JOANNA RAMIREZ

News - updated 1/15/12:

- Twilight Trio opens for "Steady Rollin" Bob Margolin at Antones, this Tuesday 1/17.

- Check out the updated Music page

In Memoriam Joe Ramirez, Jr

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Bio

JOANNA RAMIREZ

Joanna was born on March 26th, 1966 in Dallas, Texas. As a young girl, her first passion was dance, and singing along with records and memorizing lyrics was just a fun hobby. The musical influences surrounded her from birth, as her father, Joe Ramirez, was a prominent rhythm and blues bandleader, guitarist and club owner. The band "the Jumping Jacks" also included her father's brothers, Chick and Charles, and at one time her mother Dolores's brothers, Frankie and Smiley Ortiz. Another powerful influence came from the previous generation, as Joanna's maternal grandfather, Abundio Ortiz was a mariachi singer and guitar player. He made a lasting impression on her when she saw him perform as a young girl in New Orleans, singing directly to her in a big, booming voice, which did not require a microphone. At that moment, she unwittingly learned of the power of the human voice and its ability to move people.As the youngest of four children, Joanna was not only influenced her parents love of music, but also of her older siblings. The records played in the Ramirez household ranged from Otis Redding, B.B. King and Ray Charles to Joe Cocker, Stevie Wonder, the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. Growing up in the 70s, Joanna was also influenced by television shows such as "The Midnight Special" and "Soul Train", which fueled her love of dance and soul music. Then in the 1980s, the discovery of Stevie Ray Vaughan crystallized her understanding of the blues music her father enjoyed a successful performing career with in the 1960s. The 80's blues revival was the catalyst for Joanna to take the singing she'd always loved a little more seriously.Joanna's first band was the Denison-based Soul Providers, formed in 1993. The band's only recording "Simpatico" was a mix of blues, rock and soul. After 3 years of performing in the North Texas area, the band members parted ways. After a brief period of attempting to form a new band in Dallas, Joanna made the auspicious decision to move to Austin, Texas in 1998. Soon after relocating, she made her way into the music scene and began performing with a local blues/soul band. Through that band, Joanna met guitarist J.P. Lilliston, then keyboard/saxophone player Jack Paine. The three of them moved on to form the band then called "Shake 'Em On Down", a true traditional rhythm and blues band, very similar to her father's band "The Jumping Jacks". Bassist Jeff Hayes and drummer Scott French completed the strong lineup and the band gained a loyal following. With Joanna as the lead figure, the band's cd release"Satisfy Me" comprised mostly of original songs, was released in 2001 and was well received by fans and critics. After years of off-and-on learning to play acoustic guitar, Joanna turned her focus on the instrument in 2003 and the following year, began performing acoustic gigs with longtime Austin guitarist Will Indian. The styles included more genres of roots music, and soon more original songs came from this new vehicle of performing. In 2005, a collaboration with another Austin legend began. Joanna met bassist Larry Lange in 2002 when he performed briefly in her band that year. Larry's vision of a band performing the music he grew up listening to in Victoria Texas took shape a few years later when he formed "the Lonely Knights". The Cajun/Lafayette and Mexican/San Antonio influenced rhythm and blues sound of Highway 90 the band performs, is also known as "swamp pop" and "chicano soul".Joanna's casual sitting in with Larry's new band, eventually turned into the opportunity of singing background vocals, duets and featured vocal duties. With the duet "Falta Tu Amor", recorded on Larry Lange and His Lonely Knights' first cd "Crazy Crazy Baby", Joanna was brought back to the musical roots of her Mexican heritage, the legacy of her grandfather and her uncle Abundio Ortiz, Jr., who still performs today. She appeared on the second Lonely Knights cd "Live At Evangeline Café", and is featured prominently on the latest Larry Lange cd "San Antonio Serenade", released in January of 2010."I see myself as a vehicle for the music. I was given a gift, but I don't own it. I'm just sharing it with others, trying to touch them through music. If I move someone, I feel I've done my job." - Joanna Ramirez