Joseph L. Duskin was born in Birmingham, Alabama, February 10, 1921, although his family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he was in fact raised. He began playing piano at seven, playing in church with his father, the Rev Perry Duskin, but was inspired to play boogie woogie by listening to the likes of Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons on the radio. This of course led him to play in the clubs in Cincinnati and over into Newport, Kentucky. While serving in the U.S Army during World War II, he actually met Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis and Pete Johnson, while he himself was playing to entertain the serviceman.
Unfortunately, his music career came to a temporary end after the war ended in quite an unusual way. His father caught him playing boogie-woogie in the church (which at that time would have been frowned upon to say the least) and so he agreed to not play it again while his father lived, which turned out to be a worse deal than he probably first thought.
“My dad was a minister, and he was kind of fanatic over religion. When he first knew that I was playing piano, he said “Don’t you never play that devil’s music in here. I’ll tear you up if I catch you playing that.” Years later, his father discovered me playing the blues, and he come in there and jumped on me. Now, when he got done whipping me, I said, “Pop, you might as well get with it. This is what I want to do.” He looked at me and said, “Joe, I’m 89 years old. I’m not going to live too long. Why don’t you just make an agreement with me not to play the devil’s music till I’m dead in the grave?” Well, I shook his hand and I never played a lick. And the old man died at 105.
During his break from the piano, Joe spent his years as a police officer and a postal worker, not touching the piano for sixteen years, which is a shame when you think about it. But he did eventually go back to it, and during the 1970’s Duskin played at festivals across the U.S and Europe and his reputation grew, leading to various recordings with his last being in 2005. His first was in 1978 with ‘Cincinnati Stomp’ no doubt influenced by where he grew up, the Album also included versions of well known pieces like ‘Down A Road A Piece’ and ‘Roll ‘Em Pete’.
His final recording was from his 84th birthday party, held at the Fat Fish Blues, Newport and included a gathering of his friends and musician that helped create his last Album in 2005. Suffering from the effects of diabetes, Duskin was on the eve of having legs amputated, when he died in May 2007, at the age of 86.
| Big Joe Duskin – Cincinnati Stomp | 1979 |
| Mean Old Frisco Roll ‘Em Pete Stormin’ In Texas Cicinnati Stomp Little Red Rooster The Tribute | Down The Road Apiece Well,Well Baby Honky Tonk Train Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar Tender Hearted Woman Stoop Down Baby |
| Big Joe Duskin – Don’t Mess With The Boogie Man | 1988 |
| Don’t Mess With The Boogie Man Down On My Bended Knees Big Joe’s Boogie Prayer Oodle Adle Mean And Evil Dirty Rat Swing | Cuban Sugar Mill Call My Job Keep It To Yourself Low Down Dog C C Rider So Long |
| Big Joe Duskin – Down The Road A Piece | 1990 |
| Down The Road A Piece Roll ‘Em Pete If You Want To Be My Woman Sixth Avenue Express Betty And Dupree Low Down Dog Key To The Highway Cuban Sugar Mill | Well, Well Baby Boogie Woogie Prayer Going Down Slow Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar Tender Hearted Woman Got My Mojo Working I Got Tired Blues Medley |
| Big Joe Duskin – Boogie Woogie Is My Religion | Live In Paris 1993 |
| Oodle Adle Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie I Beg Nobody And I Want Nobody Beggin Ida Bea Yancey Special Pig Foot Pete Cow Cow Boogie | Dusty’s Jump Boogie Since I Met You Baby Down The Road A Piece The Boogie Rocks Down On My Knees Begging One Dirty Rat My Little Kangaroo Girl |
| Big Joe Duskin – Blues Rendez-Vous | 1994 |
| Boogie Woogie On St Louis Blues Key To The Highway 6th Avenue Express My Little Kangaroo Girl Sunrise Serenade Mean And Evil Woman Big Joe Duskin Boogie | Well Well Baby Blues Betty And Dupree Small Batch Of Knod Leaving In The Morning So Long Call My Job Four O’Clock In The Morning |
| Big Joe Duskin – Big Joe Jumps Again! | Cincinnati Blues Session 2004 |
| You’re Gonna Miss Me Everyday I Have The Blues Get Out On My Way Down The Road A Piece Betty And Dupree One Dirty Rat Mean & Strange Key To The Highway | Sloppy Drunk Blues Beer Drinking Woman Black Mountain Blues Miss Ida B. North To Alaska The Preacher And The Devil’s Music You’re Gonna Miss Me (Part 2) Just A Closer Walk With Thee |
| Big Joe Duskin – Live At Quai Du Blues | 2004 |
| Oodle Adle Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie I Beg Nobody And I Want Nobody Begging Me Ida Bea Yancey Special Cow Cow Boogie Dusty’s Jump Boogie The Boogie Rocks Down On My Knees Begging | Booogie Woogie On St-Louis Blues Key To The Highway 6th Avenue Express My Little Kangaroo Girl Mean And Evil Woman Big Joe Duskin Boogie Well Well Baby Blues Call My Job Four O’Clock In The Morning |