Joe Taino at Rodeo Bar and Grill

Joe Taino became interested in playing music after watching the Beatles’ movie A Hard Day’s Night when he was nine years old in his native Puerto Rico. Little Jose got his first guitar when he was 11 years old and began playing the rock and blues he heard on English-language radio stations. He later began performing his first live shows at the USO naval station and the rock clubs in San Juan.  Jose adopted the name “Taino” due to his Native American appearance and background. He currently resides and performs in the New York area.

Backed simply by a strong bass and drums rhythm section at Rodeo Bar and Grill tonight, the trio played blues and boogie. Some songs were instrumentals, some were sung, but at the end of the set all I remembered was Taino’s precise and dizzying guitar playing. Taino’s fingers were all over the frets of his guitar. He played rough; he played sweet; he just played and played like Stevie Ray Vaughan or Johnny Winter. Newer guitarists need to sit at Taino’s feet to watch and learn. Taino plays solo at Bamboleo in Greenwich Village every Monday and Wednesday evening and occasional band gigs in New Jersey.