“For some reason, I keep a room until it closes or I choose to move on,” she says. “My first great steady room was in Alpine, NJ at a restaurant called The Shin WA. Some of the celebrities that wandered in its doors include Bill Murray, George Benson, Joe Piscipo, Lorraine Bracco and Mikhail Baryshnikov. The first time George Benson came in and sat at the bar next to me I nearly died. He became a regular customer and was very supportive of my playing and musical style.”

Joanie then moved down the street to another fine restaurant in Englewood Cliffs called Jamie’s where she stayed for a few years and soon after received a call to come out to Morris County to play in what was then a new restaurant called Caffe Navona, where she has been performing for ten years. Just recently she has added into her schedule a beautiful and very happening new restaurant called The Mohawk House in Sparta, NJ. There is no doubt that Joan has established herself as one of the foremost entertainers in the entire northern New Jersey restaurant scene. Her long-standing relationships with such reputable establishments are a testament to her fine work.

In addition to her restaurant performances, Joan has played regularly for private and corporate events as well. Each year, Joan provides music for the New York State Beer Wholesalers Convention in NYC where she has entertained before many big shows including comedians Pat Cooper and Dick Capri. Governor Pataki has even attended several of the conventions! She recently began doing work for CNBC, performing for the party to launch the John MacEnroe Show and also playing holiday parties for the CNBC staff. If this isn't enough variety, Joan performs regularly with duo partner and guitarist Joe Bilotti. They also perform together in larger ensembles for special events. With Joe, Joan is able to perform weddings and parties with ensembles ranging from duet to five pieces or more.

Joan's repertoire is without exception. She extensively covers music ranging from great songwriters such as Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and Irving Berlin to classic and contemporary pop & rock songwriters such as Carol King, Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye, Elton John, K.D. Lang, Sting, Tom Waits, Nora Jones and much more. She can play anything from Broadway show tunes, followed by an off-beat Tom Waits tune, and then to a rocker from Pink Floyd. She can also swing with a great jazz groove and bring you to tears with a beautiful ballad. Joan can accept musical requests for practically an entire evening without being stumped and is a virtual "walking encyclopedia of music"!

Joan became familiar with the standards at a very young age while gigging with her dad - an accomplished bass player and vocalist whose reputation dates back to the fifties. She also developed her classical piano skills and was a scholarship student at Manhattan School of Music where she earned a BM in piano performance. Through all of that training, she also began performing in rock bands by 6th grade and recording her original music upon graduating from college. She has also composed music for dance and contemporary piano, small chamber ensembles and is a published BMI writer. Currently she continues her original music career and performs larger shows with her partner Joe Bilotti.