- Joe Craven
Infobox musical artist |
Name = Joe Craven
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Background = solo_singer
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Instrument =Fiddle Mandolin Jawbone
Genre = BluegrassAmericana
Occupation =Musician
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URL = http://www.joecraven.com/Joe Craven is a bluegrass
musician andsinger who is known for wearing oversizedHawaiian shirts, playing fiddle, mandolin, and anything that he can get his hands on, such as a mug, a credit card, or a jawbone. Craven is a common sight at music festivals, and performed as part of theDavid Grisman quintet. Craven lists some of his musical influces as artists such asJimi Hendrix ,Frank Zappa , andDarol Anger .Recently, Joe switched from oversized Hawaiian shirts to undersized t-shirts. Joe's new line of DonkeyJaw coffee mugs is a sure-fire hit. And Alaska adores him.
Joe Craven has played with many other notable musicians including Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, Allison Brown, and Mike Marshall.
Craven's noted percussion ability is matched only by his creativity. He finds rhythm and unique sound in almost any object. A favorite "instrument" of his is any small, plastic trash can turned upside down and played with either brushes or his own hands. Craven's collection of percussion instruments (ones that were designed for the purpose) is vast and includes instruments from around the world.
Along with Joe's concert and festival performing, he is highly regarded for his work with school children. His school workshops are as much about finding the "voice" we all have as they are about music. The kids attending these school assemblies and classes often come away with a better sense of self and there value in the world around them. Self esteem building via music and humor is what this part of Joe's work is all about. No one is required to take him very seriously. He never seems to take himself that way. But the value of his work with children has serious positive results. Craven's "free child" seems to be heard by every student attending his workshops, even the ones who claim to be "too cool" to bother.
Discography
Camptown (1996) - An album full of summer camp classics interpreted in Joe's special way] .
Mo' Joe (2002) - A collection of classic folk and bluegrass tracks performed in a variety of styles including jazz, hip-hop, rock, and pop.
Django Latino (2003) - A Latin-inspired collection of Django Reinhardt pieces performed mostly on Mandolin.
External links
* [http://www.joecraven.com/ Joe Craven Official Website]
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