Joe Baione

The relative rarity of vibraphonists in the history of jazz remains one of the musical genre’s true mysteries. Despite the natural beauty of the instrument’s sound and the historical importance and celebrated popularity of its most famous players – Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson – comparatively few artists have chosen to make the vibraphone their primary means of expression. Fortunately, Joe Baione has and on Oh Yeah!!! - his second outing as a leader and impressive successor to his distinguished debut The Superhero – he shows that the vibes and the mallets with which he plays them are in very good hands. A native of the state of Delaware, Baione grew up in a jazz drenched musical environment. His father, the clarinetist-saxophonist-educator Jim Baione, is a graduate of Philadelphia’s prestigious Combs Conservatory of Music, where he earned both his B.A. and B.Mus.Ed. degrees and first met Joe’s musician mother, Barbara. The other musical members of the Baione family include Joe’s two olde r brothers, bassist Tom and guitarist Jimmy. Following in his father’s foot steps, Joe studied both music education and jazz performance, graduating from the University of Maryland in 1995. Since then he has gone on to become a passionate and creative band teacher by day and an energetic and innovative band leader and performer at night. Baione is also President of Delaware Charitable Music, Inc. and serves as producer of the annual Jazz, Blues & BBQ in the Park, a festival he co-founded with the mission of bringing live jazz and blues to the young people of his community. In 2003, Joe had the good fortune to meet saxophonist/composer Benny Golson, when the jazz legend participated in a series of clinics and benefit concerts in Delaware. The two forged a lasting friendship and Golson became an important mentor to the vibraphonist, encouraging him to pursue his dual dream as a jazz musician and music educator. Golson’s appraisal of Baione as “a young man with vision who is able to realize the future today” is one that has inspired the young veteran vibist to reach for the stars. Following the release of his first album in 2005 the eminent jazz critic Dr. Herb Wong noted that ”Baione's CD is refreshing and not the same old rinky-tink sound you hear in vibe players today.” This disc delivers on the promise of that first effort and demonstrates the continued development of one of the most gifted mallet men in jazz today. On Oh Yeah!!! Baione builds upon the success of The Superhero using the same stellar sextet instrumentation with one important addition to the lineup – that is the enlistment of veteran producer Todd Barkan as a member of the team. Barkan, who regularly worked with Hampton-Jackson-Hutcherson triumvirate of vibists (as well as many other of the music’s most important artists) during his years as owner of the legendary Keystone Korner says, “In addition to being one of the hardest swinging members of his generation of vibers, Joe consistently reaches his listeners with the distinctiveness of his musical voice as both a truly creative virtuoso on his instrument and an increasingly compelling composer. In short , both his playing and his tunes speak more and more clearly and strongly to us."Greetings!Recently, I have sent you a press kit in consideration for the Joe Baione Quartet/Sextet performing at your festival/events. I wanted to pass along my most recent, excellent review, fresh off the press, of my new release, Oh Yeah! in the current issue (November) of Downbeat Magazine.I hope to speak with you soon about the opportunity to perform at your festival/event. This group is on the RISE.Joe BaioneOh Yeah!Joe Baione3 starsThe vibraphone maintains its central place in jazz mostly through its mainstream storytelling. For vibist/marimba player Joe Baione, Oh Yeah! plays like a live set without a program, which veers in and out of the blues with originals and a few jazz standards, his extended cast occasionally including horns.Baione’s band starts things off with a couple of blues, including the snappy title track. The leader along with pianist Toru Dodo offer solid performances, and Baione’s use of drummer Jerome Jennings in different settings can be creative, such as when Jennings solos with urgency over the vamp that bassist Corcoran Holt gives him on “The Stranger.” When featured, trombonist Andrae Murchison and tenor saxophonist Jorge Castro add welcome color. Many times the leader will insert his swinging solo voice behind others, as he does on the band’s conventional reading of Milt Jackson’s “Bag’s Groove.” As Oh Yeah! proceeds, the moods change, with the styles becoming a potpourri- a Latin number (“J” Bossa), a ballad (a serene take on “Prelude to a Kiss”) and another blues (Miles Davis’ “All Blues” done up as an easygoing 4/4 funk piece.-John Ephland, Downbeat MagazineOh Yeah!: Oh Yeah!!!, Down Fuzz, The Stranger, Bag’s Groove, “J” Bossa, Prelude to a Kiss, Coconut Island, All Blues, Oh Yeah!!! (alt. take) (53:04)Personnel: Joe Baione, vibraphone/marimba, Jorge Castro, tenor saxophone, Andrae Murchison, trombone, Toru Dodo, piano, Corcoran Holt, bass, Jerome Jennings, drums; Producer, Todd Barkan