Joe Yuele
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With Eric Clapton and John Mayall at 70th Birthday concert
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Performing with the Vee Jays, 1966
Joe Yuele is an American drummer, songwriter, and producer, best known as drummer and musical director with John Mayall for 23 years.
Yuele was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts on January 26 1951. His father, himself a musician, sparked Yuele's interest in music at an early age with the recordings of Django Reinhardt. Yuele started playing drums at age 14 and cofounded his first band, The Vee Jays, with his bass playing cousin Dick Harrigan.
As a teenager of 16 Joe left home and hitchhiked from Hampton Beach, New Hampshire to Hollywood, California with dreams of making it big. And even though he was faced with a rough start of being hungry and homeless, Joe would not be detoured from attaining his goals. Armed with a phony ID at age 17, he joined a little blues band backing up the 410 lb singing stripper, "Sadie" (of the 4 tons of joy fame). While playing topless clubs across Los Angeles with Sadie, and making $25.00 a night, (and all the beer he could drink), Joe would say of those years, “I thought I was in a state of grace”.
A turning point came in Los Angeles in 1974 when he joined "The Juke Rhythm Band". This was a roots blues band based on traditional Chicago blues, and headed up by John "Juke" Logan, featuring Rick Vito on guitar. This was at a time when national blues artists couldn't afford to carry their own bands. So when they came thru Los Angeles the "J.R.B" were kept busy backing up these traveling icons that included, Albert Collins, Lowell Fulson, Big Joe Turner, George "Harmonica" Smith, Big Mama Thornton and many more of the early greats. Joe says of those days: "It was like a degree from the college of blues knowledge".
From 1976 through 1977 he toured throughout America with Dobie "Drift Away" Gray. But it wasn't until 1985 that, thanks to the recommendation of good friend Coco Montoya, he started his long journey of almost 25 years with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. While traveling around the world, and recording 15 albums, (with a Grammy nomination in the category of Contemporary Blues for "Wake up call") and 6 DVDs, with the Father of British Blues, young Joe's dreams did indeed come true.
Other artists that have kept Joe busy playing drums over the years include, Larry Cooke and the Tribe, Debbie Davies, Coco Montoya, Walter Trout, John "Juke" Logan, Brian "Breeze" Cayolle, Doug McCloud, Mighty Sam McClain, Z Tribe, James Harman and Rick Vito, among others.
Discography[edit]
As drummer[edit]
With John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers[edit]
- Albums
- Behind the Iron Curtain (1985, Crescendo Records)
- Chicago Line (Island Records, 1988)
- The Power of the Blues (Crescendo Records, 1988)
- Archives to the Eighties (Polydor Records, 1988)
- A Sense of Place (Island Records, 1990)
- Wake Up Call (Silvertone Records, 1993)
- Spinning Coin (Silvertone Records, 1995)
- Blues For The Lost Days (Silvertone Records, 1997)
- Padlock On The Blues (with John Lee Hooker; Pyramid / Cleopatra Records, 1999)
- Along For The Ride (Eagle Rock Records, 2001)
- Stories (Eagle Rock Records, 2002)
- No Days Off (Eagle Rock Records, 2003)
- 70th Birthday Concert (with Eric Clapton & Mick Taylor; Eagle Rock Records, 2003)
- Road Dogs (Eagle Rock Records, 2005)
- In The Palace Of The King (with Robin Ford; Eagle Rock Records, 2007)
- DVDs
- Live @ Iowa State (Hibiscus Productions, 1987)
- Live in Germany (Entante Records, 1988)
- Live from the Bottom Line New York (Hibiscus Productions, 1990)
- Austin City Limits (New West Records, 1993)
- 70th Birthday Concert (with Eric Clapton & Mick Taylor; Eagle Rock Records, 2003)
- Cookin' Down Under (Hibiscus Productions, 2004)
With various artists [edit]
- Albert Collins & the Angel City Rhythm Band: Live at the Fox Venice Theater (1975)
- Buddy Guy: Feels Like Rain (Grammy win for best Contemporary Blues; Silvertone Records, 1993)
- Coco Montoya: I Got A Mind To Travel (Silvertone Records, 1994)
- John "Juke" Logan: Juke Rhythm (Mocombo Records, 1995)
- Brian “Breeze" Cayolle: State Of My Mind (Konnex Records, 2001)
- Rudy Rotta: Some Of My Favorite Songs (Pepper Cake Records, 2004)
As composer[edit]
- "Always A Brand New Road" from John Mayall's Padlock On The Blues (1999)
- "Pieces And Parts" from John Mayall's Stories (2002)
- "Awestruck And Spellbound" and "Brumwell's Beat" from John Mayall's Road Dogs (2005)
As co-producer[edit]
- John Mayall, Road Dogs (Eagle Rock Records, 2005)
- John Mayall, In The Palace Of The King (Eagle Rock Records, 2007)
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Directing rehearsal for John Mayall 70th Birthday concert
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Bluesbreakers 2007
References[edit]
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