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             Joe
 photo by Delphine Bertrand.  Thanks Delphine!

Joe's Blog

Major life event! 

It's been a while since I updated any information on this site, and a friend and colleague recently gently chastised me for it -  and rightly so!  

In a very short period of time, albeit after much deliberation, my wife Jeannine and I have relocated from Los Angeles, where's she's from and where  I've resided for decades, back to my original hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  We've found a lovely home in Wauwatosa - a great area in the middle of everything -  and at present are completing the transition just in time to experience a good old Wisconsin winter.

Reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, playing more live music than I have in a while, watching the leaves turn; it's a good thing.

Left Facebook sometime back with no regrets, but always reachable through this site

Trio Xmas 

Some years back I recorded an album of Christmas songs in a trio format.  They've languished on my hard drive as so many of my musical creations have (and still do!).  Played them for a dear friend yesterday and his response was so heartening that I uploaded them here.    So for the rare soul who visits this site and is interested in hearing my non traditional takes on some traditional Christmas songs, go to the music page and scroll down to "Deck The Halls" and they follow in order from there.  Kind of hard to mistake them for anything else by the titles.

Thanks for listening.

Procrastination 

Taking procrastination to a new level!  It's been three years or thereabouts since I revisited/revised anything on this site.  I'm a bum.  Anyway, I am attempting to turn over a new leaf, and will be updating info and content, hopefully on a more regular basis.

Collaboration 

Yesterday, February 17, we rehearsed for the upcoming gig this Friday, Feb 20 at the Canyon Bistro in Topanga Canyon, CA.  What a band, what a band.  Ken Wild on upright, Tom Rizzo on guitar, and Brad Dutz on percussion; me on keys, vocals, saxophones and the occasional melodica thrown in.  I'm really loving this.  Too much time spent alone in my home studio playing everything real and virtual myself.  When great players lend their gifts to an arrangement, listening, feeding off each other and pushing each other - what can I say?  A little bit of heaven.

Taking the plunge 

Recently did a performance of my originals (and a couple of arrangements) at Theta Sound Live in a trio setting with Ken Wild on upright and Tom Rizzo on guitar.  It was the first time most of this material had been played in public and I was so pleased with the response.  I may never have made the leap if not for the persistent urging of my good friend Steve Noonan, a gifted singer/songwriter who asks me to join him from time to time both live and in the studio.  Steve always asks if I want to do a song or two whenever we work live, and finally had enough of my nay saying and just booked a gig with me opening for him.  Best thing that's every happened to me - besides marrying my wife.  Tom and Ken killed it with a minimum of rehearsal and I felt like I'd come home.  Now to keep the momentum going!

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Previous events

Feb20

joeturano solo

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Canyon Bistro in Topanga, 120 North Topanga Canyon Boulevard #119, Topanga, CA 90290

I'll be performing my original material in a quartet setting on Friday Feb 20 at Larry Cohn's fantastic bistro in Topanga Canyon. The musical line-up is stellar; Tom Rizzo on guitar, Ken Wild on upright, Brad Dutz on percussion and myself on vocals, keys, and saxophones. Should be fun. Please come on by for a great meal and some cool music!