Between the Lines by Joe Caploe

Feeling the need to study World Music he left the Bay Area to attend California Institute of the Arts where he received a Masters of Fine Arts in ‘85. At Cal Arts Caploe studied with John Bergamo, Ed Mann, Charlie Haden, Neoman Wenten, Taranath Rao, Francis Awe and the Ladzekpo Brothers. Upon returning to the Bay Area Caploe lead various groups including Red Alert, Cielo with Louie Romero, New World Percussion, the Classic Jazz Quartet and Neck N Neck the band he recorded “Hearsay” with, his first release on his own Nextagem CD label. He also found time to work and record with Todd Phillips, Tom Taylor, Babatunde Olatunji and African Rain, Darbi Slick, Joe Weed, Smith Dobson, the San Jose Civic Light Opera, the San Jose Symphony, Swapan Chauduri and the Ali Akbar Percussion Ensemble, the Ian Dogole Unit, Martan Mann, Music Theatre Group of New York and Claudio Amaral among many others.

In 1994 Caploe relocated with his family to Nashville, TN and became active in the music scene there. He co-produced “Tenerife Blue”, a huge success in Europe on Nextagem featuring Jeff Coffin from Bela Fleck and the Fleck Tones on saxes and flutes. While in Nashville Caploe also worked with Chester Thompson, Davido, Al Delory, the Nashville Repertory Theater, the General Jackson Band, the Jack Daniel's Band, the John Birdsong Group, Troy & Genie Nilson, Som Brasilero and Rare Earth.

In 1997 Caploe moved to Platteville, WI to accept the position of Director of Percussion and Jazz Studies at the University of Wisconsin - Platteville. As Director of Percussion and Jazz Studies Caploe directs the UWP Jazz I Big Band, a jazz combo, percussion ensemble, the percussion studio, and music production. His major festival appearances include the Monterey Jazz Festival, the San Jose Jazz Festival, the Concord Jazz Festival, Watts Day of the Drum Festival, the San Francisco Drum Festival, the America Festival, Tapestry in Talent, the Israel Festival in Jerusalem and the Festival De Theatre Des Ameriques in Montreal, Canada.

As past President of the Wisconsin Percussive Arts Society, Caploe hosted the WI PAS Days of Percussion in January 2003 with guests Dr. Frederick Fennell, Hands On ‘Semble, Dave Mancini, Jim Sewrey & Scape, the WI PAS Select High Symphonic Percussion Ensemble, Anthony Di Sanza, Payton McDonald and the UW-Platteville Panjammers Steel Drum Band. Caploe currently serves as the Principal Percussionist for the nearby Dubuque Symphony Orchestra and is demand in the tri-state area as a educator and performer.

Caploe is founder of Nextagem, an independent CD label with 5 releases featuring Caploe’s solo Cds, “Hearsay” , the just released “Between the Lines” featuring Grammy Award winning sax player Jeff Coffin and “Tenerife Blue”, other releases on Nextagem are “New Music for Guitar” by Jaime Guiscafre featuring Roscoe Mitchell and “Bosom Pool” by keyboardist Dave Christensen.

Average Customer Review: