I started playing drums when I was six years old on my first drumset. I don’t ever remember not ever playing drums.
A big part of my early development as a drummer was from marching in drum corps. I marched from 1975-1979 with the Madison jr. Scouts and from 1980-86 with the Madison Scouts. This is where I became a very rudimentally sound snare drummer. In 1985 I took 3rd at Drum Corps International’s "Individual and solo ensemble" snare drum competition.
In 1986 I started playing drums for local R&B legend, Charlie Brooks, I was 19 years old. and also playing with local punkers, the Snot Rockets. After a year of playing R&B standards and breaking up bar fights I decided to waste 3 years of my life and entered the Air Force. I did not play in a band for almost 3 years.
I did keep up my chops though, and when I returned to my home in Madison Wisconsin in 1991, I started playing again. In 1991 I started playing with James Earl Tate and the million dollar blues band. I did his “Tuesday night blues jam” at Ocay’z, every Tuesday for over 4 years. Through Tate I met Luther Allison. I would perform with him a few years later. Over a four-year period I had managed to land work as a sideman for Luther, Koko Taylor, Jimmy Johnson and local blues-rock legend Jim Schwall of the famous Siegel/Schwall band. I also started playing with jazz singer Jan Wheaton in 1995.
I also spent a lot of the nineties doing that R&B thing, having stints with Milwaukee bands Harvey Scales and the seven sounds, Fast Company, and singer Tina Moore (Scottie Brothers Records). 1996 I had the pleasure of backing up two of the most influential R&B groups of all time, the Spinners and the Four Tops. In 1996 is also when I formed my own band, Black & Blues. BNB is currently an all-star 9-piece band with some best musicians in the Midwest. The band is currently doing shows throughout the Midwest performing standard and original Blues and R&B. In 1999 I became a member of the band Honor Among Thieves. The band has been performing for almost 20 years and is one of the most creative blues-rock bands around. The bands released their CD, “The Blue God” in 2001 and are currently playing shows in the Madison/Milwaukee area. In 2002 I started drumming with local funk group, Universal Soul. The band released their self produced second CD “US: Live” in May 2003. The band sadly broke up in June 2004. (RIP) Here are some of the other Madison area musicians or bands I have worked with: Doc Dehaven, Kelly Dehaven, The Organ Grinders, the late great Willie Higgins, Westside Andy and Mel Ford, Little Jimmy and The Blackbirds, Hanah Jon Taylor, A.J Love, Lynette, Gerri DiMaggio, Cornerstone, Dizzy’s Horn, Real, and the Snot Rockets. (Hey Slick, what’s up?) Groups I am currently performing with in 2004 are: Black N’ Blues, Jim Schwall Band, Jan Wheaton Quintet, Honor Among Thieves, Black Acoustic Soul Tribe and the RobDZ Experience. In January 2004 I launched JB Entertainment.
You can reach Joey at:
jbanks4@charter.net
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