Home » Jazz Musicians » Joe Giardullo

Joe Giardullo

Joe Giardullo is Brooklyn-born, and raised on the South Shore of Long Island, New York. He grew up on R&B music, playing tenor sax in club and regional bands and moved north to the Woodstock area in the 1960's.

It was a rich environment for hearing and playing original music, and it was here that he got his first soprano saxophone. The local scene included great players like saxophonist Gene Dinwiddie (Paul Butterfield Blues Band), multi-instrumentalist Howard Johnson (Archie Shepp Band), and a whole segment of the original ESP Records lineup! Joe played all kinds of music -improvised, jazz, rock, blues, club date, weddings-you name it. But things grew stale and in 1977, he packed up and moved to Amsterdam, Holland.

Amsterdam was alive with great music--Burton Greene, Han Bennink, Charles Tyler, Philip Wilson and a thriving local scene as well. It was a good season to be living and working there.

After a short period based in Amsterdam, Joe returned to live 100 miles north of New York where, after a few years, he slipped into a 10 year hiatus from public performance, although he continued to play in private.Then he met up with saxophonist/trumpeter Joe McPhee one night at a club. That meeting in 1991 marked the beginning of a continuing collaboration. And it has also reintroduced audiences in the US, Canada and Europe to Giardullo's music.

Since then, Joe has been active in the US and Europe with so many of the most regarded musicians: Joe McPhee, Pauline Oliveros, Deep Listening Band, Bill Dixon, Warren Smith, Borah Bergman, Marilyn Crispell, Susan Alcorn, Thomas Buckner, Steve Lacy, Milford Graves, Weave Soundpainting Orchestra, Carlos Zingaro, Carlos Santos, Vitor Joaquim, Roy Campbell, Jackson Krall, Ken Filiano, Full Metal Revolutionary Jazz Ensemble, Lisbon Improvisational Players, and Bobby Bradford.

Joe's music has been commissioned by The Oliveros Foundation , by the Udu Drum Division of LP Percussion, and by Amnesty International Woodstock.

Joe's newest disc is RED MOROCCO on the Rogue Art label from Paris, music for large ensemble. It has been getting serious attention worldwide

Gear

King 1926 silver soprano, Jary custom Link hard rubber Selmer Reference 36 tenor, Wanne Amma mouthpiece King Zephyr baritone, custom Jary mouthpiece Selmer bass clarinet, Buffet mouthpiece Haynes flute Selmer alto flute


Tags

243
Album Review

Joe Giardullo Open Ensemble: Red Morocco

Read "Red Morocco" reviewed by Marc Medwin


In an interview broadcast on Taran's Free Jazz Hour last November, New York reedman Joe Giardullo likened the music on this new large ensemble disc to the collective improvisation emerging from early 20th century New Orleans. His point was that those musicians were more concerned with their own parts rather than with the act of listening so often associated with improvised music. Giardullo also likened his titles to those of early Anthony Braxton. Indeed, the composer paints a ...

252
Album Review

Joe Giardullo: No Work Today: Nine for Steve Lacy

Read "No Work Today: Nine for Steve Lacy" reviewed by John Eyles


To record an album dedicated to another musician--especially one as recently dead and as revered as Steve Lacy--is a risky business. The risk is greater if it is also an album of unaccompanied playing. If you're too reverential, you may be accused of cashing in and/or plagiarism; if you're too individualistic, you may be accused of disrespect ... and cashing in. Damned if you do, damned if you don't!

So, hats off to Joe Giardullo, who has expertly navigated his ...

267
Multiple Reviews

Joe Giardullo: Weather, No Work Today & Falling Water

Read "Joe Giardullo: Weather, No Work Today & Falling Water" reviewed by Clifford Allen


Joe Giardullo Weather Not Two

Recorded during Giardullo's tenure as an artist-in-residence at Warsaw's Contemporary Arts Center, Weather features Giardullo solo at Krakow's Klub Re. It is in many ways difficult to get past the precedents for a solo soprano recording; Steve Lacy's Monk-with-trills and Evan Parker's breath-defying sound sculptures are an obvious reference point. Yet Weather equally paints a picture of Giardullo that owes little to predecessors; fast runs and wide vibrato might on paper ...

205
Album Review

Joe Giardullo 4tet: Now Is

Read "Now Is" reviewed by Frank Rubolino


Spirited improvisation marks the offering of soprano saxophonist Joe Giardullo and his quartet on Now Is. Master brass and reed authority Joe McPhee is on board, as is stellar bassist Mike Bisio and fiery drummer Toni Tabbal. Together, the four artists stretch it out in free time with music that provides a kick through its high energy level and intermittent mood swings.

The program crosses through various tempo changes, yet the concept of perpetual motion remains prevalent throughout. Individual solos ...

125
Album Review

Joe Giardullo & Sangeeta Michael Berardi: Art Spirit

Read "Art Spirit" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


The title of this effort is founded upon painter Robert Henri’s 1923 book The Art Spirit. As multi-reedman Joe Giardullo notes: “these duets with (guitarist) Sangeeta are paintings and drawings to me.” Hence, an appropriate correlation of what appears to be an - off the beaten path - series of duets between Giardullo and the infrequently recorded guitarist Sangeeta Michael Berardi. The latter was a proponent of the now legendary New York City loft scene, while introducing free-jazz to the ...

