Joe Krown

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Joe Krown

Joe Krown playing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 2008
Background information
Genres Rhythm and Blues, blues, funk
Occupations Musician
Instruments Organ, piano
Years active 1980s–present
Labels STR Digital, ShortStack
Associated acts Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Luther Johnson
Walter "Wolfman" Washington
Russell Batiste, Jr.
Website JoeKrown.com

Joe Krown is an American keyboardist, based in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is known for his long tenure with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown's band. As a solo artist, he has been playing in several different styles. When he plays the piano, he typically plays in the traditional New Orleans style. When he plays with his band the Joe Krown Organ Combo, the sound is jazzy and funky,[citation needed] and he plays the Hammond B-3 organ.

Biography

Early years

Krown was raised in Westbury, Long Island, New York. He started playing piano in his childhood. While attending the State University of New York at Buffalo, he discovered the Hammond organ, and soon left the University to pursue career as a professional musician.[1] He became part of a jazz-rock band called Bellevista featuring guitarist Peter Calo that had regional success.

In the 1980s, Krown relocated to Boston, formed his own band with his then wife and played around New York and New England. He also joined Chuck Berry's back up band and toured with him on the East Coast.[1]

Krown joined ex-Muddy Waters guitarist Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson's band in the late 1980s. He toured and recorded two albums with Johnson during his tenure with his band.

With Gatemouth Brown

In 1992, Krown moved to New Orleans to join Gatemouth's band, Gate's Express. From then on he held the keyboard chair of the band until Gatemouth's death in 2005. Krown recorded four albums with him, and toured across U.S. and overseas.[2] In 1995, Gatemouth was chosen as an opening act for Eric Clapton's world tour, and Krown toured with him as a member of the band.[2]

Solo career

In 1998 he debuted as a solo artist. He released Just the Piano...Just the Blues on STR Digital Records. It was a piano solo album in strictly traditional blues and boogie woogie style.

In 1999, Krown formed the Joe Krown Organ Combo and the band released its debut album Down & Dirty that year. On the album, Krown showed wider range of sound playing the organ only throughout the album. Gatemouth was featured as a guest soloist on three tracks.[3] He was also featured on four tracks on Krown's following album Buckle Up released in 2000.[4]

The Organ Combo soon started to play regularly in New Orleans as well as some dates in Europe, San Francisco, and Ottawa.[2] The band released its second album Funk Yard in 2002.

Apart from the Organ Combo, Krown started to play with guitarist John Fohl and harmonica/accordion player Johnny Sansone in 2000. They played traditional blues with Krown on piano, and Fohl and Sansone sharing the vocal duties. This trio Sansone, Krown & Fohl released a self-titled album from Sansone's label ShortStack Records in 2004.[2]

Krown's other projects include Joe Krown's Swing Band which he started in 2003, Joe Krown Trio a collaboration with his Organ Combo band mates Brint Anderson and Mike Barras which lead to the album Old Friends (2007), and another trio Krown, Washington, Batiste (teaming up with Walter "Wolfman" Washington on guitar and vocals and Russell Batiste, Jr. on drums) who started to play at Maple Leaf Bar in 2007. Krown has also worked as a member of funk band Juice appearing on their live album Hey Buddy in 2005.

In the fall of 2007, Joe was chosen as one of the featured acts in the 'Solid Blues' package tour with Mavis Staples, Charlie Musselwhite, and The North Mississippi All-Stars covering 38 cities in the U.S.

Krown's latest effort is Live at the Maple Leaf (2008), his first live album with the Krown, Washington, Batiste trio.

Discography

Leader albums

  • 1997: Just The Piano Just The Blues (STR Digital) solo piano
  • 1999: Down & Dirty (STR Digital) Organ Combo
  • 2000: Buckle Up (STR Digital)
  • 2002: Funk Yard (STR Digital) Organ Combo
  • 2003: New Orleans Piano Rolls (STR Digital) solo piano
  • 2004: Sansone, Krown & Fohl (ShortStack)
  • 2005: Livin' Large (Joe Krown) Organ Combo
  • 2007: Old Friends (Independent) Joe Krown Trio
  • 2008: Live at the Maple Leaf (Independent) with Wolfman Washington & Russell Batiste Jr.

Works with Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson

  • 1990: I Want to Groove with You (Bullseye Blues)
  • 1992: It's Good to Me (Bullseye Blues)[5]

Works with Gatemouth Brown

  • 1994: The Man (Verve/Gitanes)
  • 1997: Gate Swings (Verve/Gitanes)
  • 1999: American Music, Texas Style (Verve/Blues Thumb)
  • 2001: Back to Bogalusa (Verve/Blues Thumb)
  • 2003: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown" in Concert (in-akustik - DVD)
  • 2006: Carlos Santana Presents Blues at Montreux 2004 (RED Distribution - DVD)[6]

Other works

  • 1998: Bobby Charles / Secret of the Heart (Stony Plain)
  • 2000: Kid Ramos / West Coast House Party (Evidence Music)
  • 2003: Mathilda Jones / There's Something Inside Me and It's Called the Blues (Southland)
  • 2004: Amanda Shaw / I'm Not A Bubble Gum Pop Princess (Little Fiddle Records)
  • 2004: Bobby Charles / Last Train to Memphis (Rice 'n' Gravy)
  • 2005: Juice / Hey Buddy (DJR)
  • 2008: Bobby Charles / Homemade Songs (Rice 'n' Gravy)[7]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Joe Krown interview in offBEAT Magazine, April 2005
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Joe Krown's bio
  3. ↑ The album credits to "Joe Krown/Down & Dirty"
  4. ↑ The album credits to "Joe Krown/Buckle Up"
  5. ↑ Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson discography on Allmusic
  6. ↑ Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown discography on Allmusic
  7. ↑ Credits on respective CDs

External links

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