Joel Henry Stein

Whether performing solo, as a duo, trio, or with a full band, Joel Henry Stein is a consummate folk musician and entertainer who immediately captures a crowd's attention and gets them singing, clapping, and stomping their feet.

Joel sings and plays guitar, harmonica, and piano. He is often accompanied by fiddle, mandolin, and upright bass. Not only does he bring an authentic Americana sound to his performances - solo, or accompanied by his bandmates - he also brings a genuine Americana LOOK.

In addition to singing popular American, English and Irish folk songs, Joel can also sing in Spanish and in Hebrew.

He is just as comfortable performing children's and family concerts as he is for adult audiences.

Joel Henry Stein has released five original folk-rock albums featuring musicians from the bands of John Mayer, Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, Duncan Sheik, Beth Orton, Rickie Lee Jones, Kris Kristofferson, and Edie Brickell, and his songs have received radio play nationwide. He has been nominated “Songwriter of the Year” in the Houston Press, been voted “Best Houston Songwriter” by Ticketmaster/(link hidden), been featured in Time magazine, received seven ASCAP awards for his songwriting, and been showcased by the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York. His songs have also appeared in TV shows such as “Future Car” and “Sun Devil Rewind.”

In addition to his own singer-songwriter material, Joel plays a unique blend of traditional Americana, bluegrass, African American spirituals, Appalachian gospel, classic country, and Hebrew psalms, prayers, and folk songs. Raised on recordings by folk legends such as Pete Seeger, the Kingston Trio, and Harry Belafonte, Joel’s repertoire of traditional folk songs spans hundreds of tunes from the U.S., Ireland, England, South America, the Caribbean, and Africa. His ability to engage both adults and children through song is a rare talent. Joel’s natural gift for song-leading resulted in a residency at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, where he led family sing-along concerts three times a day for two years.

Joel has performed at dozens of venues in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, and elsewhere around the country, as well as at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas, Topanga Earth Day Festival in Los Angeles, Big Horn Music Festival in Southern California, and the Strawberry Folk and Wine Festival in Napa.

Joel can provide a powerful PA with multiple microphones if needed.

Solo show (vocals, guitar, harmonica only) requires 1 vocal mic, 2 XLR inputs, one 1/4" input.

Solo show (vocals, guitar, harmonica, keyboard): 2 vocal mics, 3 XLR inputs, two 1/4" inputs.

More mics and inputs needed when Joel plays with other musicians.