Pie has been performing, recording, producing, staging and promoting music for over 40 years with local, national and international artists. In 1969 he started working crew and production in Cleveland, Ohio for Belkin Productions. He worked numerous Rock Festivals in the early 70’s. The 1970 Atlanta International Pop Festival and 1972 Mar Y Sol in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico to name a few. My experience working on stage in front of up to 200,000 – 300,000 people in attendance was an epiphany. The energy projected at the stage was overwhelming and I knew I had to perform.

In 1974 James moved to Amsterdam for a year performing a duet with guitarist James Alred as The Visionary Indian Angel. “We performed at numerous venues including the Milkyweg and Paradisio.” We also operated and performed in are own coffee house until we were displaced by a fire in 1975.

Pie returned to the States in 1975 moving back to Madison, WI where he met Tony Brown and united as The Tony Brown Band performing and recording reggae and cajun blues as a quartet throughout the Midwest. In 1976 he joined with Michael Stone to found The Roots Band, an original band playing a variety of styles including Blues, Reggae, Calypso, Latin Jazz and Funk. This entity performed throughout the Midwest until 1979 culminating with the band going to Ocho Rios, Jamaica for 2 months to perform.

“In 1980 I returned to Kingston, Jamaica with Michael Stone, as Stone Foundation, to record. Our concept was a multicultural exchange with some of the best reggae musicians in the industry, including such reggae luminaries as Ernest “Daddy” Ranglin, Pablo Black, Earl “Bagga” Walker, Uziah “Sticky” Thompson, LeRoy “Horsemouth” Wallace and Earl “Chinna” Smith. All were members of the legendary Studio One Band. Between 1980 & 1995 we recorded numerous projects at Harry J, Dynamic, Coxsun and Tuff Gong Studio’s.”

In 1980 Pie moved to Aspen, CO, performing with numerous musical entities for the next 11 years. “During this time I was fortunate to open for, and perform with many musical legends including Joe Walsh, Steve Winwood, Kenny Loggins and many others sitting in with our 7 piece band KT and the SailKatz. I also performed with legendary jazz pianist Dave Schappert (Miles Davis) in a jazz quartet as well as every musician in the Roaring Fork Valley at one time or another including Starwood and Bobby Mason.”

In the 90’s I moved back to Madison full time and continued to perform and record with Michael Stone, The O’Bros, Tony Brown, The Gibraltar Rockets and many other great musicians.

In 2000 Pie joined The Know It All Boyfriends with Freedy Johnston, Jay Moran, Butch Vig and Duke Erickson who I have known and worked with since 1975.

“Besides Steel Dane I also perform and record with The Gibraltar Rockets, The O’bros, Tony Brown and the Landing Crew, The Know It All Boyfriends, The Mad Cabaret and The Gomers.

Over the years, Joe has played with acts as diverse as Streetlife, the house band for the Milwaukee bucks, The Phil Delta country band, the Milwaukee jazz fusion group Millennium, the pop rock group The Bystanders. He has also performed with national artists such as Michelle Williams (of Destiny’s Child) and Grammy winning songwriter Tim Nichols.

When not performing, Joe writes and produces music for advertising.

featuring keyboardist Paul Hastil, bassist John Christensen, saxophonist Eric Koppa and drummer Michael Brenneis. The Quintet has performed at top regional venues and events including Madison’s Jazz at 5, Milwaukee’s Third Ward Jazz Festival, Isthmus Jazz Festival, as well as at Monona Terrace, the Brink Lounge, Jazz in the Park, Memorial Union, Opus Lounge, and a host of other venues—anywhere jazz is heard and played.

Alison also gets behind the Hammond organ in her soul group, Little Margie’s Soul Band.

The Marc Golde Band, and Blues Artist Bruce “Groove King” Koenig, among others.

In 1990, Dennis won the Best Young Guitarist (ages 17-21) award for Henri’s Music Company by showing his mastery of several different guitar styles.

In 2002, Dennis moved to Chicago to work for world renowned amplifier manufacturer Hughes & Kettner. While there, he also joined the Steely Dan tribute band Reely Dan. He performed “The Night Belongs to Mona” and “What I Do” from Donald Fagen’s “Morph the Cat” album onstage with Harmonica virtuoso Howard Levy (Bela Fleck) who played harmonica on both cuts for Fagen. Dennis moved to Nashville in 2005 where he played with Bobby Keys (Rolling Stones), Phil Kenzie (Al Stewart), Michael Fair, The Scat Springs Band featuring Joseph Wooten and a host of some of Nashville’s top musicians. From 2008 to 2010, Dennis toured the Southeast with Eclipse: Recreating the Music of Pink Floyd, painstakingly recreating the brilliant tones and phrasing of guitarist David Gilmour.

Dennis now lives in Appleton, WI and we’re glad to have him bring his considerable skills to Steely Dane!