Joe Crookston

A force of nature on stage. Pure magic.

From touring with Gordon Lightfoot, headlining major US festivals, receiving Folk Alliance International “Album of the Year,” releasing Nine Becomes One (2023-2025), to being named Folk Alliance International Artist-in-Residence, Joe Crookston is on fire. He’s played with Suzanne Vega, Dar Williams, David Francey, John McCutcheon, John Gorka, Judy Collins, and many more. His songs are being made into award-winning films, such as .

Joe awakens the cynics; his rhythm is infectious, and he’ll surprise you. In concert, he is funny as hell one moment and transcendent the next.

• Eight acclaimed studio albums of award-winning songs, many of which have been covered by other musicians.
• Two songs, “Blue Tattoo” and “Brooklyn in July,” have been made into feature films available on Amazon Prime.
• Able Baker Charlie & Dog was awarded “Album of the Year” by Folk Alliance International (2009), indicating that it received more radio airplay than any other folk album released the year prior.
• Chosen as Folk Alliance International’s Artist in Residence (2016) and invited to collaborate and perform “The Letters of Florence Hemphill” as part of the keynote gathering featuring Judy Collins.
• Invited to play international music festivals such as the Goderich Roots Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival, 30A Songwriters Festival, Mariposa Folk Festival, Caramoor Music Fest, Fayetteville Roots Festival, and Heartwood Stage Festival
• Performs in iconic music venues such as Club Passim, The Hangar Theatre, The Irvington Town Hall Theatre, The Garland Theatre, The Guthrie Center, Heartwood SoundStage, The Chatfield Arts Center, Godfrey Daniels, Evanston SPACE, The Columbus Performing Arts Center, and The Deane Center for the Performing Arts.
• Has toured with and shared stages with Gordon Lightfoot, Judy Collins, Dar Williams, Mary Gauthier, Shawn Colvin, The Decemberists, and John Gorka.
• Songwriting and guitar teacher at The Swannanoa Gathering, Ashokan Center, Winter Village Music Camp, Goderich Celtic College, Appel Farm Arts, and Music Center Wildflower Music Festival.
• An artist with paintings installed in many galleries, most notably The True North Gallery, alongside paintings by other musicians, including Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Miles Davis, Leonard Cohen, and Janis Joplin.

Come to a show — it’s visual, artful, and surprising. Brooklyn in July, Oklahoma towns, rattlesnake tails, turbary thieves, meter maids, and drunk roosters… At the end of the night, you’ll leave inspired. “The Long Note” is a phrase in Irish culture--that place of resonance and transcendence where the music, the voices, the instruments, and the community all come together and unite.

Joe is reaching for “The Long Note.” Whether he’s weaving through lap slide songs or fiddling an American Southern tune, he’ll draw you in. It happens every time. You can watch YouTube, but it’s not the same. You gotta come to a show. With unwavering courage to be himself, he is literate, poignant, and funny as hell.

Joe lives in Ithaca, NY, and tours regularly in the US, Ireland, and Canada.

"Relentlessly optimistic about the human condition, he reflects his personal sunshine onto his audience, singing deeply introspective and personal lyrics with a folksy twang and heartfelt presentation." --Ithaca Times

“I hate folk music, but I absolutely LOVE Joe Crookston’s music!”

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