About
Born on the banks of the Ohio River, Joe Wittman has always felt a fondness for that waterway. Something about the continually flowing of water and the muddy banks seem a good metaphor for the human experience. If sitting at a fixed point and observing like the eyes of history, could the flowing water be the passage of time? Generation after generation getting their chance the observers gaze then passing on to some other place? Do the banks remind one that in life, to achieve your best laid plans can feel like a scrum in the mud with some ruthless foe? …well who knows, but what can be said is that Wittman is a river man.
Perhaps this is why such an affinity was felt when Joe heard the recordings of Robert Johnson and Son House, musicians of the Mississippi Delta. Hearing the blues out of that region helped him contextualize the music of his youth, Led Zepplin, Cream, etc... and lay a good foundation of rhythm and feel for his eventual studies of jazz.
Upon graduating from the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music, Wittman packed up and moved to New York City to seek out not only some of his idols but other musicians of like-mind. Since then he has been playing at clubs like the West Villiage’s Mezzrow and Smalls, Tribeca’s Saint Tuesday, or Grammercy’s Midnight Blue, all within steps of either the Hudson or East River. It is at venues like these where he interprets the blues in his own way, whether it is in a song of his own creation or a beloved jazz standard.
To this date Wittman has recorded and released two records, Trio Works Lume and Trio Works Sol.
Press Release
Trio Works Sol
Straight-ahead and ever tasteful guitarist Joe Wittman announces the release of his debut album: Trio Works Sol. The album is the natural result of the band playing hundreds of gigs together over Wittman’s 10 years in New York City.
With Daniel Duke on Bass and Keith Balla on drums, the trio plays with ease and comfort- like familiar conversation over coffee or a pint. Wittman isn’t afraid to leave space for his companions to creatively fill, giving the music the sound of a band as opposed to that of a leader being backed by a rhythm section.
The idea behind Trio Works Sol was to record original music that came naturally to the band, with a few favorite standards mixed in. The tunes are fun springboards into improvisation and the vibes of each tune are unique to themselves, making them feel fresh not only to the listener but to the performers as well.
The record opens up with “The Judge,” a no nonsense modern jazz tune that reveals Wittman's depth as a composer; followed by a groovy, feel-good track playfully titled “Big Sip Riser.'' Bringing us back to earth is the beloved old standard “Sweet Lorraine,” where Wittman shows soul and personality in his relaxed, walking ballad interpretation. The brisk “Isiah Restored” takes the tempo upstairs while showing off the rhythm section's natural swing, before “Felon Wind” allows the listener to indulge their moody side. The band gets playful in 3/4 with “Three Trick Pony,” a tune with a unique form. Finally, Wittman lets his blues flag fly on the last couple tunes: “Born to be Blue” and the funky “Boogie for Bloomfield.”
Throughout the album, Wittman’s clean crisp tone is on full display. He navigates the changes with ease, but always with a bluesy disposition. His ideas are often bolstered by Balla’s clever snare work and Duke’s accents, but the underlying groove goes on, uninterrupted.
Providing the pillars of swing is only part of the roles Balla and Duke play in this effort. Their solos just as easily take center stage; ideas fresh and inspired but always rooted in tradition, tipping their caps to the forefathers of their respective instruments.
When it came to recording this record, the band took a raw approach. Working out of Trading 8ths studio in Paramus, New Jersey, engineer Chris Sulit helped them find a suitable way to record together in one room. Recording this way allows for a more natural and live performance experience while shrinking the margin for error, taking away the possibility of rerecording any parts after the fact. The live, organic sound signals to the listener that there are no secrets here, and welcomes them gladly into the inviting groove of Trio Works Sol.
Recordings
Wittman's most recent studio efforts, "Trio Works Lume" and "Trio Works Sol". Both are available on joewittmanmusic's bandcamp or any steaming service.
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