Joel Peskin
Joel Peskin
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Joel Peskin


Joel Peskin - Welcome

WHO IS JOEL PESKIN?


Joel started playing the clarinet at the age of nine in Brooklyn, N.Y.

At the age of 12 years old he was playing Benny Goodman songs in school talent shows and was soon working in the famed Catskill Mountains and at the local community center, where he picked up his first tenor sax.

Joel's Bar Band
He is a graduate of the High School of the Performing Arts, made famous in the movie "Fame." He studied Saxophone and Bass Clarinet with teacher Joseph Allard of the Julliard School of Music and was a protégé and very close friend of saxophonists Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Frank Strozier.

He co-lead his own jazz quintet the "New York Jazz Ensemble" with Trumpeter Donald Hahn and Drummer Randy Kaye.


He played free-jazz around New York for several years, with players like Ornette Coleman, Dave Izenson, Pharaoh Sanders and Randy Brecker, Bob Moses and Enrico Rava.

Free Jazz In NYC


In late 1968 Joel moved to Los Angeles and joined the Beach Boys touring with them for five years, leading their horn section, and as featured soloist. When not touring, he played many Blues gigs on the West Coast with artists like Albert Collins with whom he played with for a year and cites as a major influence on his musical conception, Charlie Musselwhite, Robben Ford, and the Johnny and Shuggie Otis Band, Etta James and his own group "Rockhouse" co-led by drummer Mike Kowalski featuring blues vocalist "Margie Evans". In the late 70's Joel toured with singer Shawn Phillips, Jerry LaCroix and White Trash. Joel was also a member of Doc Severinson's group "Xebron" playing concerts around the country. Joel is featured on the release, Did You Feel That?, by Joe Sample and the Soul Committee, the latest Manhattan Transfer album.

Other artists with whom Joel has recorded include:

Barbra Streisand

Bill Clinton Fund Raiser
barbra Streisand
Judd Miller, Barbra, Joel



Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder


Frank Zappa


Waka Jawaka Hot Rats
ZAPPA ALBUM COVER

Teddy Pendergrass, Rick Springfield (Hard to Hold), Dr. John's (Accentuate the Positive), Marvin Gaye ("Midnite Love"), Smokey Robinson ("Being with You," #1), Beach Boys ("Kokomo," #1), Taylor Dayne ("Every Beat of My Heart," #2). Joel also can be heard soloing on the Academy Award-winning single, "Beauty and the Beast" (featuring Peabo Bryson and Celine Dion), Dolly Parton's "Straight Talk," Linda Ronstadt's Frenesi album, and Michael Bolton's album, "Timeless." and a sax solo with singer "Steve Perry" on the "We are the World" album which is one of the biggest selling records in history, Lowell George, Pat Benatar, Harry Nilson, Van Morrison, and many others.

Joel's expertise on the other woodwind instruments, including flutes, piccolo, clarinets and EWI, etc., attracted the attention of television and motion picture composers. Some productions on which Joel has worked include:

TELEVISIONMOVIES

The Simpsons, Matlock, Sisters, The Critic, Roseanne, Simon & Simon, Entertainment Tonight (original alto sax theme), Knots Landing, Designing Women, Homefront, Perry Mason, Moonlighting, Major Dad, Growing Pains, Spenser for Hire

Ace Ventura, Groundhog Day, City Slickers, Mr. Saturday Night, A League of Their Own, Sneakers (playing with Branford Marsalis), Mambo Kings, When Harry Met Sally, Above the Law, The Hard Way, Dragnet, Married to the Mob, Weird Science, Dragnet, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Naked Gun's 1,2,& 3, Forrest Gump, Marrying Man, Sister Act, Waterworld, Into the Night and numerous others.


Joel is considered by many to be one of the world's foremost EWI(Electronic
Woodwind Instrument) players. He has been a pioneer in establishing it as a respected instrument within the recording industry worldwide. Joel is a key figure in making the manufacturing and distribution deal for the EWI with Akai Electric Company, Tokyo Japan and to date they have released their 3rd. model and have sold 15,000 instruments worldwide. Michael Brecker, inventor Nyle Steiner and Joel recorded a music performance video "Sweet for C.P." for Akai to use as a promotional and educational tool.

Joel's previous record deals have included a Dance single with R&B Singer Merry Clayton on Destiny Records, and the A&M Records album, "Get On Your Back," under the name The Backsters, signed by former President and owner Herb Alpert (playing rock, rhythm-and-blues music of the '50s). The Backsters video, produced by Shadoe Stevens, was in nationwide rotation on MTV for four months, a series of 17 new age-nature c.d.'s entitled "Nature's Magic & Nature's Harmony" which he produced, recorded, engineered and played EWI on for the Metacom Label, and has been licensed worldwide.

Last Year Joel shot three major national HONDA COMMERCIALS playing the baritone sax on camera, and completed a major tour of Japan with Joe Sample's "Soul Committee" featuring drummer Steve Gadd, trumpeter Oscar Brashear and Bassist Freddy Washington.

Joel has just released his New CD, with Drummer Mike Kowalski, Entitled "THE BACKSTERS LIVE & JUMPIN ' ", on Zebra Records.

Come visit The Backsters' Web Site ! for more info on the Jumpin'est blues band.....

Quick Index to The Rest of This Site
  THE EWI PAGE Learn more about the amazing EWI, download photos and sound samples of Joel, Michael Brecker and EWI inventor Nyle Steiner!

  JP'S JUMPING MAIL ROOM Joel is really anxious to hear from you. He'll jump for joy if you send him some mail .

  COOL LINKS Links to sites of friends and other music related places .


  THE SCRAPBOOK PAGE Check out even more photos and stuff !



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