JOE PIKET (ASCAP writer and publisher))  has been described as “a more edgy Billy Joel”, and “the Bruce Springsteen of Long Island” by local reviewers. He makes his living in New York as a working musician (keyboards, vocals, and guitar) playing and recording his own songs as well as other people’s material. He has written for cable and television, and he has been fortunate enough to meet and work with some very talented and fairly well-known people, a lot of whom have helped him record his songs. Audiences have been blown away by Joe's energy, musical integrity, and lyrical originality. In addition to headlining his own shows, he has appeared with such diverse acts as Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, Leon Russell, Renaissance, Johnny Maestro, Randy Jackson of Zebra (several times), and Jason Bonham, son of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. Rave reviews have appeared in Newsday, Good Times, Aural Fix, and other print publications, as well as many on-line publications.

           Joe Piket's first CD, TEMPEST, charted well on CMJ, including # 1 on many college radio stations in the tri-state area and nationally.  His next CD, THE WATERS OF LETHE (on Elijah Records), featured the 14-minute epic title track, which was favorably compared to the music of King Crimson, Yes, and Queen, receiving airplay on over 300 college radio stations around the country. THE WATERS OF LETHE also features an updated version of Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind", with Joel sideman Richie Cannata on sax. Joe received special recognition from NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg for his inventive interpretation of the Joel classic.

After JOE PIKET AND THE STORM disbanded in 2004,  Joe began writing new material, drawing on observations of, conversations with, and childhood memories rekindled by, his children. Basic tracks for the new songs were developed and recorded with some of Joe’s closest friends, and as THE WATERS OF LETHE continued to sell well, Joe was able to keep going back to the studio, recording, augmenting, and fine-tuning the songs. This caused the release date for the new CD to be moved back several times, but the result was worth waiting for. FATHER TIME (also on Elijah Records),  features some of Joe's strongest material to date, musically and lyrically. FATHER TIME is a collection of songs about relationships between the generations, relationships evolving and dissolving, and relationships inevitably damaged by the passage of time. While most of the songs are new material by Piket, there is also a cover of the Beatles classic, "She's Leaving Home", with an updated musical arrangement and some new lyrics (as well as some lyrics "borrowed" from a different Beatles song).

Said Joe, "A lot of people were kind of put off by my version (of "She's Leaving Home"), just because it's so different. Which to me was the whole point of doing it; why just copy the same arrangement? I even told the guys specifically NOT to listen to the original before we recorded the new version. I tried to contrast the "quiet" moments in the house, safe and sheltered, with the "threatening" parts that have her outside, and build to a point where it actually becomes violent, musically speaking, which I hoped would imply that something violent happened to her, and ending with a last chord that hangs in the air as her life slips away. Most people understood what I was doing, but a few folks had a hard time accepting it. I understand that; you take a chance whenever you cover someone else's song, and when it's  Beatles song, the stakes are even higher." There is also a beautiful new song co-written with (and sung by) long-time JP co-vocalist Sue M., "Your Empty Skies", about a woman's attempts to "reach" her husband as she watches him succumb to Alzheimer's. From the fiery opening electric guitar signature riff on "Payin' The Price For Spring" to the final steel guitar flourish on "Evelyn's Mix", (the alternate -acoustic version of the title track), the CD is a rich collection of instrumental and vocal textures, and lyrics that read like poetry. 

And of course, Joe has been out playing the new songs (as well as classics like "April", "Zero To Ninety" "Music To My Eyes", and "What Goes Around Comes Around"). The new band, which just placed third runner-up in the L.I. Music Festival, features industry veterans Ray Dieneman on bass and Harry Kaplan on drums, along with talented newcomer Mike Zeck on electric guitar. "Ray and Harry have been working together for, like, fifteen years; the communication between them is what you'd expect from two exceptional musicians who have known each other for that long. A lot of times, one of them will have an idea, and it's such a pleasure watching two pros like that work out  parts together, I just stay out of the way and watch them!" As for Mike, "Mike was about the 25th guitar player we auditioned, and the way he learned all the different parts, and copped all the different sounds and styles - we're talking about four CD's worth of material, recorded by a lot of different people - really impressed us. Since joining the band, he has gone from playing the original parts flawlessly, to adding his own ideas, which are always creative, well thought out, and well executed.

Joe decided to call the new group, simply, JOE PIKET AND FRIENDS. "I know it's a cliche, but in this case it's true - the communication, the professionalism, and the fun we're having working and creating together, is rewarding, musically fulfilling, all of that. But there's also mutual respect that has nothing to do with the music. We talk about a lot of serious stuff, non-musical stuff; we became close friends as soon as we started rehearsing and hanging out together. It just happened. We also crack each other up; we have the same senses of humor, which may or may not be a good thing."

A good thing? There's no doubt about it. Just listen.