Biography

Jose L Ortiz Sr is a songwriter/musician/composer born in Bronx, NY. Jose is a musically gifted musician, who started playing the drums in a church at the age of 12. By the time he was 15, he had taken lessons for playing the Saxophone and self taught on the guitar. Jose has been in the music business for 48 years and has created quite a resume as a drummer. Jose has appeared on over twenty albums, eighteen singles and three platinum hits. Jose also has two songs submitted to American Idol entitled, "Win or Die Trying" and "My Neck Of The Woods".

In 1972, he started with an original jazzy, rhythm and blues, rock and roll band called, “I Don’t Care” from Cleveland, Ohio. 13 record companies turned them down until Buddah Records decided to accept them. During that time with the I Don’t Care band, they produced one album.

In 1976, he left the I Don’t Care band, with some of its band members and created the original band called, “GRAF”. They also produced one album with Precision Records, under Epic Label, who was an extension of CBS Records. Today, he has released his compilation of those two original bands, calling it, “Joe Business and the Bad Mo’ Stanky’s”, The Best of Wendlo. Combining the Old with the new, you get this great progressive rock album that was far ahead of its time. Check it out here:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/jbatbms2.

In 1978, Jose played drums for Roy Ayers, on the album, “You send me”. The album went to number 4 on the Jazz Pop Charts, number 16 on the Black Pop Charts, and to number 48 on the Pop Charts. Which can be viewed here:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3zfqxqegldfe~T2.

One night during the Jazz Festival in Los Angeles, CA at the Roxie Club, Stevie Wonder joined Roy Ayers and his band and asked Jose if he could play the drums, Jose was honored.

In 1979, Jose was invited by Dennis Wadlington to play drums for the band, “Fever” in California. There, they recorded two albums under Fantasy Records. Some hit songs include, Beat of the Night and Pump it up.

http://www.discogs.com/Fever-Untitled/release/1157636.

In 1980, there was an oddball comical DJ, from Elyria, Ohio by the name of Victor “Uncle Vic” Blecman. He was a Sunday night staple for Northeast Ohio radio listeners on WGCL 98.5 FM. Uncle Vic also wrote songs and collaborated with Jose to come up with the song called “Space Invaders”. During that year, this song went to number one on the Nationally Syndicated show, Dr Demento and to number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June of 1980. Dr Demento placed this song on one of his albums in 1982, called “Dementos Mementos”.

http://www.themadmusicarchive.com/album_details.aspx?AlbumID=6916.

In 1982 and 1983, he played drums on Carol Hensel’s, Exercise and Dance program Volume 2 which peaked on the Pop album charts at number 70 and Volume 3 which peaked at number 104. He went on to do another exercise album called, “The Exercise Record for Pregnant Women”.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=CAROL|HENSEL&sql=11:dpfrxqw0ld0e~T5

Also in 1982, Jose did two exercise albums with the Ice Skater, and Silver Medal winner, Linda Fratianne. The album, “Dance and Exercise with the hits” peaked at 174 on the Pop album charts. The second album was “Tune up with the hits”.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=LINDA|FRATIANNE&sql=11:hpfuxqw5ldse~T5

Since then, Jose has performed with many cover bands, locally in Cleveland, Ohio such as Sketches, Cliché and Mass-Conn Fusion from Connecticut. He's opened for Stevie Wonder, K.C and The Sunshine Band, Buddy Miles, King Crimson, Frank Zappa and Billy Cobharn.

He has performed with bands such as Roy Ayers, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr of the 5th Dimension, the Legendary Blues Saxophonist, Frank Morgan, and The J.G.B Band (Jerry Garcia Band).

He has many influences including, Chick Korea, Chicago, Santana, George Duke, Steely Dan, and The Isley Brother’s to name a few.

Jose is currently with Xer0 Gravity, http://www.xer0gravity.com/home.html, a 3 piece original band in Maui. Their album, Xer0 Gravity, The Best of, was released last year in 2008. This album introduces Jose’s imagination as a percussionist by implementing the futuristic, Hand Sonic HPD-15 by Roland. All the percussions on this album were produced using the Hand Sonic HPD-15. Demonstration of this product can be viewed here at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oN39G2_hFw.

Jose currently lives in the beautiful Hawaiian paradise, the Island of Maui where he is making music waves. There, he is able to compose his own original songs while taking in the most beautiful scenery nature has to offer.

http://www.tunecore.com/music/joebusiness
http://www.hitquarters.com/index.php3?page=a/artists.php&id=13951
http://www.myspace.com/joebusinessandthebadmostankys
http://www.youtube.com/pakajo4950