Welcome to the genre-defying world of Joe Marcinek, where boundaries dissolve and spontaneity reigns. Joe Marcinek is a guitarist, composer & bandleader who creates an experience not just a show, every time he steps on stage. Based around the concept that anything can happen at any time, the Joe Marcinek Band (JMB) features an ever-rotating lineup of legendary musicians from across the musical spectrum. Every performance is a one-time-only collaboration, making each night a unique event that fans will never experience the same way twice. Joe’s journey began on October 1, 2000, when he bought his first guitar from childhood friend Jeff Cunningham. That moment sparked a fire. 2 years later, attending the inaugural Bonnaroo Festival in 2002, Joe witnessed a musical ethos that would define his career: impromptu collaborations, genre-bending energy, and the thrill of the unknown. Since then, Joe has carved out a space entirely his own, fusing elements of Chicago blues, New Orleans funk, jazz fusion, & psychedelic rock. Over the years he has had the rare honor of collaborating with some of music’s most revered figures. He performed a dozen shows with Bernie Worrell (Parliament Funkadelic), who also recorded on Joe’s album Slink. The track “Bernie,” dedicated to Worrell, was the final recording of Bernie’s storied career before his passing. Joe has been collaborating with Melvin Seals (Jerry Garcia Band) & George Porter Jr. (The Meters) since 2017, and both appear on his acclaimed album Dead Funk Summit, featuring all original compositions. Another unforgettable highlight includes working and recording with the late, great Shaun Martin, whom Joe considers one of his all-time favorite musical partners. In 2023, Joe played a landmark show at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City with an all-star lineup including Dennis Chambers, Jesús Molina, Howard Levy, Jason Hann, Ola Timothy, & Reilly Comisar. That performance will be released as Joe’s first official live album, set to drop April 17 2026. Joe tours nationally year-round, from New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between, bringing his singular approach to stages across the country. Each night is a new story, written in real time by some of the best players in the world.
As always, it is great to catch up with what Joe is up to. I am so excited that he has finally gotten a live recording out there to the world as this is the way JMB works all its maGic. We dive ear first into the new Joe Marcinek Band Live in New York City record including how it all came together, how he was able to line up these amazing artists and how the sound finds them once they lights go up. Joe is also going to be doing some things with family to the proGram, Mike Dillon at Jazzfest, right around the same time he does he yearly Dead Funk Summitt. We talk about how he and Mike have recently gotten to work together and how it led to this invite. We also find out that Joe will be heading back to Madison in the Summer for a little PHISH afterparty situation and no talk of ours goes by without remembering how we first me on the bridge of Mr. Bernie Worrell.
