Album Notes

For more than 40 years, Joe Juliano has traveled the country playing and singing R&B music. Joe has performed with Jim Belushi and Bernard Allison, and has opened shows for great showmen like John Hammond, Robert Trout, Son Seals, Magic Slim and Studebaker John. He has been co-billed with Big John Dickerson in the Famous Dave's Blues All-Stars, which included Jimi "Prime Time" Smith. His trail of associates reaches back to Chubby Checker, The Drifters, Ben E. King, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee.

Joe came to Minneapolis in 1979 to record an album that was co-produced by Jimmy "Jam" Harris, before Jam was "the Man." That recording was slated to be picked up by the Casablanca label, but fell into corporate politics and bad luck; it was never released. Although Joe's hopes for a spot with a national record label were lost, Joe met and married his wife, had children and decided to make the Twin Cities his permanent home.

Joe Juliano never quit playing the Blues. He is a Blues veteran, and the testimony to that fact was recorded three times; first on Fightin' the Blues, then on A Hot Cup of Joe. The third recording was a joint effort with co-producer Andy Bailey called Begin Again Lounge. All are out of print.

Eventually, poor health forced Joe away from the smoky rooms and stress of the blues circuit and, for a time, his passions of performing and recording the music he loves.

But now he's back and better than ever in a new, acoustic groove. Anyone who has ever heard Joe perform will tell you that his live performances truly shine, displaying his wide-open style and genuine spirit in a way that cannot be denied. Nothing is lost as he brings his mellow, meaningful songs to listeners with the fire that has always been his trademark.

Joe Juliano is following a new path, proving to anyone who listens that you can't keep a great performer down.

"Joe Juliano is a talented songwriter, tasteful guitarist and well-defined musical personality. He has a great way of putting a song across so that I find it believable. Joe is clearly a pro in the best sense."
-Bruce Iglauer, Alligator Records
July 14, 1999