Joel Nathan Cummins is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 musician, and founding member/keyboardist

Keyboardist

A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...

 for progressive rock

Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...

 band Umphrey's McGee

Umphrey's McGee

Umphrey's McGee is an American progressive rock jam band based in Chicago whose music is often referred to as "progressive improvisation", or "improg" ....

.

Cummins tours full-time with Umphrey's McGee

Umphrey's McGee

Umphrey's McGee is an American progressive rock jam band based in Chicago whose music is often referred to as "progressive improvisation", or "improg" ....

, playing a range of shows each year, including New Year's performances at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, and festival appearances at Bonnaroo, Summer Camp

Summer camp

Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....

, 10,000 Lakes Festival, and Langerado

Langerado

Langerado Music Festival is an annual music festival, taking place in early spring in South Florida, first organized in 2003 by Ethan Schwartz and Mark Brown. In 2008 the festival was held at the Seminole Big Cypress Indian Reservation in the Everglades...

. International music festival appearances in the past have included Jam in the Dam and Fuji Rock Fest.

He formed the band along with Brendan Bayliss

Brendan Bayliss

Brendan Bayliss is an American musician, the founder, a lead guitarist alongside fellow guitarist and band member Jake Cinninger, and primary vocalist for progressive rock band Umphrey's McGee. He formed the band in 1997 and took its moniker from the name of a distant relative he met at a wedding...

, Mike Mirro, and Ryan Stasik

Ryan Stasik

Ryan Fabec Stasik is the bassist for progressive rock group Umphrey's McGee. Stasik originally hails from the Pittsburgh area, though he grew up in Portage, MI and is now based out of Chicago, IL. He is a founding member of Umphrey's McGee, having played in the group Tashi Station with guitarist...

 in December 1997 and remains with the band to this day. Cummins and Mirro were members of University of Notre Dame

University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...

 band Stomper Bob, who split around the same time as another local band, Tashi Station (which included Bayliss and Stasik).

Cummins began studying classical piano more than 25 years ago and has, along with several keyboards

Electronic keyboard

An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...

, recently began performing with a grand piano at Umphrey's McGee

Umphrey's McGee

Umphrey's McGee is an American progressive rock jam band based in Chicago whose music is often referred to as "progressive improvisation", or "improg" ....

 concerts.

In 1995, he released a solo piano album, Suspended in Time: An Epic

Suspended in Time: An Epic

Suspended in Time: An Epic is a 1995 album by Joel Cummins. In 1995, future Umphrey's McGee founder and keyboardist Joel Cummins released this solo piano album, featuring originals such as the future Umphrey's McGee classic "Orfeo" and covers such as Phish's "Magilla." The album has long been out...

, featuring originals such as the future Umphrey's McGee

Umphrey's McGee

Umphrey's McGee is an American progressive rock jam band based in Chicago whose music is often referred to as "progressive improvisation", or "improg" ....

 classic Orfeo and covers such as Phish

Phish

Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...

's Magilla.

In 2001, Cummins released an electronic keyboard-based album, Common Sense, which featured Umphrey's McGee

Umphrey's McGee

Umphrey's McGee is an American progressive rock jam band based in Chicago whose music is often referred to as "progressive improvisation", or "improg" ....

 guitarist Jake Cinninger

Jake Cinninger

Jake Cinninger, born Jacob Alan Cinninger, December 16, 1975 in Niles, Michigan, is an American musician. He has risen to fame as one of two lead guitarists, in the Chicago-based jam band Umphrey's McGee.-History:...

 on drums for most tracks. The band would later use two of the tracks, The Triple Wide and In Violation of Yes, in their concert repertoire.

In addition to playing in Umphrey's McGee and occasionally performing solo, Cummins writes and plays with a number of other bands as well. He is a member of progressive-rock tinged OHMphrey

OHMphrey

OHMphrey, is an American collaborative project formed in January 2008 featuring three members of the Chicago-based jam-band Umphrey's McGee and OHM guitarist Chris Poland, a legendary player who’s perhaps best known for work with headbanging pioneers Megadeth, and bassist Robertino Pagliari...

 along with Chris Poland

Chris Poland

Chris Poland is an American guitarist, best known for being a former member of heavy metal band Megadeth.-Early career:...

 (Megadeth

Megadeth

Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...

) and two members of Umphrey's McGee. Joel is a member of Digital Tape Machine, a more electronic Chicago-based group, and Yacht Rock, a tribute to the smooth sounds of '76 - '84, with members of Umphrey's McGee

Umphrey's McGee

Umphrey's McGee is an American progressive rock jam band based in Chicago whose music is often referred to as "progressive improvisation", or "improg" ....

