Joe Krown - piano, Hammond B3, organ,
Joe Krown moved to New Orleans in 1992 after honing his keyboard skills in the Northeast. Since that time, he has built a strong reputation as first-call organist and pianist in the Crescent City.
Joe held the keyboard chair with Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown & Gate’s Express from 1992 until Gatemouth's passing in the fall of 2005. Joe is featured on the chart topping albums “The Man,” “Gate Swings,” “American Music Texas Style,” and “Back to Bogalusa” albums. In 1995, Gatemouth and the Gate's Express including Joe on keyboards did a 62 date world tour as the opening act for Eric Clapton. The band, Gate’s Express won New Orleans Offbeat 2004 Best Band in the Blues Category.
From September 1996 to June 2001, he held the Traditional Piano Night slot at the Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans, which was once occupied by Professor Longhair and James Booker. Joe followed that strong tradition with his debut solo release “Just the Piano...Just the Blues,” (1998) and the follow-up CD, “New Orleans Piano Rolls.” (2003)
His band, the Joe Krown Organ Combo (New Orleans, LA) was formed in 1999. The Joe Krown Organ Combo made its European debut in November 2001 at the Ingolstadt Jazztage in Ingolstadt Germany and makes regular appearances at the French Quarter Festival in New Orleans, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the Ottawa Blues Fest. The Combo performs every week at one of the many New Orleans nightclubs, including the Maple Leaf Bar, House of Blues, Tipitina's, Le Bon Temps Roule, dba, and the Funky Butt.
The Joe Krown Organ Combo has released four records. “Down & Dirty,” (1999) “Buckle Up,” (2000) and “Funkyard,” (2002) were all released on the New Orleans label STRdigital. Krown’s newest release, “Livin’ Large,” released in February 2005, is Joe’s first independent release with Krown as producer.
In April 2004, Krown starting playing in New Orleans Juice, one of the premier national touring acts from New Orleans legendary funk scene. The band is a 4-piece New Orleans style funk band, that has a very creative original mix of New Orleans funk, blues, second line, rock and rhythm and blues. Krown is featured on their 2005 double live CD, “Hey Buddy.”
The latest incarnation of the Joe Krown Trio, consisting of Joe Krown on piano, Brint Anderson, vocals & acoustic guitar & Mike Barras, drums along with Brent Rose on Sax & Michael Skinkus on persussion, has released in 2007, “Old Friends.” This latest CD is a mix of traditional, New Orleans favorites and original Krown tunes is sure to please Joe Krown Trio fans everywhere. On this record Joe dedicates it to “my friends that have passed since Hurricane Katrina and the levee breaches that destroyed our city. Some of these people had health issues that the stress of the storm accelerated their time and others were taken by the stress and sadness from trying to live in a post Katrina New Orleans.”
Whether playing solo piano in local bars, playing in his own Joe Krown Combo, Trio, or with New Orleans Juice, Joe Krown has capitalized on his tenure with Gatemouth Brown to establish himself as one of the top keyboardists in the Big Easy.
