We are so lucky to have some of the best musicians in southern California living right here in the desert.
By Patte Purcell
One of those is a very talented smooth jazz guitarist by the name of Joe Baldino. This talented artist is just that in every sense of the word. He brings a passion to his artistry with original songs that capture the soul and the emotions and take you on a flight of ecstasy. I’ve been working with Joe Baldino for about a year now and I’ve watched his career taking off. His new CD, The Flow, is going to be produced by A list artist, and producer Brian Bromberg, who will also be playing on his CD along with some surprise guest artists. This will be the second CD for this talented guitarist. He’s currently doing an Indigogo.com ‘crowd funding’ to raise money to produce his CD. If you’d like to help him make his dream come true you can purchase a CD in advance or contribute in any number of ways. Go to www.indigogo.com and type in Joe Baldino.
Joe has an interesting story. He’s from Michigan and he started playing his original music there. His first gig was at an art gallery.
Joe spent the last 7 weeks of his sister’s life with her in the hospital and was with her when she passed over. This shook him to his core and he realized if he was ever going to perform his music he would have to move to Southern California and so he did. He sold or gave everything away and came out in his car. The first 6 months he stayed with friends until they moved. Then he was on his own. He played everywhere and anywhere he could. He played (plays) lot of charity gigs as he likes to give back and the universe has blessed him. (Film producer John Gefrom is planning to make a documentary about Joe and his music.)
He got noticed by Fitz (Jim Fitzgerald) of KJJZ now 103.9 (The perfect blend) who played his music during his show and gave him some Gardens on El Paseo concerts. This last weekend he performed with his band at a benefit for the Braille Institute. Guests were treated to 2 glasses of wine and light appetizers for their $12 admission fee. A seat under the palm trees made the outdoor concert complete and the weather was perfect.
Joe’s band includes, Hans Zermuehlen on keys (he was Joe Cocker’s musical director), Craig Chestnut on drums, Aaron Mason on bass and Gary Metz on sax. Special guest and local favorite Chase Huna sat in with his sax. Joe’s tunes included “Silk” a silky flowing tune, “Mama Mia” a lively flamenco dance tune, “Benny Blues” his bluesy song and finales with “Skippy Joe” the ‘make you move’ song that will be his new release single for radio play (produced by Brian Bromberg with a fully organic recording).
All of Joe’s music is original. He is dyslexic and can’t read music which makes his genius even more spectacular.
Joe currently plays his solo gig with 3 guitars and extensive tracks on Thursdays at Two Bunch Palms spa and numerous winery gigs in Temecula including Europa and Ponte wineries. He will be starting a weekly casino gig in May. His dance card is filling up with private parties and events all over southern California. If you haven’t had a chance to see Joe, you’ll love what you see and hear. Not only is Joe a great artist he is also a really nice guy and that goes a long way in this industry.
Joe Baldino’s star is on the rise!
