Biography of Joe Archer

Joe was born in London in 1981, and moved to Gosport on the south coast at age 7. He first picked up a guitar when he was 10 and began to learn classical guitar. Soon after he developed an interest in Hendrix, Clapton and Robben Ford and played in rock and funk bands. Having studied classical guitar to Performance Diploma level, Joe went on to do the prestigious BMus Jazz(Hons) degree at the Birmingham Conservatoire. He has studied under the Jazz guitar Maestro's Dave Cliff and Mike Walker. It was in the last year at the Consevatoire that the "Joe Archer Quartet" was formed and where the interest in composing for bands developed to its fullest. Joe is now an active performer and prolific composer playing in many groups, and teaching all afore mentioned styles of guitar to a high level. His music draws on influences from Pat Metheney to Jeff buckley and Stevie Wonder. The music he writes for the quartet is progressive and uninhibited, whilst retaining a sensitivity to Jazz idioms of the past.