Long Island, NY, July 31, 2021 -/OXBRIDGE PRESS RELEASE/- Based on Long Island, New York, Fredsson Records recording artist Joe Piket, recently named PIANO ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR in the Newsday/Bethpage BEST OF LONG ISLAND POLL, has proven to be one of the most prolific songwriters and performers of the modern age.
Performing and sometimes collaborating with the likes of Chuck Berry, Leon Russell, Jason Bonham, Dee Snyder, Richie Cannata (Billy Joel, Beach Boys), Ricky Byrd (Joan Jett, Roger Daltry), Schuyler Deale (bassist with Billy Joel and Michael Bolton, among others), Peter O’Brien (Orleans, Edgar Winter), Mick Gaffney, Renaissance, Randy Jackson, Damon Johnson, and Johnny Maestro & the Brooklyn Bridge, Joe has always lived up to expectations.
Now, displaying the musical versatility of Billy Joel and Paul McCartney by adapting his music to a variety of styles, Piket, the son of internationally acclaimed composer Frederick Piket, jumps in with his eclectic album release; Everything Is Different. And Everything is Different hits the bull’s eye every time.
The record features eight tracks of primarily original songs, all in different styles. Piket pushes the envelope by taking chances most musicians are afraid to take, displaying his creativity by employing a wide variety of genres on one album. Those genres range from Doo- Wop, Americana, Prog-rock, Blues Rock, and Reggae to a Jazz Standard. It’s courageous – but It works.
“There’s very little Piket won’t try, and the remarkable thing is that he consistently makes you a believer.” Clay Burton – Independent Music & Arts.
We asked Piket what he looks for when he listens to other songwriters and bands. Without hesitation, he replied: “One thing that often disappoints me when listening to new music by a favorite band or songwriter is when everything starts to sound the same. Maybe there is something to be said for repeating a successful formula, but it seems to me that by definition, CREATING music (or any art form) demands, more than anything, that you are not redundant”
We further inquired of Joe, what is your songwriting process? “I get lyric and story ideas from reading, from lectures, and from people and situations I encounter. Musically, I usually begin with a riff or a chord progression. I have what I call my “wall of ideas” where I have a lot of snippets of paper pasted and tacked on there.
Sometimes I take two or three of these and see how they might work together. Or sometimes an idea comes to me while I’m sleeping. An example of that is WHEN THESE GATES COME CRASHING DOWN, from the TEMPEST CD. I woke up and had it 98% written. So, my wife has learned not to be shocked when I jump out of bed at 3 AM and start writing things down. I also make it a point to avoid cliches, and to avoid saying the same thing twice.”
“It’s rare to hear musical artists capable of covering a wide variety of sounds. Most discover a path they can walk early on and soon trod it into dust, but Joe Piket keeps his options open.” – Mindy McCall, Indie Music Pulse
As for advice to up-and-coming artists, Joe states, “Learn theory, learn to read music, study composition. There are a lot of great players who have no idea how to be creative. Trying to be a songwriter without a musical education is like painting in the dark using only three colors”.
Everything is Different is available for streaming and download at Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon, and you can view all of Joe’s videos on YouTube. For more information on this fantastic artist, visit his website at www.joepiket.com. Better yet, google “Joe Piket”. Everything is Different – Fredsson Records.