TOWER
RECORDS ARTIST REVIEW
May 9th, 2011
- Original Article ►
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I have been
asked a few times on how I choose who is a “Tower Records Profile
Artist.” First, this is not something that I pick out of a hat or
random – I believe that these are artists that capture what Tower
Records is about and hope will be again. Please note that
As a courtesy, I contact the artist to request permission first
before taking artistic license with their images (and to also make
sure all licenses are cleared). I have never had one turn us down
yet.
What about the images?
Usually these are recreated from photos of the artist and are my
interpretation of this artist. For an example here is the thought
process below:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joe
Vitale, Jr. – The first time you hear the name you most likely
think of his dad…Joe’s talent is real based on individual merit
not from his family name…the image is flashy but, to me, only
covers the musician in Joe. It is contradictory to his humbleness
and closeness to family and friends.
[Click Image to Enlarge]

CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER INTERVIEW JULY 14th, 2010
July
14th, 2010
- Original Article ►
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Teach your children: As a child, Joe Vitale Jr. grew up in the
shadows of his dad, who for years played with rock 'n' roll giants
(Joe Walsh... See More; Crosby, Stills & Nash; Dan Fogelberg; the
Eagles). Today, the Canton native is following in his father's
footsteps recording and playing out. "At the moment, I'm putting
together a band for my record 'Dancing With Shadows,' which is
released at the end of 2008," said Vitale, a 1996 Jackson High
School graduate. "I refer to it as industrial classic rock. It's
rock 'n' roll with a lot of electronic edge to it. It's The
Who-meets-Nine Inch Nails but with cleaner lyrics. I also play with
tribute band OHIO: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. My dad, Joe Vitale,
plays with Crosby, Stills & Nash. He's actually out with them now,
so I started playing with them because I kind of grew up with the
music from my dad playing it all through my youth and knowing all of
the songs. I thought it would be a lot of fun, and also I play the
character of my dad. So it's kind of surreal." OHIO: Crosby, Stills,
Nash & Young is scheduled to play at 9 p.m. Saturday at the
Winchester Tavern & Music Hall, 12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood.
Tickets are $15. Call 216-226-5681
Written by: John Benson

2009 LANCE RECORDS ALBUM REVIEW BY BEVERLY PATERSON
Spring 2009
Joe Vitale Jr.
“Dancing With Shadows” (Vari Loud Records)
“n air of suspense also guides the record, as inventive structures
and moments of nervous tension wash over the landscape.”
They say talent is genetic, and Joe Vitale Jr., who is the son of
drummer extraordinaire Joe Vitale, is no exception. Introduced to
the rock and roll life at an early age, Joe Jr. was still in
elementary school when he made his debut performance, playing
tambourine on stage with Crosby, Stills and Nash. Since then, Joe
Jr. has established himself as a singular music machine. A
multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer, Joe Jr.
shines ever so brightly on his first album, “Dancing With Shadows,”
which deftly injects modern pop sensibilities into classic rock
scenarios.
Stirring rhythms, complemented by throbbing breaks and tugging hooks
tend to characterize the music here. A hypnotic touch is visible
throughout, particularly on the title track, which certainly does
evoke images of one dancing with shadows. Dark moods, intertwined
with rays of light give the material a nice balance. Rumbling
keyboards rub shoulders with slaving guitar riffs to the tune of Joe
Jr.’s strong and sturdy vocals, which strike a commanding presence.
An air of suspense also guides the record, as inventive structures
and moments of nervous tension wash over the landscape. “She
Intoxicates,” “Mysterious,” “Infectious” and “I Don’t Belong” are
just a quick mention of the other gems featured on the disc.
“Dancing With Shadows” is a stone cold accomplishment, and it’s only
the beginning for Joe Jr., who obviously has an ear for imaginative
sights and sounds.