, the New Deal and ALO. Cummins also performs with the improvisational groups The Everyone Orchestra

The Everyone Orchestra

The Everyone Orchestra is an American improvisational musical project that features a constantly revolving roster of musicians. The Everyone Orchestra creates completely different music every time it appears through conducted improvisational musical exploration and audience participation.The...

, Kick the McGee, North Indiana All Stars and Banyan, with Stephen Perkins

Stephen Perkins

Stephen Andrew Perkins is an American musician and songwriter. A drummer and percussionist, he currently plays with Jane's Addiction and Hellflower....

 (Jane's Addiction

Jane's Addiction

Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...

), Nels Cline

Nels Cline

Nels Cline is an American guitarist and composer, currently the lead guitarist of alternative rock band Wilco. David Carr of the New York Times describes Cline as "one of the best guitarists in any genre."-Career:...

 (Wilco

Wilco

Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...

) and Mike Watt

Mike Watt

Michael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...

 (Minutemen

Minutemen

Minutemen were members of teams of select men from the American colonial partisan militia during the American Revolutionary War. They provided a highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that allowed the colonies to respond immediately to war threats, hence the name.The minutemen were among the first...

, fIREHOSE

FIREHOSE

Firehose was an alternative rock band consisting of Mike Watt , Ed Crawford , and George Hurley .-History:...

, Stooges).

He has also collaborated with artists such as Huey Lewis

Huey Lewis

Huey Lewis is an American musician, songwriter and occasional actor.Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many of the band's songs...

, Joshua Redman

Joshua Redman

Joshua Redman is an American jazz saxophonist and composer who records for Nonesuch Records. He won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 1991.-Biography:...

, Mavis Staples

Mavis Staples

Mavis Staples is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress and civil rights activist who recorded with The Staple Singers, her family's band.-Biography:...

, Phil Lesh

Phil Lesh

Phillip Chapman Lesh is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career....

, Buddy Guy

Buddy Guy

George "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...

, Koko Taylor

Koko Taylor

Koko Taylor sometimes spelled KoKo Taylor was an American Chicago blues musician, popularly known as the "Queen of the Blues." She was known primarily for her rough, powerful vocals and traditional blues stylings....

, Sinéad O'Connor

Sinéad O'Connor

Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....

, Bela Fleck

Béla Fleck

Béla Anton Leoš Fleck is an American banjo player. Widely acknowledged as one of the world's most innovative and technically proficient banjo players, he is best known for his work with the bands New Grass Revival and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.-Early life and career details:Fleck was born in...

, Victor Wooten

Victor Wooten

Victor Lemonte Wooten is an American bass player, composer, author, and producer, and has been the recipient of five Grammy Awards....

, Warren Haynes

Warren Haynes

Warren Haynes is an American rock and blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Haynes is best known for his work as long time guitarist with The Allman Brothers Band and as founding member of the jam band Gov't Mule. Early in his career he was a guitarist for David Allan Coe and The Dickey...

, Bob Weir

Bob Weir

Bob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...

, Les Claypool

Les Claypool

Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...

, John Oates

John Oates

John William Oates is an American rock, R&B and soul guitarist, musician, songwriter and producer best known as half of the rock and soul duo Hall & Oates ....

, Adrian Belew

Adrian Belew

Adrian Belew is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer...

, Ray White

Ray White

Ray White is a soul vocalist and rock and blues guitarist, best known as a member of Frank Zappa's touring ensembles. He was drafted into Zappa's band in the fall of 1976, being featured on rhythm guitar and vocals, forming a memorable vocal harmony partnership with Ike Willis on later tours in...

 & Lee Oskar

Lee Oskar

Lee Oskar is a Danish harmonica player, notable for his contributions to the sound of the rock-funk fusion group War, which he formed with Eric Burdon, his solo work, and as a harmonica manufacturer...

.
In May 2010, Cummins married Dasha Davis and currently resides between Los Angeles and Chicago.

Discography

• Suspended in Time: An Epic
  Suspended in Time: An Epic
  Suspended in Time: An Epic is a 1995 album by Joel Cummins. In 1995, future Umphrey's McGee founder and keyboardist Joel Cummins released this solo piano album, featuring originals such as the future Umphrey's McGee classic "Orfeo" and covers such as Phish's "Magilla." The album has long been out...
  
  (1995)
• Common Sense (2001)