JOE COCO is a versatile performer with infectious energy. An American songwriter, singer and guitarist, he has performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe since 1970. From New York City’s Folk City, L.A.’s famous Troubadour, to Italian Blues Festivals and Switzerland’s Atlantis Club, he creates poignant, often satirical images with a clear, strong, emotive voice. A prolific songwriter (650 songs and 34 albums since 1979), many of his songs reflect a strong social conscience. A native of Passaic, New Jersey, Joe has lived in Arizona for eleven years and in Italy for 6 years.Since 1995, Joe’s fruitful collaborations with Michele Lotta have continued through 2006 with GARDEN STATE, SEPTEMBER SKY, SCARLET ROAD, VIRGIN WOOD, and SYMBOLS OF POWER. His 31st CD SCARLET ROAD (songs in response to the Iraq war), were in national rotation on over 250 radio stations, released just after the election in 2004. SCARLET ROAD reached 1, 14, in radio stations in Alaska, & Missouri. The record has seen much resistence in the press concerning an album that is against the war in Iraq. While on tour in Italy with TOMMY, ’98-99 Joe recorded THESE YEARS and SHE’S A MYSTERY, in theatre rehearsal studios and hotel rooms.2002 through 2006 have been benchmark years, as has been Joe headlining monthly in Greenwich Village clubs, and the famous Raubsville Inn in Easton, PA. In Italian festivals he has recently opened for BIG BILL MORGANFIELD (Muddy Water's son) KEB’ MO’ and BIG TIME SARAH. His song “Born With The Blues†appeared on King Biscuit Time’s 2001 CD LOW FIDELITY, which won Italian Blues album of the year (Buscadero-National Rock Magazine, Italia). INCANDESCENT and EMERALD CROWN, from 2002 received excellent reviews in Italy and Stateside. From 1992 through 1996, Joe was a resident in Portugal and Sicily. During that time he headlined concerts while opening for FONTELLA BASS (“Rescue Meâ€), MARIO VENUTI, GIANNI GEBBIA and WILLIE MURPHY. Over nine years in Italy, Joe has shared bills with Italian blues luminaries FABIO TREVES (Father of the Blues in Italy), NICK BECATINNI, HERBIE GOINS, LINDA WESLEY and JAY MONQUE’D of New Orleans.In 1998-99 Joe appeared as a principal soloist in the rock opera TOMMY by The Who. This Italian national production hit 22 cities in 98 performances, with a cast and crew of 40. He sang and played harmonica on “Eyesight To The Blind†while acting in 10 choral parts. Directed by Massimo Piparo, Planet Music distinguished itself by presenting the first rock-opera in Italy, Jesus Christ Superstar.Opening for Belgium’s PERRY ROSE in Europe’s famous ATLANTIS CLUB, Basil, Switzerland November 1995, led to a March 1996 four-night engagement in Lausanne, Switzerland with partner MICHELE LOTTA (harmonica & guitar). Coco’s music combines personal narratives with a passionate blues drive. He ‘s developed a blues and country style guitar approach of tight rhythmic patterns while flat or finger picking melody and bass lines. Highlighted is his slide guitar playing with rapid finger picking and a razor sharp attack. Joe’s soulful voice is compared to James Taylor’s with a Sam & Dave edge.Joe’s first success came in 1978 while opening concerts for B.B.KING and COMMANDER CODY in Flagstaff and Phoenix, Arizona. This led to his first album NEVER SATISFIED which brought him to the attention of Charles Kopelman’s Entertainment Company in New York where his songs were pitched to BARBARA STREISAND, JUDY COLLINS, LORETTA LYNN, and GLEN CAMPBELL. Recording with Warner Bros Music in New York City from 1980 through 1982, Joe toured the Northeast college concert circuit opening for JOHN HAMMOND.In the summer of 1996, while living in Sicily, Joe composed BLUES HOUSE - A Blues Opera. Among the first blues operas ever written, the 27 songs were recorded with MICHELE LOTTA and released in 1997. The double album is in the prestigious archive collections of the W.C. HANDY FOUNDATION, Memphis; FOLKLIFE CENTER of the SMITHSONIAN, Washington.D.C.; THE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HALL OF FAME, Cleveland; INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF BLUES FOUNDATION, Boston; SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY and BROADCAST MUSIC INC., Nashville.WHERE THE RIVER MEETS THE SEA are songs about discovering Joe’s Sicilian roots as a resident in Italy 1993-97. Among Coco’s 32 albums, 1989’s ARIZONA--THE BALLADS, also a double CD, featured songs about culture shock, and coming of age. They reflect his eleven years as a resident of the Southwest. In 1986 Joe collaborated with Luis Tomas of Arizona to produce the R&B, Jazz spiced instrumentals of SOLAR ECLIPSE AND A NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST, which saw the single “Pecho†air nationally on the video program VH1. Three instrumental albums reflecting Coco’s melodic, atmospheric new age jazz, accompany his painting and drawing exhibits: IF WALLS COULD SPEAK, 1994; SOUND IMAGE/FALLS RIVER, 1986 (with Polar Levine); and FOLIAGE 1982.Having composed over 650 songs since 1970, Joe is a rare musician who has combined his music with many accomplishments in the visual arts. With a Master of Fine Arts degree from Rutgers University in 1986, he has had 50 solo exhibits, including the premier of IF WALLS COULD SPEAK in Messina, Sicily, 1996-97. With over 600 works in over 250 public and private collections, Joe’s work is represented in MOMA, San Francisco, GALLERIA NAZIONALE DE CONTEMPORANEO, Rome, GULBENKIAN MUSEUM, Lisbon and the INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART, Boston. Joe Coco's capabilities are the wealth of an inspired talent.
