Joel Peskin
Joel Peskin started playing the clarinet at the age of nine in Brooklyn, N.Y. He is a graduate of the High School of the Performing Arts, made famous in the movie "Fame." At that time Joel studied Saxophone with legendary teacher Joseph Allard of the Julliard School of Music and was also a protege and very close friend of jazz saxophonist Rahsaan Roland Kirk.
Finding his powerful voice by honking on his Tenor Sax, Joel found himself on tour with the Beach Boys in the early 69-70 and also toured for a year with Legendary Blues guitarist Alber Collins, White Trash, Doc Severinson and Shawn Phillips. During that time his talents also lent itself to being a really good music reader, and multi talented Woodwind player. With these added talents Joel was drawn into do recording sessions in Los Angeles. Joel recorded a few albums with Frank Zappa, Jack Jones, and many other top record artsits. Soon Joel was one of the Top Sax players in Los Angeles doing studio work and playing on many hit records. Joel has played on hundreds of TV episodes, countless Major Motion Picture scores. Joel also found time to step out front as leader and do his own recordings.
After many years of being on the top in the LA session circuit, Joel recently joined forces with famed female singer Merry Clayton and he has produced some brand new tracks that are exciting, fun, and just kick ass!!
Joel Peskin has a Powerful Tenor Sax sound and its roots are drawn from the older R&B, Jazz and rock players. J. Peskin loves to drive his horn with a robust intensity and enjoyed a Unique sound timbre that folks just attract to, like EAR CANDY!!!
Joel Peskin credits as Featured Artist and Leader include a Dance Single on Destiny Records LoveGram hitting the Dance Charts in Canada. A&M Record Get on your Back by the Backsters. Zebra Records/Warner Bros. CD The Backsters Live & Jumpin..also Featured on Joe Sample Warner Bros CD Did you Feel That...
Joel can also be heard on the following hit records..Frank Zappa Waka Jawaka The Grand Wazoo. Smokey Robinson Being with you, Marvin Gaye, Taylor Dane, Every Beat of my heart, Michael Bolton, Celine Dion & Peabo Bryson Beauty and the Beast, and the latest hit CD Tenor Sax solo is on Michael Buble got the World on a String. His latest project is the most enjoyable of all & features Diva & Vocalist Merry Clayton..
Merry Clayton
Merry Clayton was born on Christmas Day, in New Orleans, LA. The daughter of a prominent minister and she began her singing career in Church. When Merry was just 17 her good friend Billy Preston arranged an audtion for her with the Great Ray Charles. Merry became a Raelette for the next 5 years recording and touring with the Ray Charles band as Lead Singer of the Raelettes. At that time Saxophonist Curtis Amy was the Musical Director of the band and soon fell in love with Merry and they soon married at the Astrodome in Texas while Merry was filming a feature film Brewster for Director Robert Altman
Being a true Vocal diva, Merry was noticed by top Record Execs and Producers in Los Ang. In 1969 Producer Jack Nietsche recommended her to Mick Jagger & Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones and she was hired to sing the a Co Lead with Mick Jagger on Multi Platinum Hit Gimme Shelter on the Stones Let it Bleed Record. That great vocal really thrust Merry into the limelight and she was recording, touring with Joe Cocker, Leon Russell, Carole King and many other artists as she very much in demand. Her duet with Carole King entitled O no, not my was nominated for a Grammy and her vocals on Tapestry helped Carole King sell 10 Million.Merry soon had her own hit on Ode Records with her own version of Gimme Shelter produced by the legendary Lou Adler in 1971.
Merry was also the Original Acid Queen in the London cast of the WHO musical Tommy, that show became a triple platinum seller with Performances by Rod Stewart, Peter Sellers, Roger Daltry and Ritchie Havens.
Merry first met tenor saxman Joel C. Peskin on a R&B collaboration to do some recording for a dance label in Los Angeles Destiny Records. They cut some great tracks and had a smoking good band but a record was never released. But Merry & Joel always had a special high powered synergy between them that was to be reignited many years later.
In the late 1980s Merry was produced by Michael Llyod and her single on the dirty dancing soundtrack became a smash hit single, selling 20 million copies to date. Merry also sang and arranged the backgrounds for the other hit by Righteous Bros. Bill Medley I Had the Time of my Life
Merry powerful acting skills became apparent and she joined the casr of CBS Cagney & Lacey TV show as a detective. Merry then went back to her gospel roots suggested by her father and The Revered and recorded a CD entitles with producer Michael Lloyd.
Merry is currently singing with legends such as Aretha Franklin, Art Garfunkel, Joe Cocker and touring all over the USA and Europe.
On this CD Joel Peskin & Merry Clayon the 2 performers a pulling out all the stops and the songs are spirited, driving and Powerful. The songs are Driving and there is a NEW killer dance version of Gimme Shelter