“The first time I encountered Joe Taino was at his Saturday afternoon blues jam at the Scotland Yard bar in Hoboken, NJ in the early 2000's. I had just moved back to New Jersey and this was the first blues jam I ever attended. Joe would play his black Stratocaster, backed by his house band's bassist and drummer, and just blow me away. I honestly didn't want to get up and play after Joe did his thing. It was obvious he could play anything, from Hendrix on that Strat to Country on his Gretsch.

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But I did get up after Joe played and continued to attended the jam until it closed several years ago. I'm so glad Joe's running the jam again, same place only new name, The Winston, and same time on Saturdays. I have since met literally hundreds of musicians in the New Jersey blues scene and Joe still stands above all guitarists as one of the very best, and one of the best anywhere."

 

Andy Lackow, May 31, 2019