Joel Baer

Joel Baer is an in-demand drummer in the Chicago Jazz and Blues scenes. Born in Rockford, IL, Joel is a second-generation drummer who began playing after seeing his father Jeff Baer perform at a young age. Joel studied with acclaimed teacher Jack Brand in Rockford before continuing his education at Elmhurst College and DePaul University.  Joel has performed around the world with various blues artists and recorded and released music with his quartet, trio and big band. Joel co-leads The Blueshift Big Band, a Chicago-based jazz orchestra that performs original arrangements of standards, pop music and video games. In 2022, the band released their first album with L.A. based label iam8bit entitled  Joystick Jazz: The Blueshift Big Band Plays Iconic Video Game Hits.