244
Album Review

Joe Giardullo: Language Of Swans

Read "Language Of Swans" reviewed by Richton Guy Thomas


Language Of Swans represents multi instrumentalist/composer Joe Giardullo's second release on Drimala Records. The first, Shadow And Light, was made with Joe McPhee on September 11, 2001.

Language of Swans has a very different feel than the sheer intensity of Giardullo's first disc. It offers an opportunity to hear Joe Giardullo’s whole musical world, with his atonal palette spanning a range of soaring, beautiful, complex, shearing notes.

The opening tune, “Rivers,” is reminiscent of an early ...

154
Album Review

Joe Giardullo and Sangeeta Michael Berardi: Art Spirit

Read "Art Spirit" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Don Heckman, writing for the Los Angeles Times a couple of weeks back, called 2002 “a year of exhale in jazz, a period of relatively low energy."Humbug! He must be listening to major labels. If he checked out Pi Recordings (Wadada Leo Smith's Golden Quartet's The Year of the Elephant and Fieldwork's Your Life Flashes ); Accurate Records (Either Orchestra's Afro-Cubism ); or Louie Records (Rich Halley's Objects and The Tone Sharks' Intention ), he might just change ...

Read more articles
91

Advocacy

Win A Custom Sopranoplanet Soprano Mouthpiece-support Breast Cancer Options

Win A Custom Sopranoplanet Soprano Mouthpiece-support Breast Cancer Options

Source: Joe Giardullo

From Joe Giardullo at Sopranoplanet.com I will give away a custom Sopranoplanet mouthpiece on October 1st. There is only one way to enter the drawing: make a donation (which is tax-deductible) to BREAST CANCER OPTIONS. The donation in its entirety goes directly to this wonderful and vital organization. They were a huge help when breast cancer struck our family and they provide lots of services and information, both traditional and alternative, to those who are in need. They even ...

259

Performance / Tour

Kevin Frenette 5 with Joe Giardullo & Jeff Platz 4 with Daniel Carter @ The Lilypad on 4/4

Kevin Frenette 5 with Joe Giardullo & Jeff Platz 4 with Daniel Carter @ The Lilypad on 4/4

Source: All About Jazz

Saturday April 4, 2009 The LilyPad 1353 Cambridge Street - Inman Square Cambridge, MA 02139 7:00 PM (sharp!) The Kevin Frenette Quintet (featuring Joe Giardullo) Kevin Frenette (guitar) Joe Giardullo (saxophone) James Rohr (piano) Ryan McGuire (bass) Eric Rosenthal (percussion) and The Jeff Platz Quartet (featuring Daniel Carter) ...

203

Event

Joe Giardullo Conducts Open G2 Workshop

Joe Giardullo Conducts Open G2 Workshop

Source: All About Jazz

Saxophonist/ composer Joe Giardullo will be conducting an open workshop for all instrumentalists on Sunday February 1 at Gathering of The Tribes in NYC. 285 E 3rd St # 2 New York, NY 10009 (212) 674-3778 G2 is Joe's approach to large ensemble, collective composition/improvisation. It is NOT conduction or soundpainting and is completely self-directed by each player. G2 has been release on Rogue Art Records entitled RED MOROCCO. The session will be from 3-5:30 PM and is sponsored by ...

179

Performance / Tour

Joe Giardullo Plays the Music of Paul Motian at Cornelia Street Cafe

Joe Giardullo Plays the Music of Paul Motian at Cornelia Street Cafe

Source: All About Jazz

Soprano saxophonist Joe Giardullo's Language of Swans Trio play “IN & OUT of Motian - Music by (& for) Paul Motian" on Wednesday February 13, 2008 at The Cornelia Street Cafe, NYC. The doors open at 8pm. Joe's trio features bassist Reuben Radding and drummer Todd Capp. This is a special, rarified music, at once soulful and enigmatic, but always tuneful and compelling. For almost 50 years, Paul Motian has been closely connected with the developments of modern jazz. Besides ...

140

Interview

Extensive Interview with Red Morocco's Joe Giardullo Now up on Web

Extensive Interview with Red Morocco's Joe Giardullo Now up on Web

Source: All About Jazz


132

Radio

Joe Giardullo on Berkshire Radio Thursday August 16th

Joe Giardullo on Berkshire Radio Thursday August 16th

Source: All About Jazz

Soprano saxophonist/composer Joe Giardullo will be the guest on BEAUTY AND THE BEAT, heard on Berkshire Radio, hosted by Larry Chernicoff. The show will air live at 97.7 FM in the Berkshires and streaming at www.berkshireradio.org from 4-5:30 pm on Thursday August 16th. Joe will be giving listeners a preview of his new recording that will be released in September on Rogue Art Records (Paris). That disc, RED MOROCCO, features an ensemble of 14 musicians playing Joe's G2 music. He'll ...

