Joey Baron


Bernard Joseph Baron is an American avant-garde jazz drummer who plays frequently with Bill Frisell and John Zorn.

Music career

Baron was born on June 26, 1955, in Richmond Virginia. When he was nine, he taught himself how to play the drums. As a teenager, he played in rock bands and dixieland jazz groups and was given his first gig opportunity at the age of 13 when pianist BJ Doyle's regular drummer took ill and she knew he was a keeper after just minutes. After high school, he spent a year at the Berklee College of Music. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s and embarked on a professional career, playing with Carmen McRae and Al Jarreau. He worked as a freelance drummer and session musician with Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, and Hampton Hawes.
In 1982 he moved to New York City and joined guitarist Bill Frisell, with whom he would play often throughout his career. He also played in groups with Red Rodney, Fred Hersch, Enrico Pieranunzi, and Marc Johnson. Starting in the late 1980s, he became a bigger part of the avant-garde jazz scene when he played regularly at the Knitting Factory, recorded with singer Laurie Anderson, and began a long association with John Zorn. For several years he participated in Zorn's projects Naked City and Masada.
Baron contributed to David Bowie's Outside. Bowie would later praise Baron, stating: "Metronomes shake in fear, he's so steady."

Discography

As leader/co-leader

With John Abercrombie
With the Toshiko Akiyoshi
With Laurie Anderson
With Tim Berne
With David Bowie
With Jakob Bro
With Uri Caine
With James Carter
With Anthony Coleman
With Dave Douglas
With Mark Feldman
With Bill Frisell
With Fred Frith
  • Allies
With Richard Galliano
  • Laurita
With Jim Hall
  • These Rooms
  • Hemispheres with Bill Frisell
  • Conversations
With Fred Hersch
  • Sarabande
With Haino Keiji
  • An Unclear Trial: More Than This
With Marc Johnson
  • The Sound of Summer Running
  • Shades of Jade
  • Swept Away
;With Lee Konitz
  • Sound of Surprise
With Steve Kuhn
  • Remembering Tomorrow
  • Mostly Coltrane
  • Wisteria with Steve Swallow
With Joe Lovano
With Pat Martino
With Carmen McRae
With Gary Peacock
With Enrico Pieranunzi
With Hank Roberts
With Herb Robertson
With John Scofield
  • Grace Under Pressure
With Julian Siegel
  • Live at the Vortex
With John Taylor
  • Rosslyn
With Toots Thielemans
With Roseanna Vitro
With John Zorn