and Sketches of a Summer Day have been on radio in over 40 countries including the Ukrane, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and Brazil.
“The Park, Eun Kyung Show”– Radio Seoul, Flushing NY (Theme and incidental music)

In the pit: (off-broadway)

The Man of LaMancha
Lil’ Shop of Horrors
Hair
Jesus Christ Superstar
Godspell
Tapestry

Recording:

Dialogue - Bill Farrish / Robin Radus- FMC-NY/MCR Records (released 1999, re-released 2002)
Space Jam – Mike Fijal Independent Release Canada 2000
Oz - Bill Farrish -FMC-NY 2000
Sketches of a Summer Day - Bill Farrish -FMC-NY/MCR Records 2001
The Bill Farrish Collection – Bill Farrish -FMC-NY/MCR Records 2001
Close to the Edge- Bill Farrish -FMC-NY/MCR Records 2001
Indie Journal Compilations Vol. 1 Guest Artist Indie Journal – MCR Records 2001
A Rock Odyssey – Remo – MCR Records 2001
Made to Order Guitarist – Remo – MCR Records 2002
Psychedelic Orange - Strangecloud -MCR Records 200
House Guitarist for MCR Records, Minneapolis, Mn. 1999-2003

Professional Endorsements:
Steve Clayton Picks USA


62 year old professional jazz pianist, composer, educator and bandleader.  Currently lives in Black Mountain, NC.  Member of the following working ensembles:
Conference Call Quartet - Fonda/Stevens Group - Eastern Boundary Quartet - Nicole Metzger and the NY Connection - Griffith/Stevens Quartet - Jon Hemmersam/Projects - 
Brain Inventory Trio.

I play the parts using combinations of four guitars and an electric bass: Gibson L5, Fender Telecaster, classical nylon from a luthier named Nakade, steel-string acoustic from a luthier named Sauve, and a Fender Jazz Bass.  Any of my original tunes are freely available for download with the Creative Commons license.  If I didn't write the tune, I didn't make it available for download -- I want to respect intellectual property.  

I'm also active in photography.  The link to my photos is tomhealy.smugmug.com.  

I’ve had the good fortune to study in the past with some excellent teachers: Don Mock (one of the original Guitar Institute of Technology, GIT, instructors); Jay Roberts (son of GIT founder Howard Roberts; GIT is now the Musicians Institute in LA); and, Rich Falco (Rich joined the music faculty of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1979; Director of Jazz Studies.).

And, I've been able to attend some terrific clinics from guitar masters such as: Jim Hall, Pat Martino, John Schofield, Larry Coryell, Ulf Wakenius, Howard Alden, Frank Vignola, John Pisano, John Pizzarelli, Vic Juris, Corey Christiansen, Kevin Eubanks, and others.

Here's a list of only some of the guitar players I greatly admire: 
Barney Kessel
Bucky Pizzarelli
Charlie Christian
Django Reinhardt
Eddie Lang
Emily Remler
Freddie Green
George Barnes
George Benson
George Van-Eps
Grant Green
Herb Ellis
Howard Alden
Howard Roberts
Jim Hall
Jimmy Bruno
Jimmy Raney
Joe Beck
Joe Pass
John McLaughlin
John Scofield
Johnny Smith
Kenny Burrell
Kevin Eubanks
Larry Carlton
Larry Coryell
Lee Ritenour
Lenny Breau
Les Paul
Martin Taylor
Mike Stern
Pat Martino
Pat Metheny
Ralph Towner
Robben Ford
Tal Farlow
Ted Greene
Tuck Andress
Wes Montgomery

Tags:
Acoustic
Alternative
Ambient
Arrangement
Ballad
Bossa Nova
Brazilian
Chill
Chill-Out
Chord-Melody
Jazz Guitar
Download
Downloads
Downtempo
ElectroAcoustic
Fender
 Fender Tele
L-5
L5
Guitar
Guitar Player
Guitar Instrumental
Guitar Original
Original Instrumental
Home Recording
Multitrack
Instrumental
Jazz
JazzGuitar
Jazz Pop
Latin
Melodic
Music
One-man Band
Original
Pop
Recording
Smooth Jazz
Solo Guitar
Solo Jazz Guitar
Free Download
Free Downloads
Free
Creative Commons
Chord Melody
Solo Jazz Guitar
Duke University
jazzguitar
chordmelody
chord-melody

Highly recommended -- Bassist Victor Wooten's book "The Music Lesson."  The book explores the following concepts and gives great insight.
Notes
Articulation
Technique
Feel
Dynamics
Rhythm
Tone
Phrasing
Space
Listening

BillFarrish is following