"I'm primarily interested in making what I do inviting and fun. I'm not trying to impress people with how good I can play the drums or displaying my virtuosity as my main thing."
Joey Baron to Gino Robair, Pulse, August 1994

"If I had to describe my sound, I'd call it loose and slow, the way Southerners are slow. And soulful, hopefully. What stirs me is some sort of soulful move - hearing a singer sing a phrase that's just - pow! -- and trying to get that kind of emotion out of the drums."
Joey to Musician, May 1992

"I think a trade-mark of my style involves my getting a lot from a minimal arsenal of equipment. I just have hi-hats, a ride, a crash, a sizzle and a four piece kit… Number one, what I want to do is play music that is fun, that invites people in. If a person walked off the street into a performance of mine, he or she wouldn't need to understand the history of music to enjoy it. That's my job."
Joey to Modern Drummer, July 1996

Drummer Joey Baron was born into a Jewish working class family in Richmond, Virginia in 1955. He his largely self-taught by means of watching others play and listening to recordings, radio and television. His early influences ran the gamut from Ed Sullivan show guests, to "The Wild Wild West" television show theme to records by Art Blakey, Ray Charles, Booker T. and the M.G.'s, James Brown, the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. Besides being a member of the Bill Frisell Band for ten years until 1995, he has performed and recorded with an impressive list of musicians - including Carmen McRae, Dizzy Gillespie, Tony Bennett, Hampton Hawes, Chet Baker, Laurie Anderson, Art Pepper, Stan Getz, Jay McShann, David Bowie, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, Big Joe Turner, Philip Glass, John Abercrombie, Mel Lewis, Pat Martino, Harry Sweets Edison, David Sanborn, Al Jarreau, Jim Hall, Randy Brecker, Marian McPartland, John Scofield, and the Lounge Lizards. He also co-lead the group "Miniature" (with Tim Berne and Hank Roberts) and was a member of "Naked City" (with John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Fred Frith and Wayne Horvitz). He currently works in John Zorn's group, "Masada" with Dave Douglas (trumpet) and Greg Cohen (bass), and leads his own trio "Barondown", which features Ellery Eskelin (saxophone) and Steve Swell (trombone). "Barondown" has recorded three albums - Crackshot (Avant), Raised Pleasure Dot (New World) and Tongue in Groove (JMT).

Joey's current release as a leader is Down Home, part of the Songline/Tone Field series on Intuition. The project features all southern R&B flavored original tunes by Joey Baron played by an all star band of Ron Carter, Arthur Blythe and Bill Frisell. "The most intriguing ensemble of the season," (New Yorker) "is not only all star, but fascinatingly so."(Village Voice.)
Joey Baron also performs duo with Bill Frisell and in a solo setting. A recorded solo piece can be heard in the track entitled "Alfie" on Great Jewish Music: Burt Bacharach (Knitting Factory Works).

updated December 1997

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

As leader:
Down Home (w/ Arthur Blythe, Ron Carter and Bill Frisell) - Intuition
Crackshot (Barondown w/ Ellery Eskelin and Steve Swell) - Avant
Raised Pleasure Dot (Barondown) - New World
Tongue in Groove (Barondown) - JMT
Live at the Knitting Factory - Knitting Factory Works
Great Jewish Music: Burt Bacharach - Tzadik

As co-leader:
Miniature (Miniature) - JMT
I Can't Put My Finger on It (Miniature) - JMT

With other artists:

Bill Frisell
Look Out for Hope - ECM
Before We Were Born - Elektra/Musician
Is That You? - Elektra/Musician
Where in the World? - Elektra/Musician
Have a Little Faith - Nonesuch
This Land - Nonesuch
Music for the Films of Buster Keaton - "The High Sign"/"One Week" - Nonesuch
Music for the Films of Buster Keaton - "Go West" - Nonesuch

John Zorn
Spy vs. Spy - Elektra/Musician
Naked City - Elektra/Nonesuch
Tarture Garden - Shimmy
Grand Guignol - Avant
Heretic - Avant
Radio - Avant
Absinthe - Avant
Masada, Volumes 1 - 10 - DIW

Carmen McRae
Carmen McRae at the Great American Music Hall - Blue Note
Carmen McRae at Ronnie Scott's - Pye

David Bowie
Outside - Virgin

Fred Hersch
Horizons - Concord
Sarabande - Sunnyside

Marc Johnson
The Sound of Summer Running - Verve

Jim Hall
These Rooms - Denon

Tim Berne
Fractured Fairy Tales - JMT
Diminutive Mysteries - JMT

Laurie Anderson
Bright Red - Warner Brothers

David Sanborn
Another Hand - Elektra/Musician

John Scofield
Grace Under Pressure - Blue Note

Enrico Pieranunzi
New Land - Timeless
Deep Down - Soul Note

Toots Thielemans
Ne Me Quitte Pas - Milan
Only Trust Your Heart - Concord

The Roches
Can We Go Home Now - Rykodisc

Biography courtesy of Songlines/Tonefield Productions, Berkeley CA (USA).