DENINZONE WINTER 2023
FYC 2023
For Your Consideration
Electric Violinist/Vocalist Joe Deninzon (new member of Kansas) and his band Stratospheerius.
Best Rock Performance: “One Foot in the Next World (Live at ProgStock)”
Best Jazz Performance: “Spain (Live at ProgStock)
featuring Alex Skolnick and Rachel Flowers
Best Rock Album: “Behind the Curtain (Live at ProgStock)
“Deninzon attacks his electric violin and vocal cords with enviable fierceness. “One Foot in the Next World” finishes this flaming set by finding Joe in a Hendrix mode-.. with his nose operating the fingerboard—and there’s a symbolic bridging of the past and future which mere mortals can rarely achieve.”
Dmitry Epstein
-DMME.net
“Every song has enough hooks to crochet a blanket big enough to cover a football stadium. Interesting chord sequences and mood changes pile one atop the other in waves of pleasant surprise. These guys rock hard enough to rip your face off! The performance is so alive, I can almost feel the discomfort of the old theatre seat on my bum. Wow!”
-John Giordano
www.theprogressiveaspect.net
“The band, is outstanding — drummer Jason Gianni, guitarist Michelangelo Quirinale, and bassist Paul Ranieri are all strong players, and are collectively a very tight and well-rehearsed unit. And with the way Deninzon swoops, chops, and coaxes all manner of noises out of his violin, he certainly lives up to the ‘Jimi Hendrix of violin’ label he’s gotten from the press.”
-Howard Whitman,
Goldmine Magazine
“This is an absolutely glorious set from a group who consistently deliver. It is perhaps no surprise at all that Kansas chose Joe as violinist on their 50th Anniversary Tour. That is amazing news for him, but let us hope it is not too long until we get more music from these guys, as this collection is just stunning.”
-Kev Rowland
Progarchives.com
“Behind the Curtain (Live at ProgStock)” is Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius’ long-awaited (and incredible) live box set of 2 CDs and 2 DVD/Blu-rays. Three years in the making, the album is made up of live performances at the ultimate Northeast progressive rock festival, ProgStock in 2019 and 2021.
The album includes Joe’s live collaboration with blind multi-instrumental prodigy Rachel Flowers (flute and piano) and guitarist Alex Skolnick (Testament, Trans Siberian Orchestra) on Chick Corea’s “Spain.”
A treasure in the prog rock community, Joe’s been dubbed “the Jimi Hendrix of Electric Violin.” Joe is the leader in alternative violin techniques, multi-talent and teacher and side guy for bands including Renaissance, the Who, Ritchie Blackmore, Bruce Springsteen. He’s the author of the Mel Bay’s “Plugging In.”
Joe is the new violinist and rhythm guitarist for Kansas, and the songwriter/vocalist/electric violinist/leader of Stratospheerius. Their most previous album, “Guilty of Innocence” reached #4 on the Jamband/Relix charts in North America, and broke the European Top 200 Indy releases at 72. The group, which has 5 albums out, are signed to Melodic Revolution Records.
Joe and his bandmembers (Jason Gianni-drums (The Ultimate Queen Celebration, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Rock of Ages, Neal Morse Band), Michelangelo Quirinale-guitar (Thrilldriver), and Paul Ranieri-bass (Mark Wood, Riot Act), have streamed over 3 million times on Spotify and other streaming services.
Media Contact: Anne Leighton, 718-881-8183, LeightonMedia@aol.com, Anne@AnneLeighton.com
Joe Deninzon joins KANSAS!
I am incredible honored and humbled to be joining this legendary band!
https://kansasband.com/announcing-the-addition-of-violinist-guitarist-joe-deninzon-to-kansas/
DENINZONEWS SPRING 2023
DENINZONEWS SPRING 20232
All the News that’s fit to print about electric violinist/composer Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius
Happy spring, beautiful people! Sorry I’ve been so low in updating the site. Lot’s going on. Some thing I am at liberty to share with you. Some things I am not :). But all will be revealed in time… I hope you’re excited for the warm weather and gearing up to see some live music this spring and summer!
