Joe Krown

Joe Krown
Joe Krown playing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 2008
Background information
Genres	Rhythm and Blues, blues, funk
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Organ, piano
Years active	1980s–present
Labels	STR Digital, ShortStack
Associated acts	Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown Luther Johnson Walter "Wolfman" Washington Russell Batiste, Jr.
Website	JoeKrown.com

Joe Krown is an American keyboardist, based in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is known for his long tenure with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown's band. As a solo artist, he has been playing in several different styles. When he plays the piano, he typically plays in the traditional New Orleans style. When he plays with his band the Joe Krown Organ Combo, the sound is jazzy and funky, and he plays the Hammond B-3 organ.

Krown was raised in Westbury, Long Island, New York. He started playing piano in his childhood. While attending the State University of New York at Buffalo, he discovered the Hammond organ, and soon left the University to pursue career as a professional musician. He became part of a jazz-rock band called Bellevista featuring guitarist Peter Calo that had regional success.

In the 1980s, Krown relocated to Boston, formed his own band with his then wife and played around New York and New England. He also joined Chuck Berry's back up band and toured with him on the East Coast.

Krown joined ex-Muddy Waters guitarist Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson's band in the late 1980s. He toured and recorded two albums with Johnson during his tenure with his band.

In 1992, Krown moved to New Orleans to join Gatemouth's band, Gate's Express. From then on he held the keyboard chair of the band until Gatemouth's death in 2005. Krown recorded four albums with him, and toured across U.S. and overseas. In 1995, Gatemouth was chosen as an opening act for Eric Clapton's world tour, and Krown toured with him as a member of the band.

In 1998 he debuted as a solo artist. He released Just the Piano...Just the Blues on STR Digital Records. It was a piano solo album in strictly traditional blues and boogie woogie style.

In 1999, Krown formed the Joe Krown Organ Combo and the band released its debut album Down & Dirty that year. On the album, Krown showed wider range of sound playing the organ only throughout the album. Gatemouth was featured as a guest soloist on three tracks. He was also featured on four tracks on Krown's following album Buckle Up released in 2000.