Joe Edmonds
 Smooth Jazz, Swing, Dixie and Latin Jazz, Classical ...   
 Duos to 7-piece bands: Concerts, Clubs, Parties, Receptions and Wedding Services

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photo by Carolyn McKeone

* WHO * WHAT * WHERE * WHEN *

Most of the rest of the 70’s were spent playing and recording with a variety of jazz and show bands, both on the road and for extended stints in Montreal, Toronto, Miami, New York City, Lake Tahoe, Los Angeles ... and more, capped off by a three-year stay in Las Vegas, where he was a vocalist/multi-instrumentalist in a number of groups. Musicians and entertainers he has backed up or shared the stage with include Jose Feliciano, Isaac Hayes, Guido Basso, the Woody Herman Band, Bobby Rydell, Page Cavanaugh, James Darren, Gregory Hines, Lighthouse, Deep Purple, the Temptations and Natalie Cole, Tiny Tim, Red Buttons, Phil Foster....

In the 1979 Joe moved back to Canada and shortly afterward married singer Denise Pelley. They formed a band and travelled for several months in the Eastern U.S., but eventually settled in Toronto. In 1981 Joe and Denise chose family over touring and ended up back in London where Joe opened a music studio in partnership with trumpet great, Jim Ford; while also remaining active as a musician, working with all the top London area musicians including Johnny Bond, Johnny Downs, Grant Graham, Phil Murphy, John Noubarian, Charlie Rallo, Chris Robinson, Larry Smith, Margaret Stowe and Oliver Whitehead, to name but a few. When Jim Ford retired from the business, Joe decided to concentrate his efforts on the studio and teaching, limiting his music engagements to only a few per year, these including concerts and performing in the pit band in several Grand Theatre Productions.

The 90’s found Joe switching career paths dramatically to the pursuit of golf teaching, and from 1994 to 2005 he was head instructor at East Park Golf Gardens, only rarely playing musical gigs. In 2001, a year after the tragic death of eldest son, Jason, Joe and former wife Denise Pelley, founded the Jason Edmonds Foundation for Road Safety in an effort to help prevent roadway tragedy from befalling others. In that effort, Joe travels throughout Ontario and even into the USA presenting road safety seminars, thus far to tens of thousands of listeners.

In 2003 Joe re-discovered his passion for music and performing, and now besides freelancing with many local groups, such as Sunfest producer, Alfredo Caxaj and long-time John Noubarian bassist, Darryl Stacey he has served as lead alto sax with “The London All Stars” big band and Doug Keenan’s nine-piece "Mardi Gras" band. In the past couple of years Joe has also been featured on alto and baritone sax in  Orchestra London Pops Series concerts and played trombone in shows by Natalie Cole and the Temptations. As well, he leads his own small jazz groups with Don DiCarlo, Chris Norley and Andrew Lusher. Currently he is busy writing and recording a third CD of swing and latin standards to follow his earlier release, "Specially for You" and "Reflection", which is original smooth jazz material produced under guidance of Canadian music legend, Skip Prokop of “Lighthouse”. (see "CDs" page)

In the Spring of 2006 Joe developed an educational concert for schools and with a core group of Peter Hysen, Doug Keenan, Bob Hughes and Chris Norley has peformed at over 30 schools as of mid May. (See "Educational Concerts") With the success of these shows it appears Joe and the group will be in high demand next school year.