Pianist Joe Cartwright makes his home in Mission, Kansas and is recognized as a proponent of ‘Kansas City Jazz.’ He is a graduate of the UMKC Conservatory of Music and is currently the musical director for the critically acclaimed NPR radio show '12th Street Jump.' Joe has performed on and produced numerous recordings. Some of his credits include work with jazz luminaries Eddie Harris, Christian McBride, Jeff Hamilton, John Clayton, Karrin Allyson, Jimmy Witherspoon, Kevin Mahogany and Mel Torme. Cartwright has performed for audiences in Africa, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia as part of the USIA/Kennedy Center Jazz Ambassador Touring Program. In the fall of 2012, the Joe Cartwright Quartet headlined the CCPA Jazz Festival in Asuncion, Paraguay as representatives of Kansas City Jazz.
Awards
Best Of Business Kansas City 2015—Ingrams Magazine
Heritage Musician 2016—Pilgrim Center For The Arts
“I am always flattered when a fellow musician decides to perform and record one of my tunes. My pleasure and amazement is enhanced when the artist is as imaginative and talented as pianist Joe Cartwright. Cartwright is one of those unsung artists who deserves the attention that I hope That Trio Thing will bring him..." —Dave Brubeck
“He leans over the grand, head cocked, watching the audience, an ear down near the keys, listening to an octave tremolo. It comes crashing down in a block chord, then another, as Cartwright, head bobbing, superimposes one rhythm on another. Pausing, Cartwright’s fingers emege to spider a line he lips
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“I am always flattered when a fellow musician decides to perform and record one of my tunes. My pleasure and amazement is enhanced when the artist is as imaginative and talented as pianist Joe Cartwright. Cartwright is one of those unsung artists who deserves the attention that I hope That Trio Thing will bring him..." —Dave Brubeck
“He leans over the grand, head cocked, watching the audience, an ear down near the keys, listening to an octave tremolo. It comes crashing down in a block chord, then another, as Cartwright, head bobbing, superimposes one rhythm on another. Pausing, Cartwright’s fingers emege to spider a line he lips. The steam builds, and soon the pianist is flinging swing out in handfuls. Cartwright throws his whole soul at the keys.” —Kansas City Business Journal
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