The life of a professional musician is full of surprises, as Joe Jordan can attest. Last year the Joy of Music School instructor was minding his own business when, out of the blue, he got asked to sit in on trumpet with a husband and wife duo performing at Knoxville’s Bijou Theatre. Next thing he knew, Joe was traveling with the couple around the U.S., Canada and even Australia!

Joe has played 49 shows and counting with the couple — a terrific Americana duo whose stage name is The War and Treaty. Joe and his friend Chuck Mullican, a fellow Knoxvillian who plays tenor saxophone, make up the band’s horn section. It has been quite a ride. They’ve played the Montreal Jazz Festival and at Radio City Music Hall. They’ve opened for Jason Isbell and Brandi Carlile, and Al Green.

The War and Treaty’s songwriter, Michael Trotter, “kind of expects us to be ready for anything,” says Joe. “He might come up with a new song and everybody learns it that day before performing it that night. I might have a solo on it. You never know. It’s exciting and really scary.” Joe and his wife, Claire, have three young children and they’ve been lucky enough to come on many of his trips with The War and Treaty.

Happily, most of the heaviest travel was over the summer, so it hasn’t interfered much with his JoMS teaching. This fall he’s teaching a pair of ukulele classes.

The War and Treaty is recording an album this fall and expects to promote it with a tour next spring. Will Joe get to tag along? “I certainly hope so!” he says. “I think they’ve been pleased with my playing.”