The piano is central to Joe’s working life but collaboration is what keeps the music fresh. Some of the best jazz musicians in the capital regularly join Joe on a Friday night to play for a room full of actors, singers, dancers, writers, directors, producers and investors at London’s world famous Ivy Club.
Besides the usual suspects (saxophones and the like) Joe plays with violinists, cellists, harpists, and everything from a treble recorder to a human beat-box. “There’s a real diversity among the crowd there every night”, says Joe, “so I like to mix it up, and fine new things in old tunes – with a lot of emphasis on the tune itself.”
An experienced hand on TV and radio, Joe was the regular pianist and frequent sounding board for Dermot O’Leary on his ITV Nightly Show (pictured).
Handbags and Gladrags
Elsewhere in London, Joe’s speciality is playing for high profile events that demand the utmost discretion, such as the wedding of Elvis Costello and Diana Krall, and these more confidential bookings have helped build his reputation as the “go to” piano player in London. However, Joe admits that an old fashioned singalong around the piano in any situation is still hard to beat.
Playing with Alexandra Burke, on ITV’s Loose Women:
Playing ‘More than you know’ with Jessie Buckley: