Smooth Jazz with sexy, sassy saxophone instrumental grooves, from sweet and cool to hot and sultry ... everything that smooth jazz is supposed to be, and more
Joe Edmonds has a wealth of experience in the music world, having played with many world class musicians across North America throughout his career. Recently he decided to record his own music, the result being his new CD "Reflection": a collection of smooth jazz songs, some reflective and ethereal in nature, and some funky in a kind of cross between R&B and hip hop: Listenable, groovin' and danceable all at once ... and yet, still jazz with Joe's unique sound and style ...
Hear what notable people in the music business have
said about Joe's musicianship:
“... One of the most sensitive, tasteful and ‘melodic’ sax players I’ve ever heard ... and I’ve worked with some of the best.”
(Skip Prokop, drummer/founder/leader of Canada’s most successful jazz-rock band, Lighthouse)
“... I’ve known and enjoyed working with Joe for many years. It’s rare in the music world to see someone perform on so many different instruments ... and play each one so well.”
(Sandy MacKay, drummer, and musical director of London Library’s “Jazz for the People” series)
“... When I heard Joe play his horn, it made me appreciate the beautiful sound a great musician can draw from his instrument ... so much in fact I decided to buy my own and learn to play!”
(Keith Moriarity, former sales manager, Energy 103 and the Hawk - CORUS Ent.)
“... Always one of our favourite musicians and vocalists ... a real crowd pleaser.”
(Al Burton, President, London Jazz Society)
"Bio" from Joe's website
Raised primarily in St.Thomas, Ontario, Joe moved to London in 1969 to play trombone and saxophone in his first professional band, “Sound Spectrum”, later known as “Truck” (also in that group ... saxophonist Jimmy Roberts whom you'll find in CD Baby's artists - http://www.jimmyroberts.net). In 1970 Joe resided in New York City where he played for nearly a year in the house band at “Your Father’s Mustache”, touted as “the world’s busiest night club”. He then joined the famed Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra where he eventually became lead trombonist and featured soloist.
Most of the rest of the 70’s were spent playing and recording with a variety of jazz and show bands, both on the road and for extended stints in Montreal, Toronto, Miami, New York City, Lake Tahoe, Los Angeles ... and more, capped off by a three-year stay in Las Vegas, where he was a vocalist/multi-instrumentalist in a number of groups. Musicians and entertainers he has backed up or shared the stage with include Jose Feliciano, Isaac Hayes, Guido Basso, the Woody Herman Band, Bobby Rydell, Page Cavanaugh, James Darren, Gregory Hines, Lighthouse, Deep Purple, the Temptations and Natalie Cole, Tiny Tim, Red Buttons, Phil Foster....
In the 1979 Joe moved back to Canada and shortly afterward married singer Denise Pelley. They formed a band and travelled for several months in the Eastern U.S., but eventually settled in Toronto. In 1981 Joe and Denise chose family over touring and ended up back in London where Joe opened a music studio in partnership with trumpet great, Jim Ford; while also remaining active as a musician, working with all the top London area musicians including Johnny Bond, Johnny Downs, Grant Graham, Phil Murphy, John Noubarian, Charlie Rallo, Chris Robinson, Larry Smith, Margaret Stowe and Oliver Whitehead, to name but a few. When Jim Ford retired from the business, Joe decided to concentrate his efforts on the studio and teaching, limiting his music engagements to only a few per year, these including concerts and performing in the pit band in several professional theatre roductions.
In the early 2000's Joe began to play more aften again in London and Toronto, concentrating his efforts mainly on the saxophone and jazz performance. Local sax legend, Phil Murphy, after performing a concert with Joe said, "Hey man, for years you've cut everybody on trombone and now you're going to cut us all on sax!"
Currently Joe is busy writing and recording a second CD of original smooth jazz material to follow his first, "Reflection".
Read more...