Perry Joslin Project

About Perry Joslin

Perry Joslin began playing the piano at age three, hearing minor chords "backwards" running through his head. Thus, began a unique musical talent.

Throughout his school years, weekly piano lessons took precedence and by the time he was 16 years old, he was playing chamber and classical music with summer's practicing Tanglewood artists in the New England Berkshires. That led to further exploration of contemporary tempos at many of the Berkshire hot spots, such as the Music Inn and Toad Hall where his music attracted the attention of the far-flung audiences that flock to the culturally elite town of Lenox, Massachusetts.

Joslin was sent to Tilton School in New Hampshire, where he played piano continuously, and then went to college at Ohio Wesleyan where Music Professor Dr. Charles Keller first heard those discordant notes in Joslin's music and "changed my life." From then on it was jazz and by the time he graduated in 1983, he'd formed State Red, an eccentric electric fusion band, written all the songs for the band and opened for the Dixie Dregs, Alex Bevin and Robert Palmer, among others.

Returning to the Northeast, Joslin painted houses by day and played piano at Salas's Restaurant, The Black Pearl, and The Parrot Lounge, in Newport R.I. to support himself, but knew he had to find bigger money to "make" music. After four years as a broker for Thomas McKinnon Securities in Massachusetts, New York and Arizona, he transferred to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to care for his ailing grandfather and, while there, met his wife, Deborah. They married in 1990.

Determined and ambitious, Joslin began working at KPMG LLP, the tax, audit, consulting firm, and within three years, became Partner/Managing Director for the State of Florida.

That success provided the home music room of his dreams where he hid away after work for up to six hours a day to reclaim his music, strengthen his fingers and churn out the songs that had been with him for a lifetime. His wife repeatedly urged him to record his songs. Fortunately, he listened to her. It was then that " ... people came out of the woodwork," he says.

Lee Levin, drummer for Ricky Martin and Jon Secada, among others, heard Joslin's music. "I was living like a hermit with my music and at the time didn't even know who he was," Joslin reveals. "I had met Lee at some social function and he asked me to a concert he was playing. After I saw and heard him play, I realized who he was!" Guitarist Dan Warner, Saxophonist Ed Calle, Percussionist Richard Bravo and Javier Carrion, Bass, all followed suit and began recording with Joslin.

How'd he get there? Joslin is as eclectic as his music. At 43, he has played with and watched hundreds of musicians. He studied, worked and composed endlessly, and while he became an indisputably successful businessman, a talent he will undoubtedly bring to his music career, he never neglected his music for prolonged periods of time. It is always there, never dormant, while it traverses the creative process within his head. It comes in waves of sound that he transfers immediately to the Yamaha C-7 Grand Piano in his home studio as a song emerges. Subsequently, he scores the music. " I know the chords so well the songs come directly from my head to my fingers and the scoring, well, though I didn't write anything down for years, I do now."

His inspiration came from Steely Dan, Chicago, Jeff Beck, Traffic and Miles Davis. He does not try to replicate their sounds, but rather how to replicate the feelings they generated with their influence "My style is unique," he says. "Strangely enough, I love E-minor and the inverted chords. None of my business associates ever knew I was a musician, but my music has always been a top priority, the minor chords in my head all my life", thus the accolade Purely Perry.

The first CD soon to mark his nationwide debut reveals a deep commitment, not without risk, to his music, that inner mechanism that has been his lifelong friend. A combination of jazz styles - smooth, fusion with overtones of the blues - bring variety to the songs. The kick-off number "Here We Go" celebrates Joslin's new beginning; "MiDoe" is dedicated to his wife, Deborah, who encouraged him to commit to his music, while "Traveler" is Joslin's journey back in time to childhood and his progression from Jazz student to successful business executive to fulltime composer.

The Perry Joslin Project combines elements of jazz in a unique form of composition by Perry Joslin, utilizing waves of inverted chords he transposes into his music. The result is primarily instrumental jazz in smooth, fusion with overtones of the blues. On the CD, Joslin, at the piano, is joined by such eminent jazz artists as drummer Lee Levin, guitarist Dan Warner, Javier Carrion, bass; Ed Calle on the sax, percussionist Richard Bravo, Doug Emory on the keyboard and Nestor Torres on the flute. The CD comprises eleven compositions by Joslin, three of which are deeply personal., "Here We Go" celebrates his new beginning; "MiDoe" signals his dedication to his wife, Deborah, who encouraged him to commit to his music, and "Traveler", celebrates Joslin's journey back in time to childhood and his progression from Jazz student to successful business executive to fulltime composer.

The Musicians: Caracas-born Ed Calle received a master's degree in Jazz from the University of Miami. Today, his tenor sax in tow, he tours with some of the biggest names in the business and records on Epic, Sony International, Concord Jazz and Independent . . .Drummer Lee Levin appears with Christina Aguilera, Clay Aiken and Jon Secada, among others. Highlights include "Private Emotion" with Ricky Martin and "Stay with Me", also with Martin . . .Dan Warner's considerable skills with both the electric and acoustic guitar include performances with Christina Aguilera, Manny Lopez, Clay Aiken and Ricky Martin as well as Gloria Estefan, Julio Iglesias and Celine Dion . . . Percussionist Richard Bravo has performed songs by Bobby Cruz, Nestor Torres and appears with Christina Aguilera and Maria Bestar, to name only a few . . . Javier Carrion, Bass, frequently works with Warner, Calle, Levin and a host of others, including Jonathan Pierce and Ana Cristina . . .Doug Emory appears on his piano keyboard with Clay Aiken on "Measure of a Man"; his songs are recorded with Bobby Martinez "Jazz Romantica" and Christina Valemi on "Aunque Soy Joven." . . . Nestor Torres, Jazz flutist, was nominated in 2000 for a Latin Grammy for Luna Latina" and won a Latin Grammy for "This Side of Paradise" in 2001. His "Mi Alma Latina: My Latin Soul" was released in 2002 . . . Jason Carder, trumpet, has played with distinguished artists in both the classical world and jazz, including Placido Domingo in "Quiereme Mucho", Ed Calle on "Sunset Harbor", the Pete Brady Big Band on "With a Song in My Heart" and Gloria Estefan on both "Alma Caribena" and "Tres Gotas de Agua Bendita" and Billy Paul Williams on "Miles to Go" in addition to appearing with Baha Men and David Bisbal and the original soundtrack of "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights." . . . Jeffrey Carswell, Vertical Bass, works with Perry Joslin Project member Ed Calle in addition to Eric Schilling, Billy Ross, Michael Levine, Randy Bernsen, and a large number of other well known jazz musicians. He appears with Eric Hansen on "Colores del Alma", Jaco Pastorius Big Band on "Word of Mouth Revisited" and Dion on "Inside Job/Only Jesus".

What They're Saying About Perry Joslin: Lee Levin: "Perry has talent. His music is fresh and if I didn't think he had potential, I wouldn't be here. He trusts us with his music and we respond to his passion, his determination and his upbeat personality" ... Dan Warner: "Perry Joslin sounds like he's worked as a musician his whole life. He's an extremely accomplished pianist, a legitimately talented guy. The real purists will go for this music."