Upon This Rock

Recorded in March 1974 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Upon This Rock featured Joe Farrell on tenor saxophone, Joe Beck on guitar, Herb Bushler on bass and Jim Madison on drums. The nearly twelve-minute composition was written by Farrell, produced by Creed Taylor and engineered by Rudy Van Gelder. Released on CTI Records in 1974, Upon This Rock was the title track of Farrell's fourth album for the label, showcasing his improvisational saxophone playing against a powerful rhythm section. Its extended instrumental arrangement and driving percussion highlighted the crossover between jazz improvisation and contemporary funk rhythms, while the album reached number 24 on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart. Upon This Rock acquired a second life through hip-hop sampling, particularly its distinctive drum patterns and instrumental passages. In 2008, Farrell's daughter brought legal action against Kanye West, Method Man, Redman, Common and their record companies over the use of the recording, demonstrating its continuing influence on hip-hop production.