Jeremy Wakefield

Joe Maize was born Joseph A. Mazzola on June 9, 1922 in New Jersey and died December 1988 in Reno, NV. Maize was a versatile console steel guitar player, ala Alvino Rey, and like Rey, he unashamedly used his instrument for melody, percussion, and sound effects. His group was called Joe Maize and his Cordsmen, and was once described as a “cross between the Three Suns and the Three Stooges.” The group performed in nightclubs ranging from the Boulevard in New York City to the Mocambo in Hollywood, with an occasional gig at one of the hotels on Waikiki, but most of the time based in Las Vegas and Reno. The spirit of their act was not unlike that of the better-known Mary Kaye Trio, which played some of the same venues, such as the Painted Room of the Desert Inn, moving back and forth between instrumentals, vocals, and comic skits. Presenting Joe Maize and his Cordsmen is a classic Space Age Pop album, complete with the obligatory standards such as “Misirlou” and “The Third Man Theme”, lots of string wizardry by Joe, and nice jazzy accordion work.