Manhattan born string bassist, Joe Solomon, has free-lanced in the New York area jazz and classical fields since the mid nineteen sixties. He has appeared with Warne Marsh, Lee Konitz, Howard McGhee, James Moody, Hazel Scott, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Staten Island Symphony, and the Muza String Quartet, among many others.

Because he comes from a family of dedicated teachers, Joe feels privileged to pass on the teachings of his teachers (most notably Lennie Tristano, Julius Levine, and Sal Mosca) to his own students which he has done since 1975. Over the years, his students have included seasoned professional bassists, teen aged beginners, doctors, lawyers, bartenders, bicycle messengers, high school music teachers, and players of all instruments including drummers and singers who wish to study the art of jazz improvising.

In 1979, when the rent on his East Village loft skyrocketed to $290 a month, Joe moved his family to Brooklyn and his teaching practice to its present location in one of the Stanford White designed buildings which give the now trendy Flatiron district its character. In 1982, after completing a performing arts master's degree, he joined the music faculty at Kingsborough College (a CUNY school) where he teaches courses on Jazz History, Rudiments of Theory, and Humanities in the Twentieth Century. "Doing it the Slow Way",an homage to his teachers and an outline of Joe's teaching approach, first published in First Bass International a now defunct magazine for bassists, has since circulated widely via the internet and has been translated into at least six languages including Japanese.

Joe Solomon accompanies pianist Connie Crothers on her Steeplechase recording Perception and can be heard on other recordings of jazz and improvised music most recently the Zinnia recording Notes from the Underground on which he plays both in a duo and quartet setting with trumpeter Bob Arthurs. He performs whenever possible with his wife, the beautiful jazz vocalist, Alexa Fila with whom he has recorded a soon to be released album. Joe has been heard on several television and radio broadcasts, has appeared (however briefly) in a Cannes prize winning film and at jazz festivals both here and in Europe."The Lovebird's Embrace" a piece he evolved over several years and for which he is deeply indebted to the inspiration of both George Gershwin and Charlie Parker was performed at Merkin Hall in New York City in June of 2000.

New York area musicians interested in studying with Joe Solomon should contact him at: 212-741-2839.