About

Guitarist & producer Joe Olnick explores new directions in modern instrumental music.  With over ten albums of independently released original material, his work generally falls into two different genres: rock/funk/jazz with his band as well as solo ambient. 

The latest album from The Joe Olnick Band is Departure.  It leads off with the “Freeway” single, a tribute to Jeff Beck.  Also noteworthy is the addition of Tyler Most on keyboards, along with longstanding members Jamie Aston on bass and Jesse Edmunds on drums.

According to Joe, “The sessions ran over the course of a year, recording mostly improvised ideas that came together in the studio, with no overdubs. What you hear is the band working alongside each other, responding to what the group is creating in the moment.”

Both the tracks "Departure" as well as "Departure 2" were worked on for a long time, in contrast to the rest of the album. "Those pieces evolved quite a bit over the many sessions, as we experimented with different tempos and eventually created different sections entirely. We eventually settled on a vibe that reminded me at times of Pink Floyd, with soundscapes that really gave some room to get the emotion across. It's definitely a prog-rock statement from the group."

The third track, "Slap 22b", showcases the rhythm section and in particular the technique of bass wizard Jamie Aston. "The popping and slapping of the bass while keeping the killer groove going and going is truly something that was magic captured in the studio. Jamie just took that one over, and I was just digging it so much at the time. I knew this would be on the album as soon as I heard it!"

Many of the tracks also feature new member Tyler Most on the keyboards, who brings textures and solos that create a rich world that inspired tracks like "Snorkel", "Lighthouse", "Stomp", and "Bridge". According to Joe, "It's amazing how well he has fit in with our vision of the group impovisations. He picks up details so quickly. 'Snorkel' is the very first time we recorded together with him, and it is so solid, a great mood. I knew right then that he would be perfect. He adds so much."

Drummer Jesse Edmunds is "a constant engine of new rhythms, driving the jams and building things up to a frenzy at times. And also providing space as needed. His ability to create massive grooves on demand provides the foundation for the band's adventures. He's always up for trying new musical ideas and seeing what works."

The Joe Olnick Band's previous album, Shadows, is a reflection of modern life. There are a lot of moments when things can be quite scary and foreboding, but that can be an illusion. It’s a way of pointing out how different things can look, and the importance of looking around our world with the right attitude. Life is full of surprises.

The Joe Olnick Band's album before that, Nine Lives, includes their first ever cover song on any release, a unique take on the French band Air's "La Femme D'Argent" in addition to eight original songs. 

Joe reflected on the making of the album: “Feelings of rebirth, resilience, and newfound strength inevitably made it into the music.  How could it not, especially when working with old friends after having gone through such scary times?  We just had so much fun working on all kinds of grooves and sonic moods. This project was a very personal and emotional statement, for sure.  After all that I had been through, the album sort of named itself!” 

Incorporating an even more aggressive sound, the band spent many hours working live in the studio so that they could take their signature group improvisations to the next level.  “It’s kind of like capturing lightning in a bottle when the magic happens,” Joe continues.  ”One never knows exactly when it's going to occur, but it’s apparent on playback.  From the foot tapping to the chills, it becomes obvious.”  

“Working further on the recordings later, I found myself listening for the pure enjoyment of cranking them!  There's nothing quite like grooving in the car with these punchy, energetic jams that capture so many different feelings.  I’m forever grateful to have a band of compadres who are always up for trying something new musically whenever we want to.  We can communicate in so many ways we’ve developed over the years that it’s like telepathy.  They are the best!” 

The band's previous release, the Hipster single, was an artistic statement on night life in the modern world, with a slinky, searching vibe.  Also includes a dub version, in tribute to the roots dub master, King Tubby. 

The Joe Olnick Band's previous album Iguana tells the musical story of a misunderstood hero who overcomes challenges to eventually get what he is looking for.  Jason Velazquez at THE GREYLOCK GLASS called Iguana “a great instrumental collection of cosmic experimentalia, jazz-infused folk-rock, and super-tight funk rock."  Andy Goldfinger at 92.7 KOCF FM  noted “Joe’s album has that feel of cool.  It crosses the boundaries of genre and lets the listener just feel the music.”  Jeff Collins at THE ROCK JUKEBOX called Iguana  "A really wonderful album.  One of the best of the year."

His album Downtown received unique feedback from a range of journalists.  MUSIC STREET JOURNAL called his music “classy.”  THE MODERN BEAT heard “….a refreshingly original approach to the genre that’s never afraid to step outside of its confines.  I could see anyone from fans of Coltrane to Clinton getting a rise out of this instrumental nuthouse.”  MUSIC YOU CAN USE felt Joe’s “trippy, wah-ed out guitar work” was a “glorious reminder of Jimi Hendrix, Tommy Bolin’s funkier jams, or the crazy German rock from the late ‘60s/early ‘70s.”  BURNED OUT BORDERS proclaimed that “any fans of hard-hitting, rock-leaned instrumental music with a progressive, experimental backbone will completely fall in love with this group.”

Live concerts, frequently in a multimedia context, rely on using exciting improvisational techniques that expand on themes from the recordings.  Every show is a unique experience, taking place at such notable venues as World Cafe Live and Dawson Street Pub in Philadelphia, to art galleries and clubs of all kinds.

Joe's previous ambient project was a solo album, Wink of An Eye, released in 2020.  Celebrating the 5 year anniversary of the "Ambient Class of 2015", when Joe Olnick released three ambient albums in a single year, Wink Of An Eye takes short sections from one of those albums (Bright Paintings) and completely transforms the pieces into spacemusic that goes even deeper, utilizing advanced processing techniques only recently made available. Surprisingly, there are no keyboards or synthesizers anywhere, despite the synth-like soundscapes that this album creates.  Mastered by the legendary Robert Rich. 

Joe adds: "This was one of the most unique albums that I've ever worked on, and I'm very pleased with it.  Taking what had been a guitar-based rock/ambient hybrid and radically treating it to the point that it became something artistically unique on its own (as ambient spacemusic) was unexpected, but the tools available to the modern musician are evolving.  I think it's important to relentlessly keep searching for new sounds, and new ways of working." 

Previous ambient albums include Bright Paintings, Live At The Candy Factory, and Free Atmosphere.

Joe Olnick’s lifetime in music includes playing sax, keyboards, drums, as well as guitar & bass, and working as a recording engineer.  He has played hundreds of shows in various bands over the years, while always recording original material on his own.  Inspired by artists such as Miles Davis, Brian Eno, and Nels Cline, he also works primarily with his band but keeps creatively fresh over the years by mixing in some ambient projects. 

One of his driving concepts:  "Sometimes it's what is not being played that really is the message.  The space around the notes, the mood, the effect that it creates, has always been something I've been interested in, whether it's ambient, rock, jazz, funk, whatever.  I just like to create cool moments and get them out to folks."

July 2020 Interview with Facets Of Art

Discussion about the Iguana release, the band, and more at Indie Music Discovery

An in-depth look at the Iguana album at Progsheet