Genre: Alternative
Website: http://www.joegee.com
Biography:
Joe Gee's been around, geographically
and musically. Born in N.Y. state, lived in
Seattle, Baltimore, Charlotte, and, for now
and forever, in Austin Texas. The son of musicians,
he started playing piano at eight and, when
The Beatles came on the scene, guitar at ten.
Early on he was influenced by the AM radio playlists
of his youth; The Beatles and other British
Invasion bands, The Beach Boys, R&B
and soul acts like The Drifters, James Brown,
and Otis Redding. But Joe was especially and
increasingly drawn to the sounds of bands like
The Byrds, Bob Dylan, The Band, Buffalo Springfield;
acts that incorporated traditional country music
styles and instrumentation in their work, and
writers whose lyrics seemed more real and often
more meaningful than those of their pop/rock
counterparts.
Over
the years he worked in rock/R & B bands
as a keyboardist and lead singer, as a jazz
pianist/vocalist, and in country bands. But
through it all he has continued developing his
version of American roots music, singing, playing
and writing that draws from all corners of the
American poular music world. No wonder his music
brings to mind the work of so many diverse artists
- Tom Waits, John Prine, Fred Eaglesmith and
Ted Hawkins, to name but a few. Currently Joe
is playing solo gigs and also performing with
the Gee-Men, a roots-rock trio. And, as if that
wasn't enough, he's also been fronting his new
three-piece 'jug' band, Joe Gee and The Boomer
Busters.
Joe's
debut Americana/Roots CD, “Gee Joe”
was released on the Fourth of July, 2006. He
enlisted several roots music standouts to contribute
to this project, including the amazing guitarist
Redd Volkaert, Noel McKay of The McKay Brothers,
Dan Walsh, dobro and guitar wizard and former
member of Fred Eaglesmith's band, and the late,
great Harry Kleintank on tenor and soprano saxes.
About the CD, Joe says, “I waited a long
time to do this. I probably wanted the perfect
songs, the perfect musicians, the perfect studio.
Then one day I woke up and said to myself, 'I've
waited long enough already. I've got the material,
the players, and a great place to record (Flashpoint
Studios, an Austin stalwart since the 1980's).
Quit wasting time - just go do it.' So I did.”
The CD, self- produced and mastered by Jerry
Tubb at Terra Nova Studios in Austin, has been
well-received and has been the topic of several
glowing reviews.
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