Joey Baron

A boundary-pushing jazz drummer, Joey Baron is recognized for his rhythmic imagination and musical empathy, along with bridging swinging post-bop and avant-garde experimentation. Although he has backed artists from across the musical spectrum -- from Tony Bennett to David Bowie -- most of Baron's work has been in jazz. A key player on the downtown N.Y.C. scene of the 1980s, he's worked with artists like John Zorn, Bill Frisell, and Dave Douglas. His solo output has spanned a diverse catalog of albums, from the angular energy of 1992's Tongue in Groove with saxophonist Ellery Eskelin to 1999's We'll Soon Find Out with Ron Carter and 2013's Just Listen, one of many with Frisell. Following 2022's Once Around the Room: A Tribute to Paul Motian, Baron delivered two trio dates in 2025: The Surrounding Green with Hersch and bassist Drew Gress, and Tramonto with pianist John Taylor and bassist Marc Johnson.