Photo by Richie Leeds
I’m a San Francisco-based composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist fluent in classical music, punk rock, and most styles in between.
I’ve recorded and/or toured with Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Tracy Chapman, Marianne Faithfull, Luke Combs, the Eels, Courtney Love, John Cale, DJ Shadow, Aimee Mann, Julieta Venegas, Oranj Symphonette, Jerry Harrison, Action Plus, Meat Beat Manifesto, Carrie Underwood, Tchad Blake, Flood, Tipsy, Kimya Dawson, Jill Sobule, Jane Weidlin and Belinda Carlisle, Flea, Les Claypool, O.A.R., and many other artists, though not all at once [Here is a partial discography and here is a longer bio.]
My music appears in many films and television shows. Other clients include Apple, Intel, Disney, National Geographic, Oprah Winfrey Productions, VH1, HBO, CBS, Universal Music, Zynga, American Conservatory Theater, and the American Museum of Natural History.
I released my first solo album in 2022 — a collection of ancient music played on modern instruments.
In January, 2022 I released my first album under my own name: Falling Through Time: Music from the 1300s. I perform 14th-century music note-for-note, but using modern instruments and production. It’s a surreal listening experience, unlike anything I’ve ever heard. You can hear it on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming services.
I’m also a member of the international guitar ensemble Another Night on Earth, an octet of electric guitarists who perform classical music. Founded by German guitarist Heiko Össig, the group includes such luminaries as Princeton’s University’s Steven Mackey, almost certainly the world’s leading exponent of employing electric guitar in modern classical music, and David Robertson, who heads the conducting department at Jiuliard. Also onboard: Gretchen Menn, Daniele Gotardo, Jiji, and James Moore.
I recently reunited with Jim Campilongo, who was my best guitar pal when we were young. We’ve been releasing a series of duets as The Jim & Joe Show, with an album and concerts coming soon.
Another ongoing project is Cryptomusicology, a collection of 24 solo acoustic guitar compositions in all 24 keys. I’ve released the first two of six installments, with Volume 3 coming soon.
I’ve toured the world multiple times and performed on The Tonight Show, The Today Show, Late Night with David Letterman, The Conan O’Brien Show, The Carson Daly Show, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, The Tavis Smiley Show, Austin City Limits, and many European programs. But my most exciting televised performance took place on February 3rd, 2024, when I accompanied Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs in a performance of Tracy’s “Fast Car.” It’s special to me not just because it’s a celebration of a great song, or the fact that the audience numbered in the tens of millions. It was widely interpreted as a moment of cultural rapprochement during an era of division and hate, as beautifully described in this New York Times piece.
• A partial Joe Gore discography
• Here are some audio clips from some of my favorite sessions.
• Here are video clips of a few memorable performances.