During a career spanning five decades, Joe Beck has recorded with an incredible array of artists including Miles Davis (read a great interview with Joe from "The Last MIles" by George Cole)
Gil Evans, Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Paul Desmond, Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman, Stan Getz, Larry Coryell, Gene Ammons, Sergio Mendez, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Laura Nyro, Houston Person, Roger Kellaway, Richie Havens, Paul Simon, Joe Farrell, James Brown, Gato Barbieri, and countless others.
Joe has been composing music for TV and film for thirty years and the recording industry (National Academy of Recording Arts And Sciences) has honored him five times with their Most Valuable Player Award. He has also recorded with the Royal Philharmonic orchestra in London, the Milan Philharmonic in Italy, and The Paris String Ensemble in France.
Joe continues to do co-artist albums with a wide range of artists from Mike Mainieri to John Babarian (one of the world's foremost Middle Eastern musicians), to Sabicas (perhaps the greatest of all Flemenco guitarists), and David Sanborn ("Beck /Sanborn" on Columbia) . The most recent being the beautiful Alto Guitar/Vocal duo with Deborah Brown, "I Found My Thrill".
Joe also arranged and produced many records including projects for Frank Sinatra, Gloria Gaynor, and two albums for Esther Phillips including her hit single, "What A Difference A Day Makes". Along the way Joe was signed to contracts with Columbia, Polydor, Verve, Gryphon, CTI, and MGM Records. Since the late '80's he has recorded four albums ("Relaxin'" , "Friends" ,"Back To Beck" , "The Journey") on the DMP label. as well as "Fingerpainting", on the Wavetone label which features Bill Evans on sax, Danny Gottlieb on drums, and Mark Egan on bass.
More recently, "ALTO" and "DJANGO", featuring Joe's ALTO GUITAR, on
DMP with flutist Ali Ryerson have been received with critical raves. You can get a copy simply by clicking on the cover here.
New on Venus CD's,
is "Strangers In The Night".
A trio project featuring bassist George Mraz and drummer Billy Hart, it is a collection of songs associated with Frank Sinatra.
" Brazilian Dreamin' ", a collection of Brazilian trio music featuring Thierry Arpino on drums and Ira Coleman on bass has just been released - also on Venus.
While maintaining a full schedule of teaching, master classes, concerts and club appearances, Joe has still found time to release two new CD's on
Whaling City Sound
"Live In Switzerland"
and now..............................
with Mark Egan and Danny Gottlieb.
ENJOY!