Joel Jaffe

Joel Jaffe (born January 15, 1952), also known as J. Jaffe, is an American audio engineer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and president and co-founder of Studio D Recording, Inc.

Jaffe has worked with artists including Huey Lewis and the News, Ringo Starr, Buddy Greco, Melissa Etheridge, The Stylistics, Eddie Money, Santana, and Bonnie Raitt.

In 2014, he released his debut album, Dark Room, which was included in the Marin Independent Journal's "Best of Marin CDs of 2014."

Early life Joel Jaffe was born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, to Jay and Dorothy (Née Watkins) Jaffe. He began taking piano lessons from his mother at age six, as well as studying classical and jazz piano with other instructors. He began taking guitar lessons at age twelve after seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. In high school he formed the band The Illusions, performing at dances and parties, then at nightclubs opening shows for such artists as The Four Tops, The Everly Brothers, and The O'Jays.

Jaffe moved to California in the 1970s and began working at the Record Plant in Sausalito, California, mentored by Dr. Richie Moore who would eventually help Jaffe to build Studio D.

Selected discography Source: Artist Album Credit YearBruce Hornsby Indigo Park Engineer 2026Mavis Staples Sad and Beautiful World Engineer 2025The Fabulous Thunderbirds Struck Down Engineer 2024The Call The Lost Tapes Engineer 2024Bonnie Raitt Just Like That... Engineer 2022Sheryl Crow Threads Engineer 2019Van Morrison The Prophet Speaks Engineer 2018 Sheryl Crow Live Wire Audio engineer for Bonnie Raitt's recording 2018 Liz Kennedy Hike Up Your Socks Producer, engineer, mixing, guitar, mastering, dobro, lap steel, mandolin, background vocals 2018 Flamin' Groovies Fantastic Plastic Producer, engineer, mixing, guitar, lap steel, slide guitar 2017 Mitch Woods Friends Along the Way Engineer 2017 The Sneetches Form of Play: A Retrospective Engineer, lap steel 2017 Liz Kennedy Speed Bump Producer, engineer, mixing, guitar, mandolin, background vocals 2015 The Sneetches Form of Play: A Retrospective Engineer, lap steel 2017 Midight Rider: A Tribute to the Allman Brothers Band Engineer 2014 Chris Wilson It's Flamin' Groovy! Engineer 2014 Contino Back Porch Dogma Producer, engineer, mastering, percussion 2012 Flambeau/Tom Rigney You're the One Engineering 2012 Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin and the Family/What You Lookin' 4 Engineering 2011 Ray Manzarek and Roy Rogers Translucent Blues Engineer, associate producer 2011 Liz Kennedy A Clean White Shirt Engineer, producer, guitar 2011 Maria Muldaur Steady Love Mastering 2011Roy Rogers Into the Wild Blue Engineer, mixing, mastering 2011 This One's For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark Vocal engineering 2011 Paul Rogers The Cul de Sac Kids Mixing, mastering 2010 Bill Kirchen Word to the Wise Engineering 2010 Coto Pincheira Coto Pincheira & The Sonido Moderno Project Recording 2009 Jackie Ryan Doozy Mastering 2009 Roy Rogers Split Decisions Engineering, mixing 2009 Ashling Sweet Feelings Associate producer 2009 Nikki Amber When I Look into Your Eyes Composer 2009 Ray Manzarek/Roy Rogers Ballads Before the Rain Engineering, mixing 2008 Maria Muldaur Yes We Can! Producer, engineering, mixing, slide guitar, lap steel guitar 2008 Evelyn "Champagne" King Open Book Producing, mixing, mastering, keyboards 2007 Carlos Santana/Wayne Shorter Live at Montreux Audio post