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Joe Jackson was born on August 11 1954 in Burton-on-Trent, England, but grew up in the South Coast naval port city of Portsmouth.
In 1978 Joe was living in London and hawking an album-length demo, with his own band (Graham Maby, Bass; Dave Houghton, Drums; Gary Sanford, Guitar) standing by. That demo - already called Look Sharp - eventually found its way to American producer David Kershenbaum, who was in London in the capacity of talent scout for A&M Records. Joe was immediately signed and Look Sharp more professionally re-recorded in August '78. The Joe Jackson Band finally started to play regular gigs and the album was released in January 1979.
Look Sharp was followed within a year by the very similar I'm The Man, and in 1980 by the darker, more reggae-influenced Beat Crazy. At the end of 1980, drummer Houghton decided to quit, and Joe decided to dissolve the band and try something new.
In 1981 Jackson recorded Jumpin' Jive, a 'musical vacation' paying tribute to Swing and Jump Blues artists such as Louis Jordan and Cab Calloway. Returning to songwriting, Joe spent a large chunk of 1982 in New York. The result was Night and Day, a more sophisticated and melodic record built around keyboards and Latin percussion, rather than guitars.
Now based in NYC, Jackson's next album Body and Soul(1984) was in a similar vein to Night and Day but featured a horn section (which, along with the Blue Note-inspired cover art, led many people to wrongly assume he'd made a jazz record). For Big World (1986) Jackson stripped everything down to a 4-piece again, and recorded live, direct to 2-track master. In 1989 he went in the opposite direction with the majestic, semi-autobiographical Blaze of Glory, and toured with an 11-piece band. Laughter and Lust (1991) was more like a mainstream (though still idiosyncratic) rock record.
Joe's work during the rest of the 1990s was his most challenging and eclectic: the gentle, soul-searching Night Music (1994), the ambitious and original song-cycle based on the Seven Deadly Sins, Heaven and Hell (1997), and the album Joe considers his best (and most underrated): Night and Day II (2000). The turn of the century saw a burst of creativity: Jackson won his first Grammy (Best Pop Instrumental Album for the non-traditional, non-orchestral Symphony No.1) and published his book A Cure For Gravity.
In 2003 Jackson astonished everyone, including himself, by re-forming the original Joe Jackson Band for a stunning new album, Volume 4, and a lengthy tour. The reunion was always intended as a one-off, but it also produced a live album, Afterlife, in 2004.
In 2006 Joe turned his attention back to pure songwriting and did a short Trio tour with Graham Maby and Dave Houghton. Joe moved to Berlin, where his next album Rain was recorded in 2007. Consisting of ten powerful, timeless new songs, Rain creates a surprisingly epic sound with just voices, piano, bass and drums. A live album, Live Music, was released in 2011.
In 2012 Joe released a tribute to one of his greatest musical heroes, Duke Ellington. The Duke is an often radical re-interpretation of fifteen Ellington classics.
In 2015, Jackson announced the completion of his follow-up to The Duke via his official website. The album's title, Fast Forward, and track list were confirmed in addition to North American tour dates.
On 18 January 2019, Jackson released the album Fool.
After a Covid induced layofff Joe toured the US and Europe in 2022 behind a tour named "Sing, You Sinners!" featuring songs from his catalog plus a few select covers. The tour featured his band Graham Maby on Bass, Teddy Kumpel on Guitar and Doug Yowell on Drums.
Nov 24th 2023 saw the release of "Mr Joe Jackson Presents "What A Racket": The Music Of Max Champion", a collection of songs written by the long forgotten Music Hall performer Max Champion.
April 2026 will see the release of a new album "Hope and Fury" together with extensive touring in both North America and Europe.
Jackson splits his time between New York, Portsmouth UK and Berlin.
Not only did Joe Jackson rock at the concert, but his bandmates are very accomplished, playing multiple instruments and vocals. Jackson's reconstruction of Duke Ellington standards was outstanding and gave new texture and a fresh sound to these standards.
This show far exceeded my expectations! Even though I am not a big Duke Ellington fan, I recognized most of the tunes and Joe's interpretations and the band's execution were top notch! Very creative and the quality of performance was simply outstanding! I would go and see this show again if it was nearby. Also, Joe really put 110% into this show which made it all the more enjoyable!
This was a wonderful concert - Joe is better than ever. He blends his new work seamlessly with refreshed versions of his older material. His Duke Ellington interpretations are lovely and his band renders them with the attention they deserve. Regina Carter on violin was breathtaking; there was not a weak spot in the band. Allison Cornell's voice is lovely, she was mesmerizing on "Caravan". They played for over 2 hours and every minute of it was a delight.
