Joel Rafael

Joel Rafael was born in Chicago and raised in California. 1960s folk music and the songs of Woody Guthrie shaped his writing, which he went on to record on albums such as The Joel Rafael Band and Thirteen Stories High.

He also recorded work devoted to Guthrie’s repertoire, among them Woody Guthrie’s Happy Joyous Hanukkah. His career developed mainly on the Southern California folk scene, with original songs and festival performances.