Joe Krown

Infobox musical artist
Name = Joe Krown

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Img_capt = Joe Krown playing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 2008
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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
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Instrument = Organ, Piano
Genre = Rhythm and Blues, Blues, Funk
Occupation = Musician
Years_active = 1980s -
Label = STR Digital, ShortStack
Associated_acts = Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson
Walter "Wolfman" Washington
Russell Batiste, Jr.
URL = [http://www.joekrown.com/ JoeKrown.com]
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Joe Krown is a keyboard player 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 "Joe Krown Organ Combo" the sound is jazzy and funky, 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. [http://joekrown.com/offbeat/index.htm Joe Krown interview in offBEAT Magazine, April 2005] ]

In the 1980s, Krown 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 experienced touring with him on the East Coast.

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, the Gate 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. [http://www.joekrown.com/bio.htm Joe Krown's bio] ] 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.

Solo career

It was in 1998 that 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 "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. [ [http://www.joekrown.com/cd-dnd.htm The album credits to "Joe Krown/Down & Dirty"] ] He was also featured on four tracks on Krown's following album "Buckle Up" released in 2000. [The album credits to "Joe Krown/Buckle Up"]

The Organ Combo soon started to play regularly in New Orleans as well as some dates in Europe, San Francisco, and Ottawa. 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.

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" who started to play at Maple Leaf Bar in 2007. Krown has also worked as a member of funk band New Orleans Juice appearing on their live album "Hey Buddy" in 2005.

Krown's latest effort is "Live at the Maple Leaf" (2008), his first ever 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."

With Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson

*1990 I Want to Groove with You (Bullseye Blues)
*1992 It's Good to Me (Bullseye Blues) [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jpfixqy5ldde~T2 Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson discography on Allmusic] ]

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) [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gcfixq85ldfe~T2 Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown discography on Allmusic] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.joekrown.com/ Official website]