WHERE ARE
THEY NOW INTERVIEW
February 4th,
2009
Where Are They Now - Joe Vitale Jr.
Where Are They Now? - OH - Music - 02/04/2009
Submitted By: Staff
Name: Joe Vitale Jr.
Band: I am a solo Artist
Instruments you play: Guitar, Drums, Singing/vocals, Keyboards,
Percussion, Bass
Hometown: Canton, Ohio
What kind of music do you play and what type do you like to listen
to: I like to play a large variety of music be it Rock to
Electronic. I like to listen to everything but I LOVE classic rock,
Industrial, Blues and Latin.
When and why did music become important to you: Right around
age 10 when my dad, Joe Vitale, the drummer, had me come out on
stage with Crosby, Stills and Nash and I got to play tambourine on
Teach your Children. It was such an electrifying experience hearing
the crowd cheer and I knew that I wanted to go into music as my
career. Up to that point I really wanted to be an astronaut, and I
still follow the space program very closely, but music took over
very quickly. When I was in high school I was given one of those
really cool Tascam Porta Studio 8 track recorders. I started to
write my own songs around age 14-15 and I never stopped! Music was
always a way for me to express the way I was feeling…be it good or
bad…I found that I had been given the gift from God. I wanted to use
that gift to not only express myself but to try to write songs that
people could gain something meaningful from for their lives, as well
as have a fun escape from our crazy day to day lives and rock out.
Do you come from a musical family and if so what do they do:
I do come from a musical family. My father is a famous drummer who
has played with some of the top names in the industry including the
Eagles, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh, Dan
Fogelberg and many others. My dad’s side of the family were all
musicians as well. My grandfather, grandmother, uncles, etc.
Tell us about your school experience, particularly middle and
High School: School was always interesting for me. I love to
learn. I went to Jackson Memorial Middle School and then Jackson
High School. I joined the band in 6th grade and it was a struggle at
first learning to read music and figure out what all those crazy
circles and lines meant, but I stayed at it and eventually it was
second nature to read it. I had a lot of friends through the band
both in middle School and in high school… some of which I still talk
to today, 11 years after high school. Band was always my favorite
class. I was in the marching band in high school and was section
leader of the drum section my senior year. Those were my favorite
memories growing up. I’ve performed in my alumni marching band every
year since I graduated and every time I’m standing under the goal
post getting ready to go out on the field with the stadium crowd
cheering, the smell of the damp grass and the weight of my snare
hanging from my shoulder still sends massive chills down my spine. I
love it. My friends and I always had cover bands throughout high
school and tried to set up gigs at friends houses for parties and we
also played at a couple dances. Hey, you have to start somewhere,
right? All through high school I continued to write music and learn
as much as I could. After high school I went to Mount Union College
and continued to learn music there as a percussion performance
major. I was in a fraternity in college, Sigma Nu. Several of my
brothers were also in the music program which made for lots of fun
and jam sessions at the frat house. After two years, I had an
opportunity to go out on the road with The Stephen Stills Blues Band
as a Latin percussionist and as difficult of a decision as it was, I
dropped out of school to pursue my career. A few years later, I went
to Malone College for a year for audio engineering.
Tell us about your first time performing for a live audience:
I touched on this earlier but the very first time I was ever on
stage was late August, 1987. I was brought out on stage at Blossom
Music Center in NE Ohio with Crosby, Stills and Nash for a sold out
crowd of 19,000 screaming people. I was 10 years old and only
playing a tambourine, but I loved every second of it! It really
changed my life that first time. I knew from right at that moment
what I wanted to do the rest of my life.
Who is most influential in your music (other bands): The Who,
Joe Walsh, Nine Inch Nails, Joe Vitale Sr. (my father) and Crosby
Stills and Nash.
Where does the inspiration for your music come from: Like the
saying goes “Write what you know”. I try to write about experiences
that happen to me throughout my life. It is hard to make up song
lyrics if you haven’t really gone through it. I mean it can be done
but won’t have that edge that really talks to your audience. I will
say though, I feel that God allows the events in my life, good or
bad, to happen so that I can write the way I do. So, I would say
that my inspiration comes from God in a major way. I have had to
struggle with a lot over the years and while I always wish it could
