Joe Farrell is most frequently name-checked as a founding member of Chick Corea's Return to Forever, appearing on the 1972 ECM album (and jazz classic) of the same name, plus Light As a Feather, recorded in October 1972 in London. But he was already in Chick Corea's orbit at least two years earlier when he made his debut on Creed Taylor's newly formed CTI label in July 1970, when he was whistled up as accompanist along with an ‘A’ list of up-andcoming young players, including Dave Holland, John McLaughlin and Jack DeJohnette. Although Joe Farrell Quartet is actually a quintet, it's an impressive debut, be it the edgy freedom of ‘Collage for Polly’ or the McLaughlin composition ‘Follow Your Heart’ (that would later reappear on McLaughlin's own album, My Goals Beyond). This album's previous CD appearance was on Hux Records in 2013 and as a part of a 5CD set on Joe Farrell in Sony's Original Album Classic Series from 2015. Farrell's second album for CTI, Outback has another ‘A’ list line-up, again with Corea, and introduces Airto Moreira who would also later figure in Return to Forever, plus Elvin Jones (interestingly) on drums providing funky backbeats – Farrell had previously appeared on Jones’ Putin’ It Together for the Blue Note label in 1968. Outback also appeared on Joe Farrell in Sony's Original Album Classic Series in 2015. A completely new line-up appeared on Farrell's third CTI album, the curiously titled Moon Germs, that showcased the saxophonist in the fast company of Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke and DeJohnette, who explore just four songs including Corea's ‘Times Lie’ and a first appearance of Stanley Clarke's ‘Bass Folk Song’. It's a fine album whose merits have tended to be overlooked – the rhythm section is exemplary and Farrell responds with some of his best playing on record. It was re-released back in 2001 as a part of the CTI Master Series programme by Sony, so its reappearance here is particularly welcome. On all these albums, Farrell remains quite apart from the Return to Forever format, forging an individual path that on Moon Germs opens up the greatest distance between himself and Corea's group, even though at the time he was performing live with the band and recording two albums with them.