"Seriously, I'm pleasantly surprised by how tight this band is, and actually relying on musicianship rather than being overpowering like so many groups. Good soloing all the way around, and nothing personal but the rhythm section is really good....Tasteful harp right in the Walter tradition, and good guitar. Overall, a very enjoyable performance....Plus you get points for so many originals....I like the groove and the playing." Bruce Iglauer at Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
"THANK YOU for your FABULOUS performance. And--No, not just a performance, but TRULY a SHOW!! The group IS tight! Very solid,very SEASONED and VERY Dedicated to QUALITY, these were just a few of my personal observations." Valley of the STARZ, LLC.,review of the JoeTones at a May 2008 performance.
"Why it's cool: Joe Vanesky is a harmonica virtuoso. What does that mean? He doesn't merely play the harp, he makes it sing. Not an easy thing to do. There's some tasty guitar and keyboard playing on this song, too." Eric Klister, Post-Crescent, reviewing the title track of the JoeTones 2007 disc "On and Off".
"Diggin' your harp playing - nice tone, understated, original approach, very very tasty!" Cool-Tone Music
"Joe is the real deal harmonica player. Not some guy who just plays licks. He plays music from the heart and gives a damn. Thats the best praise I can give anybody." Bobby Evans, Alimony Blues Band.
"Your harp playing is actually Original.. a real accomplishment in my view.." Harpco, San Diego
The Joe Tones: Live and In-Color! Joe Vanesky is a spirited student of the harmonica who continues to bring invention to the instrument and to the blues he creates. Joe likes to write original music. Besides the Tones "On and Off" disc, he has produced two other discs of original music in the past 3 years -- check out Root Cellar Music for the latest. Standing by his side, Denise Crouse soulfully strums and picks her candy apple red Telecaster. Denise is an unapologetic, rock solid rhythm guitarist who lays the foundation for the myriad of the Tones rhythmic influences. Denise also has a rich, inviting voice that has been compared to Fleetwood Mac's Christie McVie. On lead guitar, Gary Shaw is a master of the understated line, recalling the innovative, vibrant playing of early amplified jazz and blues guitarists (think 1950s). An ecclectic player, Gary is a session guitarist whose early prowess on the instrument was recognized by Dobie Gray (Drift Away), and he was subsequently whisked onto the national scene as Dobie's guitarist. Look for Gary to bring both fire and finesse to the Tones' music. Gary also tours with Grand Ole Opry's Little Jimmy Sizemore, who is known to have discovered the great Patsy Cline. Needless to say, Mr. Sizemore knows something about talent and inspired playing. The rhythm section features Denise Crouse,Tony Theisen (bass) and David Will (drums). Honestly, there's no bigger compliment than having Bruce Iglauer say "the rhythm section is really good." We'll leave it at that. About the Tunes The band finished recording "On and Off", a CD featuring 9 original songs of the alt-blues variety, in May of 2007. The songs were recorded at Rock Garden Studio in Appleton, WI by Marc Golde. Marc also adds his considerable talents as a Hammond B3 player to two songs on the disc (Blues Are Back and the title track On and Off). The songs listed above are original, copyright 2007. The title track, "On and Off", and the Latin inspired "Modern Ag" were written by the Joe Tones. "What You Been Doing?" was written by Joe Vanesky and Denise Crouse, and "Step in Line" was written by Joe Vanesky.These songs were essentially recorded live, with no musical overdubs except for vocals and Marc's B3 tracks. Also, the tune "On and Off" was a spontaneous selection -- the band had only just conceived of the song a couple weeks prior to the recording date and had not played it out before recording it.
Contact Information E-mail: [email protected]; Phone: (920) 729-0913