Joey Navarro
Born and raised in the onion fields of Tolleson, Arizona, just west of Phoenix, keyboardist, producer, and composer Joey Navarro developed a musical voice deeply rooted in R&B, jazz, fusion, Latin pop, and his Mexican-American heritage. A third-generation Mexican-American musician, Navarro emerged during the rise of contemporary jazz after signing with Island Records-Antilles New Direction in the 1980s. His debut album, On The Rocks, blended funk, fusion, and soulful grooves that helped define the era’s evolving sound. Over the decades, Joey has built an impressive career as a keyboardist, musical director, producer, and songwriter, performing and recording with artists including Jeffrey Osborne, Pete Escovedo, Sister Sledge, Tom Scott, Abraham Laboriel Sr., Vinnie Colaiuta, and En Vogue’s Dawn Robinson. He also co-wrote much of Ersi Arvizu’s acclaimed autobiographical album Friend for Life, produced by Ry Cooder. In 2022, Joey’s lifelong musical contributions were honored with an official proclamation from the State of Arizona recognizing his outstanding achievements in music and culture.