Welcome! Explore Joe's website using the navigation links above.
"An exquisite interpreter of song, Mr. Holt is exemplary. Indeed, there are very few like him." - Raul DaGama (JazzDaGama)
"An excellent swing/stride pianist ... with impeccable taste. -
Scott Yanow (LA Jazz Scene)
“Ever tasteful ... a soloist extraordinaire” -
Cam Miller (The American Rag)
Latest newsletter: September/October 2026. Read all about it :)
Album release (2023)- “Once Upon a Summertime -The Music of Blossom Dearie” - Sharon Sable/Joe Holt - click on the Blossom Dearie Project tab above. "Sharon and Joe sound exquisite." - Scott Yanow (LA Jazz Scene).
About Joe (click here for more):
Joe's full time music career began in earnest when he received his driver's license as a teenager in the 1970's. Among his many experiences: Joe assumed his first church music position in 1979, while at the same time working as the house accompanist at a local "saloon" and playing (nearly every night) in 2 bands. His circumstances and perspective has evolved through the years, but he has never slowed down. In the 1980s he played the opening of the nation's first mega-food court (Picnic at Cherry Hill Mall), then held the position of "Picnic Pianist" for 11 years. In the 1990's he began working in Atlantic City, primarily as a full time solo pianist at the Showboat casino. Throughout this time he travelled extensively in the Northeast and Midwest performing solo concerts, primarily in churches. In the late 2000's he began travelling to jazz festivals throughout the country with the Midiri Brothers swing band. Also in the late 2000's Joe began performing frequently for American Cruise Lines as a walk-on entertainer, at ports along the Chesapeake Bay. In 2016 he began hosting a regular (first weekly, then monthly) series at the Mainstay in Rock Hall, MD where he has curated and performed over 200 collaborative concerts. Joe also performs as an accompanist for several vocalists in his regional area, keeping a busy schedule. His career spans 50 years of performing classic American popular music, touching hearts, and lives, wherever he goes.
A note from Joe:
"I'm one of these crazy people who has lived life with a sense of a calling, rather than pursuing what might actually make sense (for "normal" folk). Beginning as a teenager in the 1970's, I have been a full time musician/pianist. I'm blessed to have lived this life, and suspect that I'm not finished. Over the years, I have accumulated/been blessed by many wonderful in-the trenches experiences, both in, and beyond public view. As you navigate around my website, you will get a sense of what I'm about, what I've done, and where I am at this point on the path. Each day is a new opportunity to make connections and share the space, which I receive gratefully."
Note that Joe's performance schedule is now listed on the "shows" page, here on this site. To view past performances (going back to 2005), visit http://joesschedule.blogspot.com/
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