Joe Huron: Not Your "Average Joe"

Joe Huron likes Eddie Van Halen. Almost everyone has heard of Eddie Van Halen. Some of Joe Huron, until now.

Joe Huron was born in Arnprior, Ontario, a cat's stretch away from Ottawa. The year was 1961 and his father was a railman. At the age of 14, Joe began his musical foray thanks to his older brother Peter. His older brother's record collection of Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, Yes, Art Tatum and Weather Report helped Joe learn how to play guitar, a borrowed Gibson Acoustic from his older brother. At the age of 20, Joe enrolled in the jazz program at Malaspina College in Nanaimo, British Columbia (Joe moving from Ontario to take up the fine art of wood shedding).

After his completion of studies in British Columbia, Joe moved to Toronto to complete his studies at York University. Studies with Roy Patterson followed and, in 1986, Joe was playing gigs and festivals in around Toronto, which in turn lead him to playing Expo '86 in Vancouver. Joe stayed in British Columbia until 1990, then returned to Barrie, Ontario, a stone's throw from Toronto if you throw the stone as hard and as far as you could. From then until now, Joe Huron has gotten married and has been feeding his "three" boys ever since. Joe Huron plays locally all throughout the year. He is a mainstay at the Barrie Jazz and Blues Festival each year, and has released two CDs entitled Finally in 2000 and his latest, Second Thoughts, in 2003 featuring Juno Award-winning saxophonist Richard Underhill.

He and his trio, featuring Tim Moore on drums and Kene Hyatt (a study of Don Thompson) on bass, are currently working on their third album, which they hope to release in the fall of 2005, featuring original compositions and a couple of guest horn players. The trio has been played regularly for over a year on Jazz FM 91.1 in Toronto and has gained some attention through various CBC programs. Joe teaches guitar as well and there is one thing for sure—he would rather be playing and teaching guitar. It is hard to teach wood shedding...to him, there are no Second Thoughts.

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