biographical info
Born on July 30th, 1944 in Toronto, Canada, multi-media artist Mendelson Joe is an original! A self-taught guitarist since age eleven, Mr. Joe's musical career spans four decades; he's a prolific songwriter, activist and salad maker. In 1975, Mr. Joe rescued some derelict paints from the garbage, and tried painting "just to see what it was like". Today, Mendelson Joe's painting's are internationally recognized as unique examples of contemporary Canadian art and are included in numerous public, private and corporate collections worldwide. (Represented by Karen Robinson Gallery, RR1 Emsdale, ON, Canada, P0A 1J0)
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EXCLAIM! Mendelson Joe, Live At Sixty-Five, CD review by Jason Schneider (March 2010)
Despite his eccentricities, there's no musician in Canada who embodies the spirit of punk rock more than Mendelson Joe. As a constant thorn in the side of politicians, and champion for the eradication of both racism and smoking, Joe has rightly earned a place in the hearts of every socially conscious Canadian. What are often forgotten though are his unique musical abilities. It's almost unbelievable to think that Live At Sixty-Five is his first major release since 1988's Born To Cuddle, but the ensuing years haven't diminished Joe's performing skills one iota. Although recorded in fall 2009, Live At Sixty-Five serves more like a "greatest hits," as Joe revisits much of his most beloved solo material, such as "Fragile Man" and "Dance With Joe." The intimate setting accentuates the inventiveness of his guitar playing and his overall unique sense of melody. With Canadian culture becoming increasingly homogenous, Joe couldn't have timed his musical return any better in order to remind listeners what true originality means (Old Bold).