Growing up in Liberty, New York, Joseph studied piano with his mother who also played. Under the tutelage of George Handy, an arranger famed for his work with the Boyd Rayburn Orchestra, Joe was introduced to jazz in junior high school. Joseph furthered his experience in the competitive atmosphere of the University of Miami, majoring in music and gaining confidence. He transferred to the University of Hartford, where the music program is run by famed alto saxophonist Jackie McLean. Some of the fine musicians Joseph learned from are Nat Reeves, James Williams, and the late piano titans, Jaki Byard and Walter Bishop, Jr.

After graduating, Joe began gigging in diverse situations: he played with an all-Argentinean show band in Aruba, worked on cruise ships, and was music director of the Broadway road show "Dreamgirls." He moved to St. Louis for awhile, where he worked frequently in duo settings with vocalists, and was inspired to write tunes with lyrics. An apartment offer drew him to New York City in 1994, where his studies at Boys’ Harbor put him in touch with players like Luis Cruz, Ricky Gonzalez, and Papo Luca.