A wonderful show with Strathmore in Bethesda being an excellent venue
Starting out solo, Joe transported us back in time, and into the future with his new songs as well. Within a short time the audience was rockin' in their seats, aisles, and minds! Multiple standing ovations, we were wrapped in a cocoon and transported into Another World as he wrapped us in his creative genious.The performance ended with him in solo, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face all night. I sure needed that:)The band is simply amazing, andJoe Jackson you rock!!! So worth the money!
Have seen him twice, and each time, he's delivered something memorable and fabulous. His current show meshed his incredible body of work with tunes from Ellington's catalog, highlighting his hugely talented band. Still has a beautiful voice and a warm and humorous rapport with the audience. A stellar evening.
Joe Jackson & the Bigger Band does not even begin to describe the amazing evening and performance. The 'band' itself is comprised of literally all-stars, so check them out. Duke Ellington songs re-interpreted, plus the Joe Jackson songs you want to hear, but in a 2012 way. Audience was literally estatic. The evening was magic. Friday was Bruce Springsteen, Saturday Joe Jackson & The Bigger Band. Great weekend, guaranteed.
Joe Jackson's still got great voice! With the acoustics at the Strathmore I could hear every word he sang and said - rich and clear. Really enjoyed his take on the Duke Ellington songs. He is so talented. But of course I loved my old favorites. Hope the lady sitting next to me didn't mind my singing!
Absolutely wonderful! Great venue, great sound, seats, etc... and Joe and the band were even better than we imagined. Excellent song selection, superb musicians, great tempo and staging.
I hadn't seen Joe Jackson in more than 30 years. It was great to hear the Ellington tunes mixed in with his own hits from the past three plus decades. And the Bigger Band is fantastic: Regina Carter on violin, percussionist Sue Hadjopoulos, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Allison Cornell, Jesse Murphy on bass, Adam Rogers on guitar, and Nate Smith on drums.
I have to admit that I totally lost track of JJ from the 80's. I go to Strathmore because I love the venue. The treat I had Saturday night, which was the first date of JJ's new tour, was a revelation. The best way to express how good this show was, is that if I knew every song, I could not have enjoyed it more. First of all, I didn't know that JJ just released a tribute CD to Duke Ellington. So, the song mix was about 50-50 Duke to JJ. The Duke arrangements were very rocked out and a joy to listen to; and, I forgot that I acutally remembered about half a dozen Joe Jackson tunes. The key to how good the show was, was how fabulous a band JJ put together. First you had the man, himself, an extraordinary pianist and occasional accordianist. The percussion section was hot, with Mike Smith (I think) on the kit and a gal on congas, etc. These folks, along with the bass guitarist (who sometimes played an upright as well as a tuba) were the pulse of the band. If that was it, I would have still been happy. But, Joe brought in a wonderful violinist and a second keyboard player who also had great vocals (Alison Cornell). These two really made the difference from it being a really good show to being a fabulously unforgettable experience. Don't miss it!!
THe venue was great. I really enjoyed how he acted as the orchestra conductor throughout
Joe knock it out of the park. The Strathmore had fantastic sound and not a bad seat in the house. Joe and the band were having fun and it showed. I would go again if they came back to town!!!
We sat center stage, second row. He delivered! One of his best! The big band was awesome, he shared the stage nicely.
Wow, what an amazing evening. Joe Jackson's voice was as strong as it was 32 years ago the last time I saw him. He was much more personable towards the audience. Obviously he's mellowed and he really seemed to be enjoying himself. He has surrounded himself with an amazing band. . . .all extremely gifted musicians. Allison who sang vocals was truly wonderful and also played keyboard, banjo and violin. What a great night. I would see them again and would recommend anybody see them even if you're not familiar with the band. You won't be disappointed!!
Joe Jackson toured a few years back as just a trio, but for this tour has his "bigger band" with a group that does justice to Joe's own incredible talents....About half the show featured material from the new CD "the Duke" with Joe's lively and fun arrangements of Duke Ellington material, but the rest sampled the amazing music Joe Jackson has written and performed over three decades, including his big hits and great songs from Look Sharp, I'm the Man, Night and Day, Body and Soul, Big World, Laughter and Lust, and Rain. Strathmore is a great venue that did justice to one of the true musical geniuses of our time.
I have been a long time Joe Jackson fan, however this is the first time I've seen him live. His interpretation of the Duke Ellington songs was amazing. He also played every one of his hits in a new and exciting way. A lot of bands that you listened to 20+ years ago look totally pained when it comes time to play their old hits (usually why people bought tickets to hear in the 1st place). Joe was so into them and used the Bigger Band to put on refreshing spin on them. Loved it!
Great performance. Played many of his classic hits. "Is She Really Going Out With Him" was so memorable and a surprising rendition with the use of a Tuba. Wow!
Joe Jackson was better then ever! Funny, incredible talent, amazing lyrics that are so fitting even now. Loved his merging of Duke into his vibe. So glad I had the opportunity to see him!