The brother of trumpeter Lester Bowie, Joseph is known for leading the jazz-punk group Defunkt and for membership in the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble.

He performed with Cecil Taylor, Human Arts Ensemble, Nona Hendryx, Leroy Jenkins, Vernon Reid, Stanley Cowell, Sam Rivers, Philippe Gaillot, Dominique Gaumont and Ornette Coleman.

The first Defunkt Big Band debuted in 1999 in New York City at the Texaco Jazz Festival sponsored by the Knitting Factory.

In 2014 he produced Sax Pistols Allergy for the U.S (ZIP Records) with lyricist Hilarius Hofstede and musicians Yuri Honing, Luc Houtcamp, Chazzy Green, Bart Wirtz, Koen Schouten, James White and Defunkt rhythm section of Kim Clarke, Tobias Ralph, and Rocco Zifarelli.

In 2009 he created Defunkt Mastervolt with Paris-based musicians Linley Marthe, Rocco Zifarelli, Emma Lamadji, Michael Lecoq, and Jon Grandcamp.