have been smooth sailing; my lyrics wouldn’t say anything of
personal feelings or truth if everything had been great. My album
has a lot of concept songs on it dealing with triumph over
adversity. It is the central theme of the album. But I am also a
romantic so I have a lot of relationship songs as well. I wanted
something funny on it so I included my humorous breakup song, “It’s
Not Me, It’s You” which is getting a lot of attention and everyone
really seems to like it.
Have you been a member of other bands and if so tell us about
those experiences: I have played in several cover bands here
locally, both my own and others. At the moment I have been asked to
play in a Crosby, Stills and Nash tribute band called “OHIO,” which
is great because I know all the songs! I have also played for Joe
Walsh, Crosby Stills and Nash, and The Stephen Stills Blues band.
Every band I play with is a unique experience. I have really enjoyed
all the groups I have played with and I have lots of very fun
memories of life on the road.
What goals do you as an individual and a band have: I have
worked my entire life to do what I do. I sacrificed a lot during my
life, when a lot of my friends were out partying I was in my
basement working. Not saying I didn’t want to be out having fun, but
I just knew I had to work hard if I ever wanted to make it. I
absolutely love what I do and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Honestly, I want to take this as far as I can imagine and that God
has in mind. As does any musician in this industry, I would love to
have a song hit #1 on the Billboard Charts and I would love to be
blessed to play in large arenas. Right now, that is just a dream and
a prayer, but it is that dream that God has placed in my heart that
drives me to be the best that I can possibly be. I am a
perfectionist and I have always tried to perform to the best of my
abilities and gifts. Sometimes you have good nights sometimes you
have bad nights, but you always try to give the best performance of
your life.
Tell us about a teacher who made a big difference in your life:
Timothy DeStefano was my band director and very close friend all
through high school and college. He taught me how to write music for
and direct an orchestra, allowed me to perform a piece of mine with
the Jackson Symphony Orchestra when I was a junior in High School,
and brought me to Mount Union College. He and I still talk over
email to this day. He was tough and expected the best from everyone
who played for him and we wanted to be the best for him. He made you
feel a sense of pride in your achievements, made you want to be the
best, work harder, and strive for excellence. He is a very good
Christian man and he has changed the lives of thousands of students
over the years. When I was in high school the average size of the
marching band was over 300 and grew to 348 the year I graduated.
Take that number and realize that he had been doing this since the
mid 1970s and you can imagine just how many students lives he has
touched.
Did you play sports in school, if so what were they and what is
your best memory from them: Every time I play sports I more and
more realize why I am a musician. I tried tennis, baseball,
basketball and swimming, but never joined a team once I got to high
school. However, I do really enjoy playing golf. High scores are
good, right?
What's going on with the band now:
New CD: I have my debut album out called “Dancing With
Shadows” It is a 14 song album which I have been working on for 9 ½
years now. It is finally released and available.
Tour: I don’t have a set schedule for myself yet. However I
am going out on the road with the Band “Ohio” this spring and summer
and will be performing around the country.
Concerts: See above.
Studio: Always in the studio working on new songs for my
second album as well as working on an industrial remix album of a
couple songs from the first album.
Do you have CD's out now and if so what are they and where can
people get them: I do. My debut album “Dancing with Shadows” can
be bought through my website: www.joevitalejr.com. It is also
available on CD Baby, Digstation.com, Amazon.com, iTunes, and Atlas
Books. Retail stores coming soon.
Where can people go on-line to find out more about the band, your
music, and how to book you for a show: Through my website,
www.joevitalejr.com and MySpace and my record label.
Official Site:
www.joevitalejr.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/joevitalejrofficial
MySpace:
www.myspace.com/joevitalejr
Record Label:
www.variloudrecords.com
What are some of your interests outside of music: I love
videography, photography, web design, graphics design, jet skiing,
boating, hiking, fishing, camping, golf, amusement parks, traveling,
seeing all my wonderful friends, video games.
Anything else you would like to add: My CD, “Dancing With
Shadows,” was released with two other products…my Dad, Joe Vitale’s,
CD, “Speaking In Drums” and his book, “Backstage Pass.”

