For the past two decades, Joe has been a busy theatrical, television and film composer and lyricist in both Los Angeles and New York.  Critics from such diverse publications as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Theatreweek Magazine and The New Yorker have called his songs "outlandishly funny", "clever and sophisticated", "shockingly amusing", "joyous and delicious", and "hilariously memorable". 

For The Grave White Way, Joe was nominated for an L.A. Ovation Award (Best Original Musical).  Before making its theatrical debut at the Hudson Backstage Theatre, the show was presented at the famed Cinegrill Club (in the Roosevelt Hotel).

Joe scored the entire first season of the cult television show Sordid Lives: The Series, based on Del Shores' popular film and play. The show aired on the LOGO Channel, and starred Olivia Newton-John, Rue McClanahan, Bonnie Bedilia, and Caroline Rhea. (Also, look for Joe's appearances on the series as "Marshall", the pajama-clad lunatic running the halls of the mental institution!). The series is available on DVD.

In New York, Joe wrote the music and lyrics for the Off-Broadway musical Hysterical Blindness and Other Southern Tragedies, written by and starring Leslie Jordan (best known for his Emmy-winning portrayal of "Beverly Leslie" on "Will and Grace") The show ran for seven months at the Soho Playhouse, then played in Los Angeles, Richmond and Fort Worth (in a production Joe directed).

He also wrote the songs for the perennial hit musical Judy's Scary Little Christmas, published by Samuel French. The show has enjoyed successful runs in Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, and many other cities across the United States. The Original Cast Recording of Judy's Scary Little Christmas is available on CD.   The musical previously had two successful workshop readings in New York, both directed by Leonard Foglia (Broadway's "Master Class") and starring Isabel Keating (Broadway's "The Boy from Oz").

Joe's next project is scoring the film version of another Del Shores hit play, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, starring original cast members Beth Grant, Octavia Spencer and Dale Dickey. Joe was involved with the initial stage production of Trailer Trash Housewife (2003 L.A. Drama Critics Award-Best Play, NAACP Awards- Best Play, and L.A. Ovation Winner-Best Actress) from its conception in 2003, and wrote seven original songs for the production.  This play has also been published by Samuel French, and has subsequently been produced in many other U.S. cities including Atlanta, Dallas, Palm Springs and Indianapolis.

In addition to his work on Trailer Trash Housewife and "Sordid Lives: The Series",  Joe also collaborated with Del Shores on his award-winning play, Southern Baptist Sissies, featuring Delta Burke, Leslie Jordan, Jim J. Bullock, among others.  

Joe has written music for numerous other stage shows, including She's a Handful, Plum Pink Pedicure, Desperate For Magic, The Last Broadcast, and the children's musical Say "Yo Ho Ho!", which played at the Edinburgh Theatre Festival.   He also wrote the book, score and lyrics for the musical In Sherwood, which he directed in a production mounted by the Southern California Music and Theatre Company.

In addition to his theatrical and television credits, Joe wrote several songs for two full-length animated feature films in development at Warner Brothers - The Jester and Bluebeard. And he was the songwriter (and head comedy writer) for the National Public Radio comedy show Propaganda Radio.

Joe's original songs have been performed by a variety of well-known theatre and television/film performers, including John Raitt, Loretta Devine, Stephen Schwartz, Gregory Jbara, Levi Kreis, Billy Porter, Susan Egan, Harry Groener, Seth Rudetsky, Jason Graae, Davis Gaines, Ken Page, Stephanie J. Block, Mary Bond Davis, Sharon McNight, Yeardley Smith, Richard Kline, Isabel Keating, Valarie Pettiford, Suzanne Blakeslee, Roxie Lucas, Debby Holiday, Patrika Darbo, Mark Baker, Jennifer Leigh Warren, Robert Mandan, Jan Maxwell, Billy Barnes, Camille Saviola, Guy Haines, Kelli Bishop, Marilyn Sokol, Kristine Zbornik, and Kay Cole.

Joe is also Co-Producer of the independent film Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel.  Joe is a member of ASCAP and The Dramatists Guild.