JOE BAIZA 
is a self-taught guitarist who started playing in the 70’s, during
the Punk era 
grew up in Wilmington, in the harbor area of Los Angeles 
has been eating sound for breakfast since 1970
was fascinated by the beat movement even before he learned to play the
guitar 
reads news commentary of ‘geographically diverse, politically-savvy,
pro-democracy’ content on the BuzzFlash web
is, according to most reviews, an awesome guitar player
once said in an interview that playing music with no rules precludes
developing a career game plan
one of his favourite films is the naturalistic film noir crime classic
‘The Asphalt Jungle’ by John Huston
and another film classic he likes is ‘A Clockwork Orange’
by Stanley Kubrick
has a house full of images, books, LP’s and CD’s
sometimes finds nice gadgets at the Veenvop shop
started out punk as a guitarist with Saccharine Trust
his grandparents came from Mexico and settled in California
discovered another reading of US history, in ‘The People's History
of the United States’, than what he learned at school
was, like his father, supposed to go and work at an oil refinery in El
Segundo but started taking art classes as well
like his colleague Nels Cline, is happy when he listens to music because
that’s when he learns something
made flyers and covers for Saccharine Trust
loves the underground Zap comics of the ‘60’s
is always taking photographs when he’s on tour
co-founded Saccharine Trust with Jack Brewer in 1980 and played with
them for six years
became known, with Saccharine Trust, for his rock/avant-garde jazz sound
was
turned on to jazz by Charlie Parker
especially likes the music Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers did in
1960
and
also played for bands like Universal Congress, The Minutemen and Mike
Watt
founded
The Mecolodiacs with whom he made a record at Hazelwood studios in Germany
was
helped out by the L.A. music community who organized a benefit concert
for him
after he was attacked by a group of people in Berlin and broke his hand
got
back with Jack Brewer in 1996 to re-form the band
recorded in a new album with Saccharine Trust 1999 at Hazelwood in Germany
likes
Serge Jacques’ photographs for the French pin-up magazine ‘Paris-Hollywood’
always
inspects the bookshelves in other peoples houses and as soon as he can,
leaves the conversation to others, takes out a book and sits down to
have a quiet read
likes Free Jazz, people like Eric Dolphy and Ornette Coleman, and late
Sixties rock
is interested in the music on the Darkfunk web
his
passions are, as far as I know, music and Annemiek
has listed Dostoevsky’s ‘The Idiot!’ as one of his
favourite books likes
to keep his private life private
Appears on Piero Scaruffi’s list, between Gary Lucas and Keith
Richards, as the 11th greatest rock guitarist of all times
Saccharine Trust was described in an L.A weekly in 1985 as possibly the
most daringly "outside" on the SST record label, which produced
groups such as the The Black Flag, The Minutemen, Husker Du, and The
Meat
Puppets
recorded music with Saccharine Trust, according to some reviews, of unequalled
terror, beauty and expression
likes to drink vodka and orange
recently played with Money Mark in a fundraising concert for Arts in
Action, and thinks his new album ‘Change is Coming’ is great
drives an old beetle named Osco
played on ‘Our Band Could Be Your Life: A Tribute to D. Boon and
the Minutemen’ which was released as a limited edition CD in 1994
played
guitar and vocals on the Universal Congress Of CD, ‘Salty Black
Wind’
was born in January 1952
his face can evoke something enigmatic, like big old Indian carvings
of faces likes
the Kurosawa film ‘Yojimbo’ and resembles the actor Toshiro
Mifune, who plays the main character
has been one of Mike Watt’s oldest friends, since the early days
of Punk
toured with Mike Watt as a guitarist in his Punk opera "Contemplating
the Engine Room"
likes the ‘Freelancing’ and ‘Black Rock’ albums
by James Ulmer
works at Cooke’s Crating when not touring with one of his bands
has
a compact muscular body March 4, 2003
feels like a fish in water, or better, like a lizard in the sand, when
he’s in the desert, with its dazzling sunlight, dryness and different
coloured rock formations
likes the Sixties Bossa Nova sound on the CD ‘Rain Forest’ by
Walter Wanderley
is listed among the 200 guitarist admired by Nels Cline
his house is slowly filling up with all the things he collects, leaving
less and less space to move around brought
together the creative anarchy of improvised music with the independent
attitude of the punk scene at a time when the two philosophies seemed
mutually exclusive
is
not too organized outside his work and moves at his own speed when it
comes to doing all the practical things one has to do like dealing
with insurance and tax
played
with Saccharine Trust recently at Mr T’s Bowl in L.A., on
the occasion of Mr T’s birthday. October 27, 2003
is working with Saccharine Trust on the domestic version of the album “The
Great One is Dead.”
from time to time will go out with his male friends to Taylor’s Steakhouse,
a gathering they refer to as the ‘weenie roast’
is tending more and more towards classic male clothes that are graphic and colourful
his favourite vodka is Zubrovka
likes spicy food and sometimes talks to his Spanish pepper plants in order to
encourage them to carry fruits
has an uncontrollable urge to collect things
and likes to keep people’s voices and weird messages on his voicemail,
as a result of which one often can’t leave any message at all because the
mailbox is full
formed a jazz quartet ‘Joe Baiza Congress Of’ whose music walks a
thin line between experimental free from and groove carefully balancing between
the improvised and the arranged
his jazz quartet can be seen on a variety of stages from the Knitting Factory
to the little restaurant ‘El Salvador 2000’ on Sunset boulevard
is very critical of America and Americans and doesn’t quite understand
Annemiek’s enthusiasm about life in Los Angeles
October 3, 2004
did a long interview with a music magazine from Australia called ‘Perfect Sound Forever’, which has a list of his favourite music
his album ‘Sparkling Fresh’, which he did with the band Universal Congress Of, is a unique testament to the vitality of alternative jazz rock
sometimes listens to the very strange and detailed conspiracy stories of Dave Emory, which you can find in the archives on the WFMU radio station website
often has a lot of fun with Annemiek, walking their new dog Browse in Griffith Park and watching him running and cutting capers
his albums with Saccharine Trust, Paganicons (1981) and Surviving You (1984) attempted the boldest fusion of hardcore and jazz
has just started to build his own personal website where you’ll soon be able to find information on his shows, music, arts and more
worked on a project called ‘Puttanesca’ alongside Weba Garretson
played at All Tomorrow's Parties UK 2004 festival with Sacharine Trust
also played at the Spitz in London when he was in the UK for the All Tomorrow's Parties UK 2004 festival
recently started to run again, almost ever day, after years of doing very little sports
his new personal website will be designed by Mad Idea
looks up his favourite cool TV theme songs on the ‘Melaman’ website
played with The Sherpas in July at Tax Lounge on Sunset Boulevard
hurt his arm when he tried to hit a toy clown with a shillelagh
has had a fascination with maps and landmarks since his early childhood and very much likes the members.cox website, where one can find photographs of Los Angeles highways
finds interesting photographs of outer space on the net, which almost resemble paintings when you enlarge them
is looking forward to coming to Europe in October 2004 and meeting up with old friends in Berlin, Amsterdam and Brussels
What I know or imagine
From Joe's website
About Joe on the web
Frame of reference