Happy Birthday, Joe Krown!

Keyboardist Joe Krown was born on March 26, 1958, in Long Island, New York, and started playing piano in his childhood. He discovered the Hammond organ while in college, which he left to pursue career as a professional musician. In the 1980s, he joined Chuck Berry's back up band and toured with him on the East Coast. In 1991, Krown moved to New Orleans to join legendary Louisiana blues musician Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown's band, Gate's Express, recording four albums with him and touring across the U.S. and overseas, including as an opening act for Eric Clapton’s world tour in 1995. In 1998, he released the solo album Just the Piano...Just the Blues. 

The Joe Krown Organ Combo was formed in 1999 and performed every week at one of the many New Orleans nightclubs, as well as making regular appearances at the French Quarter Festival and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Krown also played with guitarist John Fohl and harmonica/accordion player Johnny Sansone in 2000, releasing a self-titled album in 2004. Krown has been a headline performer at WWOZ's Piano Night during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival every year since 1997, producing it for the first time in 2017, and then every year since, with great success. 

Krown’s trio with Johnny Sansone & John Fohl won a 2004 New Orleans Big Easy Award in the Blues category. In 2005, he formed the Joe Krown Trio, featuring Joe on the Hammond B-3 organ, legendary Louisiana guitarist Walter Wolfman Washington on guitar & vocals, and Russell Batiste, Jr. on drums. In the spring of 2007, the trio started playing every Sunday night at the Maple Leaf Bar. The Sunday nights were so successful that the trio released a live CD, Live at the Maple Leaf, in Oct. 2008. They won a 2009 New Orleans Big Easy Award in the Blues Category and a 2009 Offbeat Award for Best R&B/Funk Album. In April 2014, Joe was honored with a Piano Legacy Award, presented by the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra and for being a "Master of Piano".

In June 2017, Krown joined the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, and tours all over the U.S. and the world as the organ/piano player for this multi award winning, chart topping band. Krown continues to perform solo and with his trio, and he has played the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival as a featured artist every year since 2001 and the French Quarter Festival every year since 1998. Today we wish this supremely talented musician a very happy birthday! 

Photo: Masahiro Sumori

Celebrating the Birthday of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown

Guitarist, violinist and vocalist Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown was born on April 18, 1924, in Vinton, Louisiana, and raised in Orange, Texas. Brown was given the nickname “Gatemouth” by a high school teacher who said he had a “voice like a gate”. Known for his work as a blues musician, he also performed rock n roll and folk, and was an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist who played not only guitar and fiddle, but also mandolin, viola, harmonica and drums.

In 1974, he recorded as a sideman with the New Orleans pianist Professor Longhair on his album, Rock 'N' Roll Gumbo and moved to New Orleans in the late 1970s. In the 1980s, a series of releases on Rounder Records and Alligator Records revitalized his U.S. career, and he toured extensively and internationally, usually playing between 250 and 300 shows a year. He won a Grammy in 1982 for the album Alright Again! and was nominated for five more. He also won eight W. C. Handy Awards. In 1999, Brown was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

In his final years, Brown maintained a full touring schedule, and released his final record "Timeless" in 2004. Brown’s home in Slidell, Louisiana, was destoyed by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, though he’d had been evacuated to his childhood hometown of Orange, Texas. Sadly, he passed away there on September 10, 2005, at a relative’s home. Today we celebrate a gifted musician and appreciate his legacy.

Photo: Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com

Happy Birthday, Joe Krown!

Keyboardist Joe Krown was born on March 26, in Long Island, New York, and started playing piano in his childhood. He discovered the Hammond organ while in college, which he left to pursue career as a professional musician. In the 1980s, he joined Chuck Berry's back up band and toured with him on the East Coast. In 1991, Krown moved to New Orleans to join legendary Louisiana blues musician Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown's band, Gate's Express, recording four albums with him and touring across the U.S. and overseas, including as an opening act for Eric Clapton’s world tour in 1995. In 1998, he released the solo album Just the Piano...Just the Blues. 

The Joe Krown Organ Combo was formed in 1999 and performed every week at one of the many New Orleans nightclubs, as well as making regular appearances at the French Quarter Festival and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Krown also played with guitarist John Fohl and harmonica/accordion player Johnny Sansone in 2000, releasing a self-titled album in 2004. Krown has been a headline performer at WWOZ's Piano Night during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival every year since 1997, producing it for the first time in 2017, and then every year since, with great success. 

Krown’s trio with Johnny Sansone & John Fohl won a 2004 New Orleans Big Easy Award in the Blues category. In 2005, he formed the Joe Krown Trio, featuring Joe on the Hammond B-3 organ, legendary Louisiana guitarist Walter Wolfman Washington on guitar & vocals, and Russell Batiste, Jr. on drums. In the spring of 2007, the trio started playing every Sunday night at the Maple Leaf Bar. The Sunday nights were so successful that the trio released a live CD, Live at the Maple Leaf, in Oct. 2008. They won a 2009 New Orleans Big Easy Award in the Blues Category and a 2009 Offbeat Award for Best R&B/Funk Album. In April 2014, Joe was honored with a Piano Legacy Award, presented by the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra and for being a "Master of Piano".

In June 2017, Krown joined the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, and tours all over the U.S. and the world as the organ/piano player for this multi award winning, chart topping band. Krown continues to perform solo and with his trio, and he has played the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival as a featured artist every year since 2001 and the French Quarter Festival every year since 1998. Today we wish this supremely talented musician a very happy birthday! 

Photo: Masahiro Sumori

Celebrating the Birthday of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown

Guitarist, violinist and vocalist Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown was born on April 18, 1924, in Vinton, Louisiana, and raised in Orange, Texas. Brown was given the nickname “Gatemouth” by a high school teacher who said he had a “voice like a gate”. Known for his work as a blues musician, he also performed rock n roll and folk, and was an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist who played not only guitar and fiddle, but also mandolin, viola, harmonica and drums.

In 1974, he recorded as a sideman with the New Orleans pianist Professor Longhair on his album, Rock 'N' Roll Gumbo and moved to New Orleans in the late 1970s. In the 1980s, a series of releases on Rounder Records and Alligator Records revitalized his U.S. career, and he toured extensively and internationally, usually playing between 250 and 300 shows a year. He won a Grammy in 1982 for the album Alright Again! and was nominated for five more. He also won eight W. C. Handy Awards. In 1999, Brown was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

In his final years, Brown maintained a full touring schedule, and released his final record "Timeless" in 2004. Brown’s home in Slidell, Louisiana, was destoyed by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, though he’d had been evacuated to his childhood hometown of Orange, Texas. Sadly, he passed away there on September 10, 2005, at a relative’s home. Today we celebrate a gifted musician and appreciate his legacy.

Photo: Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com