102

Performance / Tour

Joe Giardullo's Triangle Circle Square June 13th at Cornelia Street Cafe NYC

Joe Giardullo's Triangle Circle Square June 13th at Cornelia Street Cafe NYC

Source: All About Jazz

Woodstock area soprano saxophonist JOE GIARDULLO debuts TRIANGLE CIRCLE SQUARE, music for string quartet, percussion, bass and soprano saxophone, at NY's Cornelia Street Cafe on Wednesday June 13th, at 8:30 and 10 pm. With drummer Todd Capp, bassist Shayna Dulberger, and the SNOW QUARTET ( Michael Snow, Gwen Laster- violins; Larry Packer-viola, Martha Colby- cello), Joe will present works from his G2 series of compositions. Paris label Rogue Art Records, which releases music from Roscoe Mitchell and Rob Brown, will ...

159

Performance / Tour

Soprano saxophonist Joe Giardullo January 7th at Cornelia Street Cafe

Soprano saxophonist Joe Giardullo January 7th at Cornelia Street Cafe

Source: All About Jazz

Soprano saxophonist Joe Giardullo and drummer Todd Capp join Nobel Prize winning theoretical chemist Roald Hoffman at his session at the Cornelia Street Cafe, NYC, at 6pm.

This night, the theme is COSI SIMILE, COSI DIVERSE.

The tension of things being the same and not the same is in the soul of science and art. Roald Hoffmann will tell four chemical short stories of molecular identity: presumed, feigned, healing, lethal.

In what seems - only that -- to be another ...

104

Performance / Tour

AAJ NY Presents Joe Giardullo & John Heward (5/5) Tribute To Steve Lacy at Cornelia St. Cafe 8:30 and 10pm

AAJ NY Presents Joe Giardullo & John Heward (5/5) Tribute To Steve Lacy at Cornelia St. Cafe 8:30 and 10pm

Source: All About Jazz

May 3, 2005 To: Listings/Critics/Features From: JAZZ PROMO SERVICES Press Contact: JIM EIGO, [email protected] THURSDAY MAY 5th, 2005 AllAboutJazz-New York Presents “1s & 2s: Music For Solo & Duo" FEATURING: Joe Giardullo (soprano sax) & John Heward (drums/percussion) “A TRIBUTE TO STEVE LACY" CD release No Work Today: Nine For Lacy (Drimala Records) at Cornelia Street Cafe 29 Cornelia Street Greenwich Village, NY 10014 Tel: 212-989-9319 Fax: 212-243-4207 Web: corneliastreetcafe.com *8:30 and 10pm sets - $12/ (student discount $8) Joe ...

64

Performance / Tour

All About Jazz-New York Presents "1s & 2s: Music For Solo & Duo": Joe Giardullo & John Heward

All About Jazz-New York Presents "1s & 2s: Music For Solo & Duo": Joe Giardullo & John Heward

Source: All About Jazz

April 13, 2005 To: Listings/Critics/Features From: JAZZ PROMO SERVICES Press Contact: JIM EIGO, [email protected] THURSDAY MAY 5th, 2005 AllAboutJazz-New York Presents “1s & 2s: Music For Solo & Duo" FEATURING: Joe Giardullo (soprano sax) & John Heward (drums/percussion) “A TRIBUTE TO STEVE LACY" CD release No Work Today: Nine For Lacy (Drimala Records) at Cornelia Street Cafe 29 Cornelia Street Greenwich Village, NY 10014 Tel: 212-989-9319 Fax: 212-243-4207 Web: corneliastreetcafe.com *8:30 and 10pm sets - $12/ (student discount $8) Joe ...

"He consistently glistens" --All About Jazz

"Creativity fresh as a breaking wave" --All About Jazz

"Freely improvised music of the highest order." --Signal To Noise

"Virtuosic technique and a soulful, life affirming spirit" --EXCLAIM CANADA

"Luminous" --TOMAJAZZ, Spain

"Pure joy!" --PARIS TRANSATLANTIC 2005

"Resplendent in its sheer beauty" --TOUCHING EXTREMES, Rome

"A combination of toughness and lyrical creativity" --SIGNAL TO NOISE

"Full of complex detail and abstract freedom" --CADENCE

"Luminescent crescents from his horn" --THE WIRE, London

"A heady mixture of outside & in, experimentation & tradition, technique & imagination" --BBC, London

Read more

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Afterfall

Clean Feed Records
2011

buy

Red Morocco

Rogue Art
2008

buy

No Work Today: Nine...

Drimala Records
2006

buy

RED MOROCCO

Rogue Art
2006

buy

Weather

Kedar Entertainment Group
2004

buy

Art Spirit

Boxholder Records
2003

buy

Similar

Tim Berne
saxophone, alto
Steve Lacy
saxophone, soprano
Joe McPhee
woodwinds
David S. Ware
saxophone, tenor
Julius Hemphill
saxophone, alto
Hamiet Bluiett
saxophone, baritone
Sonny Simmons
saxophone, alto
Ellery Eskelin
saxophone, tenor
Mark Whitecage
saxophone, alto
Frank Lowe
saxophone, tenor
Joe Maneri
saxophone

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.