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Josh Duffee

At 30 years old, Josh Duffee is regarded as one of the best 1920’s style percussionists in the world today. He has performed at numerous jazz festivals and concerts all around the world, including Australia in 2001 and 2003, and England in 2008 and 2010.

Josh is also one of the most versatile and high-in-demand professional percussionists in the music business today. His skills are used for every style of music, but his passion lies with the great jazz music of the early days. His drumming influences include musicians like Chauncey Morehouse, Vic Berton, Stan King, Zutty Singleton, Baby Dodds, Ben Pollack, Chick Webb, Gene Krupa, Louie Bellson, Sonny Greer, Neil Macbeth, Len Barnard, and many others.

He is the leader of Josh Duffee & His Orchestra, a 13-piece 1920’s dance orchestra that emulates the sound and style of the great Jean Goldkette Orchestra from the 20’s. The band also performs music from the libraries of the McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, Fletcher Henderson, Frank Trumbauer, Boyd Senter, and of course, Bix Beiderbecke.

Along with performing, Josh is also an accomplished jazz historian. He has given lectures and presentations in high schools and colleges on Jean Goldkette and Chauncey Morehouse. He will be one of the presenters at the Rutger’s University Round-Table Seminars in 2011, where the Jazz Institute of Studies calls home in New Jersey.

Josh has been fortunate to have shared the stage with musicians like Randy Sandke, Tom Pletcher, John Allred, Bill Allred, Vince Giordano, Andy Stein, Dan Levinson, Jon-Erik Kellso, and, has performed or toured with The New Wolverine Jazz Orchestra from Sydney, and Spats Langham and His Rhythm Boys from the United Kingdom.

While in Sydney in the early 2000’s, Josh performed with the NWJO, but also sat-in/performed with Michael McQuaid, Paul Furniss, Graham Spedding, and the late Tom Baker. For the past 5 years, Josh has been listening to and transcribing out the original arrangements of the Graeme Bell All-Stars from the 1960’s. He also listens to the music of Roger Bell, Frank Traynor, Abe Monsbourgh, Ken Herron, Bob Barnard and Dave Dallwitz.


Josh resides in Davenport, Iowa (USA) with his lovely wife, Crystal, and their 3 year old son, Chauncey. Their son is named after Neil “Chauncey” Macbeth from Sydney, and also Chauncey Morehouse. Their home is located 2 miles from where Bix Beiderbecke lived and grew up in Davenport.