Welcome to the official site of SITAR JOE. Here you can access free downloads and listen to samples of SitarJoe music find concert, recording as well as booking information AND ............ 

  SitarJoe and the experimental

The sitar is well known throughout the east as a lead instrument in many eastern musical styles especially the Northern Indian Hindistani music tradition. Most people are aware of the sound even if they have not known its name because of its expansive and eclectic, tranquil and exciting sounds.

Sitar Joe, along with  few other sitar players are keeping the sound alive and current, while using tried and true sitar playing techniques combined with experimental applications of technology and sound processing along with skillful and mindful, modern compositions.

Sitar Joe (aka Joe Newnam) has a BA in music performance, as well as a BA in Music Education from Humboldt State in CA, and as a devotee and student of A.A.Khan, sitarjoe studied rigerously at Ali Akbar College, where Ali Akbar Khan himself  taught Sitar Joe directly along with other eastern masters.

Newnam was the lead singer/bassist for the prog rock band NORTH STAR , on Musea Records ,  France , when not departing into his life of sitar playing.

Sitar Joe has performed professionally on Sitar for 20 years, while developing his  brand of experimental sitar music.

SJ has performed on stage in many different combinations including performances with jazz legend, Clarke Terry, Sitar Joe has also performed on stage with Ike Willis/Napolian Murphy Brock (Frank Zappa Band), Keith Secola and the Wild Band of Indians, Vince Welnick (Greatful Dead), recordings withJon Bare ; Chet McCracken (Dobbie Bros.) James LoMenzo ,  years of touring with South eastern US sensation, SiliPudi & Psychedellic Slim Golba,  and shows / multiple live radio and TV broadcasts with many many more  talented musicians like percussionists,Glenn Leonard , Mark Dyken, tabla player Daniel Paul, as well as performing at jazz festivals with a full seventeen piece HSU jazz  band creatively formulated around the sitar.

Sitar Joe's new CD, "Venus Tribe" includes a large array of electric and acoustic instrumentation, exciting dance grooves and  compositions.

 Now Available (Oct 2010) on CdBaby, Itunes, Amazon.com, CdNow and over a dozen other distributors worldwide.