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Joe Bourne

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, music became a part of Joe's life at an early age. He began his singing career in a church choir and with various street corner singing groups.

Greatly inspired by such greats as Nat King Cole and Lou Rawls, Joe's own singing style is rapidly becoming known to audiences around the globe.

Joe's career grew in the USA from lead singer for a Top 40 rhythm and blues / jazz band, to the international status that he now enjoys, recording and releasing LPs and subsequently having hit singles from these LPs. At the same time he was involved in making several radio and TV commercials for Delta Airlines, Coca Cola and the American Telephone Company.

After moving to Europe, Joe began performing for the American and Dutch Military and supported acts in concert for such artists as The Stylistics, Natalie Cole, The Manhattans, The Pointer Sisters, and Dionne Warwick while they were on their European tour.

His engagements have included venues and corporate events in such places as Scandinavia, Australia, Aruba, Indonesia, Great Britain, Spain, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

Numerous television shows culminated in a Christmas TV special with the world renown Ray Charles which was filmed in Germany and televised in various markets throughout the world.

Joe continues to expand his already extensive repertoire, delivering his special brand of entertainment for Radio and TV programs, gala evenings, concerts, dinner shows, film premieres, new product presentations, designer fashion shows, openings, conventions, cruise ship galas, and charity benefits.

Apart from his solo performances and his engagements with multi-voice choirs that number from 25 to 100 voices, Joe teams up with his female colleagues for some heart-warming duet performances complemented by various orchestra backings from combo to Big Band or symphony type orchestra.

In Bulgaria, he was awarded the Silver Orpheus and in Ireland the Jimmy Kennedy Award, both for his exciting rendition of Gershwin's "Summertime".

In addition, Joe was also awarded two prices in 1998: "Kunsteler des Jahres" and the "Diamantes des Jahres". Both for top class entertaiment in Germany.

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4
Album Review

Joe Bourne: Upbeat And Sweet

Read "Upbeat And Sweet" reviewed by Mark Sullivan


"Upbeat And Sweet" is a pretty good summary of the feel of this collection of songs from mellow jazz vocalist Joe Bourne. But the subtitle is even more telling: “Jazz-infused classic rock & pop songs." None of these songs come from the canon of the Great American Songbook, and many of them seem downright unlikely choices for jazz treatment at first glance. Just to prove that point, the program begins with Steppenwolf's “Magic Carpet Ride." Within a few ...

122
Album Review

Joe Bourne with the Gary Moran Trio: Remembering Mr. Cole

Read "Remembering Mr. Cole" reviewed by Jack Bowers


You may have noticed that there aren't a whole lot of male jazz singers on the scene today. I ran across one of that vanishing breed last January at the IAJE Conference in Long Beach, California, and he handed me a copy of his most recent CD, Remembering Mr. Cole. The singer in question is Massachusetts-bred Joe Bourne, and he and the Gary Moran Trio, who share top billing, are much better than expected.

The album is of course a ...

136
Album Review

Joe Bourne: Remembering Mr. Cole

Read "Remembering Mr. Cole" reviewed by Stephen Latessa


Remembering Mr. Cole is an easy stroll through 16 Nat King Cole-associated numbers by silky-smooth vocalist Joe Bourne, backed by the Gary Moran Trio. Not surprisingly, there is little of the shock of the new here, but the Moran Trio is more than adept at light and airy swing, while Bourne sings with warmth and enthusiasm.

Tribute albums often seem like an act of masochism. Inevitably, the reconceived performances will compare unfavorably to the revered classics. This divide ...

137
Album Review

Joe Bourne: Remembering Mr. Cole

Read "Remembering Mr. Cole" reviewed by Jim Santella


Singers have tried to imitate Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, and other notable legends with mixed results. How can one ever hope to replace the original? In this day and age when our CD and DVD collections boast some of the best audio reproductions ever thought imaginable, we know for sure that we've already got those memories locked up.

Freddie Cole tested the waters. His sound was so much like his brother's that it ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Upbeat And Sweet

Summit Records
2017

buy

Remembering Mr. Cole

JONAJA Records
2005

buy

To You With Jazz

Kedar Entertainment Group
0

buy

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