MICHELE LOTTA begins his professional career as a radio conductor and dj at the onset of private broadcasting in Italy, and continues for the next 20 years. He starts playing guitar and harmonica at a very young age and discovers his passion for the blues at the start of the 1980’s. He has collaborated as a photographer and journalist with specialized magazines such as Il Blues, Musica Jazz and Blue Time since 1989. His photograph collection, Clickin’ the Blues (often hosted by several cultural associations) is part of the archives of some of the most famous music institutions of the world: the "Rock & Roll Hall of Fame" in Cleveland, Ohio and the "W.C. Handy Foundation" in Memphis, Tennessee.
Five years of intense side to side work with Joe Coco, songwriter from New Jersey, gave birth to 18 music collections – one of which is the colossal Blues House - A Blues Opera . Concerts in Italy and abroad, two Switzerland tours and an opening act for the Gospel singer Fontella Bass follow.
Together with King Biscuit Time, he brings to life the records Love That Stuff (1995) and Low Fidelity (2001) and appears at several international festivals with some of the greatest performers of the "Devil’s Music": Michael Coleman, Nine Below Zero, Maurice John Vaughan, Fabio Treves, Climax Blues Band, J.Monque’D, James Harman, Andy J. Forest, John Primer, Jimmy Johnson, Sugar Blue, Popa Chubby, Sherman Robertson, Keb' Mo', Phil Guy, John Hammond …
He plays harmonica, ac. and el. guitars.
DISCOGRAPHY COCO-LOTTA:
GRANDFATHER'S LAND P 2007 PRcd 046 Time 62.44 14 Songs BMI
GARDEN STATE P 2006 PRcd-044 Time 52.06 14 Songs BMI
SEPTEMBER SKY P 2006 PRcd-043 Time 52.41 13 Songs BMI
VIRGIN WOOD P 2005 PRcd-042 Time 54.46 13 Songs BMI
SCARLET ROAD P 2004 PRcd-041 Time 52:17 12 Songs BMI
INCANDESCENT P 2003 PRcd-040 Time 53:37 14 Songs BMI
EMERALD CROWN P 2002 PRcd-039 Time 47:42 12 Songs BMI
SOUND OF THE SUN P 2002 PRcd-035 Time 49:24 13 Songs BMI
SILVER LOOM P 2002 Prcd-038 Time 68:30 16 Songs (cp) BMI
SYMBOLS OF POWER P 2002 PRcd-034 Time 50:31 12 Songs BMI
STREETS OF LIGHT P 2001 PRcd-033 Time 50:10 13 Songs BMI
SURRENDER P 2000 PRcd-032 Time 50:00 14 Songs BMI
THESE YEARS P 1999 PRcd-031 Time 50:31 13 Song BMI
SHE'S A MYSTERY P 1999 PRcd-030 Time 39:36 10 Songs BMI
J. COCO & M. LOTTA P 1998 PRcd-029 Time 57:51 14 Songs (cp) BMI
OUT OF THE BLUE P 1998 PRcd-028 Time 49:16 12 Songs BMI
BLUES HOUSE - A BLUES OPERA P 1997 C 1996- 2CD 27 Songs BMI
SOME SUMMER P 1997 PRcd-027 Time 45:27 12 Songs BMI
TAKE ME HOME P 1997 PRcd-026 Time 60:00 14 Songs BMI
PROTECTED BY ANGELS P 1996 PRcd-023 Time 43:20 12 Songs BMI
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