40th
Anniversary of Woodstock Concert with Joe Vitale Jr. playing drums
with
Crosby Stills & Nash Tribute Band "OHIO" from Michael Standard
August 2009
As you know, "OHIO" blew the crowd away last
August at our "Woodstock Tribute Concert ". There were 12,000 people
in attendance and your performance on Saturday was the hit of the
weekend. No kidding. We just had to have you back for a solo
performance.
I wish I had a better command of the language, because I find it
difficult to express how pleased we are with your February 6th
performance here at the Woodstock Opera House. The place was packed
and the "buzz" afterwards was that "OHIO" was. . . awesome.
As you know, Artie Kornfeld producer of the original 1969 Woodstock
Music Festival, was our guest of honor at your show. As Artie and I
stood back stage, he told me that he thought you guys might be even
better than his friends in CSN&Y. That's a hell of a compliment from
a man who's career spans over 45 years in the music business and
was the producer of "Woodstock", the most important music and
cultural event in American in history.
Congratulations on two awesome performances.
Best personal regards,
Michael Stanard
One Zero Charlie Productions, Inc.

SONY CREATIVE SOFTWARE UNVEILS NEW "ROCK ROYALTY"
SOUND SERIES LOOP LIBRARY
Vitale Drums: The Vitale Collection
January 20, 2007 - Original Article ►
Click Here
Sony Creative Software announced today the availability of the Vitale
Premium Sound Series Loop Library Collection. A must-have for every
aspiring drummer, this Loop Library is unique in offering the track
collections of one of Rock n' Roll's most influential combos, drummer Joe
Vitale and his son Joe Vitale Jr. Joe Vitale Sr. is a renowned musician
whose career has spanned over thirty years of touring, recording, and song
writing and production with legendary and Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame
artists such as The Eagles, Joe Walsh, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, John
Lennon and Keith Richards. These are just a few of the many artists who
have called upon Joe to anchor their platinum hits with his rock solid yet
completely transparent drumming. The elder Vitale's son, Joe Vitale Jr.,
engineered the sounds for this loop library.
The Vitale Sound Series Loop Library will
appeal to songwriters and producers of rock and pop music who want the
best possible performance and recording quality on their tracks. "The Sony
Sound Series collection now boasts the addition of rock drumming legend
Joe Vitale at the Premium Collection level," said Dave Chaimson, vice
president of marketing for Sony Media Software. "The Vitale father-and-son
team deserves nothing less than a Premium Collection presentation, with
24-bit sound engineered by Joe Vitale Jr., performances by both artists,
extensive liner notes, and bonus video content. Now, music producers working on every platform at every
tier of the industry can enjoy the Vitale sound on their tracks, and gain
instant access to the kinds of rock music foundations that lead to smash
hits."
The Vitale Premium Collection tier includes
862 files comprising more than one gigabyte of material, extensive liner
notes and a behind-the-scenes video that explains how the library was
produced. The Vitale Premium Collection library is a 2 disc, highly
specialized collection that includes sophisticated, royalty-free Premium
Projects composed with ACIDized .wav file loops.
STEPHEN STILLS "MAN ALIVE" ALBUM RELEASE CANTON REPOSITORY
September 23rd, 2005


PRO AUDIO REVIEW | SONY SOUNDBYTE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2004
Summer 2004

Click images above
for full stories
from Pro Audio Review
Sony Soundbyte Article on digital audio work & editing on Stephen
Stills' album "Man Alive".

