About Me
The above songs were co-written w/ Tom Gillam and myself. These tracks appear on Tom's first 2 solo records. In the future I will post some other work from the studio.
If you need any production/recording assistance, shoot me an email. I am also available for studio consultation and design.
His first memories of music were his dad playing records by The Beatles, Janis Joplin,Simon and Garfunkel and Mario Lanza. At the tender age of 4, Joe was out with his dad and came across the soundtrack to "The Graduate". ~ "Anne Bancroft's leg in a thigh high was my initial attraction, then the great Simon and Garfunkel songs, says Carroll"~ Joe played the grooves out of this on his Fisher-Price record player. A few years later, age 12, Joe was at a friends house listening to records on headphones. "The end of the solo to ~Heartbreaker~ on Led Zeppelin II, the part when it comes to almost complete silence, before the big "A" power chord rips through your head like a freight liner-that was the moment I wanted a guitar"
After a few years on the sax, it was time to trade it in for an electric guitar and amp. "I was 15, couldn't play a lick, but I would sit this junky little amp in my bedroom window and make noise"
A year of lessons followed, as well as some music theory classes in high school and a stint in the Jazz Band. The Jazz band was invited to play at The Berklee School of Music after winning every competition in NJ. "At that point I decided I wanted to play music the rest of my life"
Bypassing the academic heavy Berklee, Joe attended Musicians Institute in Hollywood CA. "One of the best years of my life" "Eat,Sleep and Breath Music 24/7" Joe studied various styles with various instructors. Some of the legends he studied with Joe Pass,Robben Ford,Frank Gambale,Scott Henderson,Jennifer Batten,Paul Gilbert etc. "At 18 I am in the middle of the Hair Band Scene in Hollywood" "The music I was exposed to was so overwhelming." "One minute it's Yngwie Malmsteen,Eddie Van Halen,Steve Vai, Steve Lukather...the next it's Larry Carlton,Robben Ford,Joe Diorio etc" "I was brought up on Hendrix,Zeppelin,Floyd etc....now it was all of these incredible technicians"
Upon graduation, Joe returned east and floated around with several Pop and Pop Metal Bands. At the same time it was the begining of his gear junkie problem. "Being in LA in '85-'86, you couldnt help but be amazed by all of these "rack" systems the studio guys were using" So he would constantly buy sell and trade gear looking for the ultimate *tone*.
"I finally came to the realization that all of this stuff was overkill""I was driving a round with a 16 space rack with digital this and digital that, modded boutique amp heads" "One night I was playing a show, 2 songs in, my whole rig dies""I didnt know where to start""Around that same time I was totally over the top with Stevie Ray Vaughan and being back doored into guys like Albert King,Freddie King,Gatemouth Brown and tons of other forgotten bluesmen" At this point he got rid of his rig, for a couple black panel super reverbs.
He then dabbled in a few cover bands, while starting to be intrigued by recording. "Man, the cover band world just killed my soul. Great guys- but if I have no input on the song (playing,writing,recording,producing) I can't be involved""I give the guys who do it nothing but credit, it's just not for me"
While doing the cover band circuit, Joe got involved with buying,selling and trading "vintage" gear. "At one point I had about 50 guitars and about 50 amps""All vintage-I had every color of Marshall amp they made-I had 50's Les Pauls,Teles Strats etc" "The problem was always the same, I always wanted more and wanted to keep them all"
Joe quit the cover scene and started writing songs. At this time he met current musical partner-Tom Gillam."We were both working at a music store. We were both between bands. I was sitting around playing some stuff I was working on. Tom was like whats that?-We got together and started goofing around with a 4 track, that turned into an 8 track then a 16 track adat system, now a 56 track pro tools rig."
"This was and is the most musical growing period of my life. Around this time my influences were changing. I was really tapping into my 1st influences-Zep,Hendrix,Floyd and discovering new things like Emmylou Harris "Wrecking Ball" Talk about a sonic blue print of which I continue the search. I also got into Chris Whitley. Here comes this guy from the folk underground and just blows my mind. I followed his career to the end. I actually got to spend some time with him about a year before he passed. I played him a few tracks that I did and we started talking about working on a record together. Unfortunately that never happened. However the fact that he discussed it with me is enough"
This was also a time of "alt. country" "Americana" "No Depression". All roots based music with hybrids of blues, rock,country swing etc. Bands like Wilco, Son Volt, Old '97's Uncle Tupelo were all on the forefront. "This was a very interesting era to me. Here ya have guys fusing styles and having a bit of "punkish" abandon. I really liked this period"
"Playing with Tom exposed me to many things I had heard, but never REALLY heard""Tom really turned me onto bands like The Monkees,Poco,Manassas and the whole Southern California Country Rock of the early'70s'" This also led me into a bit of a Gram Parsons period"
"Out of all of the things I learned and continue to learn, one of the greatest opportunities I encountered was th opportunity to work with the legendary Shelly Yakus~John Lennon,U2,Tom Petty,Don Henley etc~ (Check Shellys credits here!) " "In 2001 we were mixing the "Dallas" CD and Shelly got involved. He ended up mixing the single "Dallas". Just working by his side and being a pain in the ask with my thousands of questions paid off. I learned more about engineering/mixing by working with Shelly for 4 days than I have in over 10 years-a pure joy!"
Over the course of the last 11 years, Joe continues to work with Tom Gillam. Recording,Writing,Mixing,Producing. As well as touring with Tom's live band "Tractor Pull".
Joe plays guitar,mandolin,baritone guitar and mando guitar. Joe also handles most of Tom's business affairs."Man I have had the opportunity to be on stage with some people I really admire, Joe Ely,Radney Foster,The Bottlerockets,Wilco,Son Volt,Marty Stuart etc"
Joe also works with outside projects trying to develop up and coming artists from his TreeHouse Productions Studio. "I have 4 records under my belt with Tom and several other projects with other artists"
Joe's Love of gear has yet to slow. "Well I dont buy guitars like I used to....However, I still have a healthy collection of about 35 guitars, 15 amps. I Have a real nice mic closet these days as well as a killer rack of mic pre's and compressors to supplement my Pro Tools HD Rig"
~Olive Blakok
