Joe Kennedy came up in the blues jams of Milwaukee and Chicago, earned a graduate degree in musical performance, and moved to New Orleans in 2009, working his way into the city's piano tradition. From 2013 to 2022 he was the pianist for the Dukes of Dixieland, and he has shared stages with Irma Thomas, the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, Gerald French, Wendell Brunious, Leroy Jones, Delfeayo Marsalis, Herlin Riley, Shannon Powell, Charlie Gabriel, Meschiya Lake, James Singleton, Al 'Carnival Time' Johnson and more.
WWOZ calls Kennedy 'a staple on the New Orleans trad jazz and burlesque scene,' holding down regular gigs as a sideman, solo pianist and bandleader — including residencies at Mahogany Jazz Hall, the Carousel Lounge and the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. He writes songs for the city's burlesque scene, performing with the Trixie Minx shows, and runs the 'Spread the Jam' educational series and workshops — aligned with national music-education standards — that celebrate the art of the jam session.
His self-released 2024 album Amalgamation gathers 11 live recordings with his working band, from New Orleans standards like 'Working in the Coal Mine' and 'Fidgety Feet' to jazz staples like 'What a Wonderful World' and 'They Can't Take That Away from Me.'