REMIX MAGAZINE
LOOPS FOR ACID PRODUCT REVIEW "JUNKYARD RHYTHMS"
July 1st, 2002
- Original Article ►
Click Here
The art of
percussion mandates beating, bashing, crashing, shaking, striking,
kicking and several other violent noise-associated verbs. Many
times, the more primitive the approach, the more real and raw the
emotion. With Junkyard Rhythms, Joe Vitale and his son, Joe Vitale
Jr., explore their inner-drumming Neanderthals while rummaging
through the rot in their local junkyard. The CD's documentation is
minimal, but guessing where these sounds come from is half the fun.
In terms of performance, the majority of the loops evoke a Latin
flavor much in the vein of the Vitale family's well-received sample
CD release Latin Percussion (also from Sonic Foundry). But this
time, their modus operandi is to beat the clunk outta the junk —
without any help from traditional bongos, congas and timbales.
Despite the junkyard theme, the infectious salsa moods, percolating
dance rhythms and traditional Brazilian samba are fresh. Most of the
samples were recorded dry with minimal effects processing except for
a smattering of tasty compression and interesting room-style
reverbs, which contribute to Junkyard's overall esoteric vibe. When
diving into the more than 420 MB of Junkyard Rhythms' loops, you'll
hear bells, buckets, bumpers, tubs, trash cans, pots, pans and more
than a dumpster full of unrecognizable timbres that Vitale and son
are probably still chuckling about.
Each loop is preconfigured to work with Sonic Foundry Acid Pro and
other loop-friendly applications (Ableton Live, Cakewalk Sonar and
so on). The collection is divided into three sections: Ensemble
Grooves (221 MB), Individual Grooves (201 MB) and One-Shots (52 MB).
Especially cool are the Junkyard Kits, which comprise all kinds of
knickknacks, plastic shapes and metal scraps. These hybrid toys for
experimental drummers may just be the missing percussive ingredients
for those in search of a little dirty spice. And though you may
think these guys played everything including the kitchen sink, there
is no junkyard dog.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 4
Sonic Foundry

STEPHEN STILLS BLUES
BAND AT LOS ANGLES HOUSE OF BLUES
January 3rd, 1998
Stephen Stills celebrated his birthday to a packed house at the House
Of Blues. The set list as I can remember it is as follows (not necessarily
in order).
Love the One Your With
For What It's Worth
Change Partners
Helplessly Hoping
So Begins The Task
Long Time Gone
Born in Chicago
Born Under a Bad Sign
Carry On
Woodstock
49 Bye Byes
Two new songs:
One I think was named 'Back Home' (dedicated to Johnny Rivers in the
audience). I didn't get the name of the other song, a blues number with
Michael Finnegan dedicated to his daughter
Tree Top Flyer (electric)
Dark Star
The band members were Mike Finnegan, Joe Vitale, Joe Vitale, Jr.,
Gerald Johnson and second guitar player, didn't catch his name. Tall and
lanky with glasses, and looked totally uninspired. John McEnroe came
onstage to lead the audience in rousing "Happy Birthday to You".
I gotta tell you, I found the performance totally not satisfying and
I'll tell you why. Please bear with my thoughts here. I love Stephen
Stills, to begin with. He is a great artist, musician, songwriter and
performer. I have been a dedicated fan ever since the first time I heard a
Buffalo Springfield record.
I was particularly disappointed with the repetoire of this performance.
I could see this playlist if it were a CSN concert or a Stills concert
with a bigger venue, but with the House of Blues I expected something
different. I saw Stills there three years ago and the set list was
practically identical. I expected (or hoped for) a different type of
performance in this venue both last night and three years ago.
I guess my issue is that Stills has a great body of work. He also has
very impressive influences. I guess I would love to see him abandon the
"greatest hits" formula and perform a combination of other great Stills
compositions with some blues/rock covers from other artists. Standing
there as everybody mouthed the words to For What It's Worth or Helplessly
Hoping has just turned into the type of performances which are just too
predictable.
There were two blond, 19 year old, bimbettes rocking away and begging
for Suite: Judy Blue Eyes. My favorites songs were Born Under a Bad Sign
and Born in Chicago along with the new material. The rest of the songs
were just rehashes of performance I have heard already. Though Stills
guitar work, as always, was stunning. The songs were just vehicles for
some great licks.
I also understand that you don't get a packed house by boring the rank
and file with non-hits. And not to compare, but except for a limited
number of songs, Neil Young always surprises the audience with a different
set list to keep the performances interesting.
I hope you all understand that it is not my intention to bash Stills.
But I would love to finally see a performance which doesn't begin with
Love the One Your With and end with Woodstock.
J. Starret

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