A note from Joey: This article was written by attorney Joe Ochoa at the end of my first year of law school without my consent or an option to review and correct the content. Although it is reasonably reflective of my career, some of the details are incorrect. Unfortunately, I never kept a scrap book and this is all I have.  Please read this with a “grain of salt.” Here it is:

Student Profile

By Joe Ochoa 1D

Joe [legal name change upon entry of law school in 1993] Calvert has been playing guitar since he was eight years old. His first paying gig came when, as a sixth grader, he performed at parties in a band as a guitar player and trio leader. Growing up in Syracuse, New York, Joe believes these were the best honing grounds for an aspiring musician. This is an opinion Led Zeppelin’s guitarist Jimmy Page shares with him. In fact, Calvert claims these clubs are even more challenging than those found in Los Angeles or New York City.

After 3 1/2 years as a music student at Syracuse University, Calvert responded to a job offer to work as an agent in Los Angeles. After viewing the agency’s acts, Joe readily admits he thought those groups stunk. So, he created his own band and achieved moderate success in the cluttered L.A. club scene. However, lady luck then smiled upon him as he received an offer to do a recording session with MCA’s El Chicano. As lead guitarist on part of their record, The Best of Everything, Calvert had his first Gold Album.

After this, Joe then jumped around to work with many groups in various capacities as guitarist, musical director, or bandleader. He was a “guitar gun-for-hire” where he would work on whatever job was most lucrative on any given day. Calvert was well known in the New York session market so he was in the luxurious position of always having work. “I did it all. Rock, Muzak, You name it.” Calvert has played in every major venue in the country during his career to audiences of 20-71,000 people. Paul Page, former Director of Research for Billboard Magazine, says that less than 1% of all musicians get on one record or go on one major tour. Joe’s career has almost 37 major touring and recording credits including a substantial list of gold and platinum records. Some of the people whom Joe has performed or recorded with include The Vicki Sue Robinson Band, Joe Cocker, Sir Ringo Starr, Paul Schaefer (now with the David Letterman Show), Ben E, King, and Foghat. The Village Voice called Calvert “The New York Guitar Guru” and in the early eighties Rolling Stone magazine called Calvert “The best new guitar player in a decade.”

During a slow period in his performing career, Calvert worked as an agent for Banner Talent Associates booking numerous “nostalgia” acts including The Drifters, Fats Domino, and The Shirelles. Joe has also worked with many of those same acts as their bandleader/guitarist. As bandleader, it was his job to “make it happen,” a responsibility he frequently carried with him into the recording studios. Calvert says, “You have to be very responsible, and I was always on the phone. No one calls you-that’s a myth. I was always looking 6 months ahead.”

After Calvert’s slow period subsided, his career almost ended involuntarily as he became injured by some Owens-Corning “unbreakable” dishes. Joe doesn’t believe in P.I. suits, and he didn’t pursue a product liability suit against Corning ware. As the tendons in his wrist were mending, Calvert couldn’t play the guitar. He became the Mid-West Concert Representative for Spotlite Enterprises. In this capacity, he exclusively booked popular comedians Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld.

Finally Joe went back to school where he earned a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Hunter College (CUNY). Reflecting on his life, Calvert realized he did much of his own legal work while working in the music industry. “I spent a lot of time in court working on breach of contract suits and I found I did a better job than some of our attorneys.” Calvert realized he wanted a “real life,” and a legal career sounded interesting and fun. Some other musicians are also attorneys, but this fact is usually hidden and they are few in number. (When was the last time you heard Paul Simon mention his J.D.?)

(c) Hearsay, McGeorge School of Law 1994, Joe Ochoa, Sacramento, California -  Reproduced with permission. Click here for the original article.