producer, surround mixing 2007 Kyle Lardner Sail Among the Stars Guitar, pedal steel 2007 Solis Songs For Judah Mixing 2007 Eddie Money Wanna Go Back Producer, engineering, mastering, pedal steel 2007 Maria Muldaur Heart of Mine: Love Songs of Bob Dylan Producer, engineering, lap steel guitar, e-bow, shaker, tambourine 2006 Idris Ackamoor Music of Idris Ackamoor 1971 – 2004 Engineering, mixing 2006 Oxbow Love That Lasts: A Wholly Hypographic and Disturbing Work by Oxbow Mixing 2006 Umphrey's McGee Safety in Numbers Engineering 2006 Preston Glass Street Corner Prophecy Engineering, guitar (steel) 2006 Dominic Frasca Deviations Mastering 2005 Magic Christian Magic Christian Producer, engineering 2005 Beth Waters Beth Waters Mixing 2004 Those Darn Accordions! Lawnball Mixing, mastering, percussion 2004 Roy Rogers Live! At the Sierra Nevada Brewery Big Room Mixing, mastering 2004 Continuum Mad About Tadd: The Compositions of Tadd Damerson Mastering, restoration 2004 Brian Auger Auger Rhythms: Brian Auger's Musical History Mastering 2003 Gordon Stevens Homecoming Engineering 2003 Johnny Colla Lucky Devil Engineering 2003 Les DeMerle On Fire Restoration 2003 J. Thompson Romantic Night Digital editing 2003 Those Darn Accordions! Amped Engineering, mixing, mastering 2002 Stephen Dreyfuss Broadway Blues Mixing, mastering, guitar 2002 Dozie Redemption Guitar 2002 Slim Interstate Medicine Clapping 2002 Roy Rogers Roots of our Nature Engineering 2002 Huey Lewis and the News Plan B Engineer 2001 Ali-Ollie Woodson Right Here All Along Engineering, mixing 2001 Mitch Woods Jump For Joy! Engineer, producer 2001 Ringo Starr Ringo Starr and his All Star Band – So Far Audio post producer, surround mixer 2001 Jerry Joseph Goodlandia Lap steel guitar 2000 Shana Morrison Caledonia Mixing 1999 Those Darn Accordions! Clownhead Mixing, mastering 1999 Roy Rogers Everybody's Angel Mixing, engineering 1999 Can You Read This Boston? Can You Read This Boston? Producer 1999 Angela Strehli Deja Blue Engineering 1998 Far From Home Like a Whisper Producer, engineering, mixing, composer, guitar (electric/acoustic), slide guitar, pedal steel 1998 Terreiro de Sao Francisco Vivendo de Pao Engineering 1998 Adrianne For Adeline Engineer 1998 Nate Fox Hittin' It From the Back Mixing, guitar 1997 The Call The Best of The Call Engineering 1997 Katherine Chase Truth Engineering 1997 The Stylistics Love is Back in Style Engineering, associate producer, guitar (steel), percussion 1996 Huey Lewis and the News Time Flies: The Best of Huey Lewis and the News Engineering 1996 Fred Williamson Tribute Songs Mixing, associate producer 1996 Beggars Beggars Producer, Engineering 1995 Lenny Williams Chill Producer, engineering, mixing, vocals 1995 Kapono Beamer Cruisin' on Hawaiian Time Engineering 1995 Pamela Polland Heart of the World Engineer 1995 Kirk Franklin Whatcha Lookin' 4 Engineering, overdubs 1995 Larry Tagg With a Skeleton Crew Engineering 1995 Michael Been On the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough Engineering 1994 The Sneetches Blow of the Sun Engineering, associate producer 1994 A Tribute To Mark Heard Strong Hand of Love Engineering 1994 Peter Rowan Awake Me in the New World Engineer 1993 Gena Krupa Hot Drums Mastering, restoration 1993 The Count Five The Psychotic Reunion Live! Guitar, background vocals 1993 Buddy Guy/Junior Wells Live at the Mystery Club Mastering, restoration 1993 Dick Dale Tribal Thunder Engineering 1993 Maria Muldaur On the Sunny Side Engineering 1992 McCoy Tyner Just Feelin'''