Biography
Joel restored his old man's Fender Rhodes and made it his own. Schooled by osmosis, tutored by the jazz cats who jammed with his dad, Joel's music stays true to his roots even while it bears the marks of cutting edge cool.
Born and raised in Toronto, Joel signed with Warner/Chappell Publishing on the strength of an "unplugged" demo. He has spent the last couple of years writing and recording nonstop. The results : "cool blue funk." Joel's deep rich baritone, his mystical new age lyricism married to a pure soul/pop sensibility. It is a new urban alternative sound recalling the voices of the past masters of jazz, r 'n b, gospel and soul mixed with cutting edge grooves and timeless lyrics that are unmatched in today's disposable music market .
Since the age of 15, Joel has been playing live throughout Ontario in different formats. He has fronted his own hard funk alternative band, lounged it out with a small jazz combo and held it down solo on piano and as a one-man band playing bass with his left hand and Rhodes with his right. Along the way he has performed at various jazz/new music festivals and toured eastern Canada (solo) opening for Reprise recording artists Esthero.
Joel Parisien is one of a very few artists that helping create a new school of urban alternative music. At the same time his songwriting and vocal stylings recall an earlier generation of great male singer/songwriters. He brings us something we are missing, something we forgot, something that reminds us of all we loved about great music and the stars that we grew up loving. He's an old soul but he's making truly new music that helps us remember where we were headed before we got lost.
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