Joseph W. Maher (born ), known as Big Joe Maher, is an American

electric blues Electric blues is blues music distinguished by the use of electric amplification for musical instruments. The guitar was the first instrument to be popularly amplified and used by early pioneers T-Bone Walker in the late 1930s and John Lee Ho ...

drummer, singer and songwriter. He is known for his

jump blues Jump blues is an uptempo style of blues, jazz, and boogie woogie usually played by small groups and featuring horn instruments. It was popular in the 1940s and was a precursor of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Appreciation of jump blues wa ...

group called Big Joe and the Dynaflows. He has worked with many blues musicians including

Delbert McClinton Delbert McClinton (born November 4, 1940) is an American blues rock and electric blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, harmonica player, and pianist. From his first professional stage appearance in 1957 to his most recent national tour in 2018, h ...

Anson Funderburgh Anson Funderburgh (born James Anson Funderburgh; November 14, 1954) is an American blues guitar player and bandleader of Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets since 1978. The band's style incorporates both Chicago blues and Texas blues. Career Funde ...

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Bob Margolin Bob Margolin (born May 9, 1949) is an American electric blues guitarist. His nickname is Steady Rollin'. Biography Margolin started playing guitar in 1964, and his first appearance on record was with Boston psychedelic band The Freeborne, and ...

, Mark Wenner,

Ann Rabson Ann Rabson (April 12, 1945 – January 30, 2013)Allmusic biography/ref> was an American blues vocalist, pianist and guitar player. She was a solo recording artist signed to Alligator Records and was a member of Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women ...

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Otis Rush Otis Rush Jr. (April 29, 1934 – September 29, 2018) was an American blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter who has been long revered as one of the creators of modern Chicago blues; though he was respected and praised, the success he sought e ...

Earl King Earl Silas Johnson IV (February 7, 1934 – April 17, 2003),
known as Earl King, was an American singer, guita ...

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, and

Tom Principato Tom Principato (born 1952) is an American electric blues and blues rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Principato has recorded more than twenty albums over the years. One of his most recent releases, ''Robert Johnson Told Me So'' (2013), fe ...

Life and career

Joseph Maher was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and initially inspired by both his father's record collection and attending blues concerts in his hometown, Maher had learned to play the drums by his early teenage years. After graduation Maher assembled a three piece blues/jazz ensemble, before touring as part of

's backing band. He later put together a five piece band known as Big Joe and the Dynaflows, who specialised in dance-oriented jump blues. Big Joe and the Dynaflows' debut album, ''Good Rockin' Daddy'', was released by

Ichiban Records Ichiban Records was an American independent record label, founded in 1985 by John Abbey and Nina Easton in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. History Wrap Records and Nastymix Records were some of its subsidiary labels. Urgent! Records and Mr. Hen ...

in 1990. Then followed a string of releases on various record labels up to ''All Night Long'' (2000). These included, ''Mojo'', a stripped down affair which featured Jeff Sarli on bass guitar. In December 1994, ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' noted that "listening to the opening (and title) track for a few seconds is all it takes to confirm that this session's atmosphere and pacing has more to do with Percy Mayfield's laconic balladry, than Big Joe Turner's barroom barking". His 1998 release, ''I'm Still Swingin, was given a Washington Area Music Award for Best Blues Recording. Maher has also performed with his own Big Three Trio and the Big Four Combo, which have included

John Cocuzzi John Cocuzzi (born 1964) is an American jazz, blues, and swing musician who specializes in the vibraphone and piano, as well as drums. His primary influences on vibraphone are Lionel Hampton and Red Norvo, while his piano playing is influenced b ...

. Maher later worked as the musical director at

Mick Fleetwood Michael John Kells Fleetwood (born 24 June 1947) is a British musician, songwriter and actor. He is the drummer, co-founder, and leader of the rock band Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood, whose surname was merged with that of the group's bassist John Mc ...

's Alexandria, Virginia nightclub, Fleetwood's. Several occasions followed where Fleetwood booked Big Joe and the Dynaflows as his back-up band at the club. Maher has also worked extensively on other musicians' recordings, including

's ''The Old School'',

's ''In Orbit'' (1991), Mark Wenner's ''Nothin' But'', plus

's ''Music Makin' Mama'' (1997). In 2005 and 2009, Maher was awarded the title of Male Blues Vocalist of the Year at the Washington Area Music Awards. In 2000, his band was involved in the recording of ''I Warned You Baby'', a compilation made for use by the

Carolina shag The Carolina shag is a partner dance done primarily to beach music (100–130+ beats per minute in 4/4 time signature). The shag is a recognized dance in modern national and international dance competitions. It became the official state dance of S ...

scene. ''You Can't Keep a Big Man Down'' was released in 2011 on

Severn Records Severn Records is an American independent record label that concentrates on blues music. Its motto is "Roots Music for the 21st Century". History On July 11, 1997, a company named Echo Records was incorporated in Maryland by David Earl. By the t ...

. The title track related to the almost career-ending back injury which Maher suffered in late 2001, and explained his long absence from recording. The album included a guest appearance from

Dennis Taylor Dennis Taylor (born 19 January 1949) is a Northern Irish retired professional snooker player and current commentator. He turned professional in 1972 and won the 1985 World Snooker Championship, in which he lost the first eight frames of 1985 W ...

on saxophone. In mid 2012, Maher jointly toured with

. Big Joe and the Dynaflows' most recent release, ''Rockhouse Party'', was issued on February 15, 2019.

Discography

Albums

References

External links

Images and information at Pinterest.comDiscography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maher, Big Joe 1950s births Living people 21st-century American composers American blues singer-songwriters Electric blues musicians American male singer-songwriters American male drummers 20th-century American drummers 21st-century American drummers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians Singer-songwriters from Washington, D.C. Drummers from Washington, D.C. Year of birth missing (living people)

Life and career

Discography

Albums

See also

References

External links