Joe Mock

Joe Mock started playing folk music in the 60's while in college. With a handful of chords, a sense of rhythm, an inherited love of music and some fine friends, a trio was formed to sing the popular folk songs of the day. Following this came The Dusty Rhodes Trio with Dennis Rhodes and Bill Gilchrist, that was formed while at Gonzaga U in Spokane Washington. With the help of an agent named Dave Sobel, the group soon had valid reason to escape dorm curfew. In the summer of that year they managed to perform at the Hungry I in San Francisco thanks to the misfortune of the featured artist, Dick Gregory who landed in jail due to conscientious objections to the Vietnam war. Vancouver's 'Bunkhouse' was the next venue to seed the future. He was in a duo with Steven Barrett and later as a solo, in a "Folk Competition" - he won an electric Gibson Guitar. Memories of the Bunkhouse in Vancouver include meeting Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, Josh White, Jose Feliciano, Brent Titcomb, David Wiffen, Gary Fjelgard and where Pat Paulson hung himself upside down from the marquee and painted the street with his beard but still did not get elected President of the US . . they were all hanging out. . .and big John York would sing Darcy Farrow as natural as a David Wilkie can say crik for creek. . .)

The combination of folk and rock at that time eventually led to a group called Joe Mock and No Commercial Potential with Stephen Barrett, Spence Sutton and Tom Hazlitt. which evolved into the Mock Duck (trio, Glen Hendrickson and Lee Stephens) (quartet, Glen Hendrickson, Ross Barrett, Rick Enns) which recorded and played what is now called Acid Jazz and other things and on other things that are not normally described as musical instruments. They played the same venues as the Doors, The Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe and the Fish. Places such as the Retinal Circus, The Afterthought (see poster), The Garden Auditorium, Big Mother, the Eagle Auditorium in Seattle. They were opening act for the Steve Miller Band, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Lee Michaels, Corky Seagal Blues Band. Following the decline of the psychedelic era a solo album was recorded but never released. (soon to be available here on line). The Canadian West Coast music scene was then experiencing a surge of new energy from conscientious objectors leaving the United States. Rick Scott, Shari Ulrich, Doc Fingers, Alta Grey, Bruce Miller, Tom and Jack Lavin, Rick Brockner and Jack Smith were all having an effect on the local musical community. Joe Mock and Friends on one week, would be Bruce Miller and Friends the next, and Jack Smith and Friends the next.

From the early 70's to 1980 - Joe played with Rick Scott and Shari Ulrich in the group known as the Pied Pumkin . This independent folk ensemble became a major staple of the Canadian folk scene with its rich harmonies, mighty grooves and memorable stories. When Shari left the group, Rick and Joe continued as Pied Pear. Following this, Joe hosted a weekly open stage in the Classical Joint which was became a breeding ground for other diverse personages and talents. When the World EXPO came to the city of Vancouver in 1986 he performed as music mis-director and glockenspiel player in the Extraordinary Clown Band, played synth in the Tiger Band (Snake in the Grass Theatre - KoKo, Garbanzo, Ross & Astrid) and bass with Tom See for BCTV and guitar with Andy Koyama in the Japanese Pavilion . With those earnings he departed for Japan and spent the next 9 years as a regular performer in Roppongi's Maggie's Revenge in Roppongi, Tokyo and working in the occasional studio with Casey Rankin. He can be presently found performing solo or with friends in Western Europe or touring Canada with the Pied Pumkin.

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