Joe Locke is widely considered to be one of the major voices of his instrument. He has performed and recorded with a diverse range of notable musicians, including Grover Washington Jr, Raul Midón, Kenny Barron, Eddie Henderson, Cecil Taylor, Dianne Reeves, Eddie Palmieri, Ron Carter, Bobby Hutcherson, The Beastie Boys, the Münster Symphony Orchestra, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, the Orchestra da Camera della Sardegna and the Lincoln, Nebraska Symphony.

Long known to be a soloist capable of stunning physical power and broad emotional range, it was not until the last decades that he emerged as the composer, bandleader and conceptualist that he is considered today. This is in no small part due to his solo projects since the beginning of the 2000s: ‘Four Walls of Freedom’, the EarShot award-winning ‘Live in Seattle’ with its 2012 successor ‘Signing’, and the chamber trio release ‘VIA’ can be attributed to the talents of Locke’s exceptional collaborators and to the leader’s musical philosophy which is to honor tradition while keeping both feet planted in the present and future.

The foundation of Locke’s vast spectrum is his immense stylistic versatility and ability to create artistic depth in a variety of contexts, having performed in an array of projects from symphonic recordings and poetry-inspired suites, to jazz radio chart-topping blues and ballads collections and high-energy, rock-like fusion. His newest release, ‘Makram’, is a deeply emotive work and focuses largely on original music, with classics by Cole Porter and Billy Strayhorn bookending the recording, celebrating Locke’s unique ability to marry the complex with the familiar.

Locke is a six-time recipient of the Jazz Journalists Association’s Mallet Instrumentalist of the Year Award, has received two Earshot Golden Ear Awards for Concert of the Year and the 2013 Hot House NYC Jazz Awards for Best Vibes Player, and keeps topping critics and readers polls. He holds the title of Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy Of Music (Hon ARAM), London, and is an active clinician and educator in the United States and in Europe. In 2016 Joe was honoured with induction into the Music Hall of Fame of his hometown Rochester, NY.

Joe will tour Europe in 2024, supporting the release of Makram, his latest album featuring a selection of new compositions and a return to his celebrated quartet with pianist Jim Ridl, bassist Lorin Cohen, and drummer Samvel Sarkisyan.

“he's in a league of his own as a vibraphone soloist.” Jazz Wise ****

“10 Albums You Need to Know: February 2023.” Jazziz Magazine

“Locke has developed a style perfectly suited to the ringing bars of the vibraphone. With great sensitivity, he creates hauntingly beautiful voicings with chords and arpeggios. His original tunes have a unique sound and his takes on standards are anything but standard. Locke’s arrangements are simply gorgeous.” Rochester City Newspaper