Speaking of live music, I’m psyched, overwhelmed with giddiness and excitement to share with you the official release of the new Stratospheerius double LIVE CD/DVD/BLU RAY: “Behind the Curtain (Live at ProgStock)!” We have almost 2 hrs of music taken from our 2019 and 2021 performance at our favorite music festival, ProgStock in Rahway, NJ. During the pandemic, I learned to edit videos, and this baby was. LOT of editing! The world changed during the pandemic, and these performances are a snapshot of where we were before, and after the world turned upside down. The 2021 performance features guest appearances by our good friend Alex Skolnick (guitarist from Testament and former guitarist from Stratospheerius) and Rachel Flowers , the blind multi-instrumental genius, who joins us on piano and flute. All these performances were completely spontaneous with little or no rehearsal, and we were able to capture lightning in a bottle! We want to thank our mixing engineer, Matt Vanacoro, mastering engineer Dave Kerzner, assistant editor David P. Levin, Melodic Revolution Records president Nick Katona, our manager Anne Leighton, and our graphics designer/DVD author Joel Barrios, for countless hours that they devoted to this project. Big thank you to Tom Palmieri and Ann Rinaldi for creating the festival and keeping it alive, and for all the volunteers who work there! This is the culmination of three years of work, and we’re very proud of it and can’t wait to share it with you! The official release date is May 19th! But you can pre-order it if you click on the graphic below!
Celebrate the CD Release with us on May 31st at the Iridium NYC!
Join us on Wednesday, May 31st for our live CD/DVD release party at NYC’s greatest rock/jazz/fusion venue, The Iridium!
Opening the night will be our good friend and longtime collaborator, guitarist/singer/songwriter Randy McStine from Porcupine Tree.
And joining us on stage will be our 5th member, keyboardist/vocalist Bill Hubauer, best known for his work with Neal Morse and his. band, “We Came from Space.”
Here are two of our favorite videos from the upcoming live release; “Game of Chicken,” and “Spain (Feat. Rachel Flowers & Alex Skolnick.”
In other news…
I’m blessed to teach at the new Multi-Styles String program at New Jersey City University! Tomorrow night, you can come and see a FREE concert with students and faculty at the Margaret Williams Theater in Jersey City! Featuring myself, my boss, violist/composer Martha Mooke, bassist John Benitez, and legendary jazz violinist Regina Carter, along with our students, Naxo Romero-violin, Lourdes Rosales-viola, Tom Valdez-cello, Ben Sutin-violin, and Benji Daniels-bass.!
You’re invited to NJCU Multi-Style String X-Travaganza!
Wednesday, April 12 8:00PM
BRM Celebrating the music of Shakti/Mahavishnu @ City Winery April 16th
This Sunday, April 16th @ 7 P.M.. Come see Brooklyn Raga Massive perform music of John. McLaughlin, Shakti, and Mahavishnu Orchestra!
City Winery NYC. Buy tickets HERE!
Featuring:
Joe Deninzon-violin
Anupam Shobhakar-guitar
Premik Russel Tubbs-sax
Neel Murgai-sitar
Dan Asher-bass
Vin Scialla-drums
Month in Review
I had a blast at the annual American String Teachers conference in Orlando this past March. Sharing the stage at my Loopapalooza workshop alongside living legends/friends Tracy Silverman and Rob Flax!
And hanging with a who’s who of masters in the progressive strings community. Here are some pics:
Sweet Plantain did our annual residency performing for the students at Arlington High School at LaGrangeville, NY. Thank you for Elizabeth and Jonathan Handman for having us back!
MWROC & EYS
On May 17th-21st, I’ll be joining the legendary Mark Wood in San Antonio, TX for the first time working with his EYS “Electrify Your Symphony” program. As a traveling clinician for many years, I’m honored and excited to help Mark and his wife Laura Kaye lead a giant orchestra comprised of many schools in the area, rocking out as one big powerhouse!
This summer, I will be returning for my 13th year of teaching at Mark Wood Rock Orchestra Camp in Olathe, KS from July 9th-15th. If you’re a string player, singer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, or drummer, don’t miss this exciting week of learning, performing, and forming lifelong friendships! Sign up TODAY!
Nelli Shlkolnikova Academy August 6 – 13 , 2023
Chateau de La Flocellière, France
I’m honored to be joining my wife, NY Phil violinist Yulia Ziskel alongside members of the San Francisco symphony and other orchestras to teach and perform at the Nelli Shkolnikova Academy at Chateau de La Flocelliere in France. I’ll be the token rock/jazz guy! Nelli was our teacher at Indiana University who passed away from brain cancer in 2010. This music camp was created in her honor and this will be its second year. Sign up today HERE!
Indiegogo THANK YOU!
Our Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for the new Stratospheerius live and studio albums is officially over. We have surpassed our goal of raising $10k, and have had over 150 contributors from all over the United States, Canada, Germany, the UK, Belgium, and France! We are extremely grateful and humbled by the outpouring of support! If you are among the contributors, please know that we are in the process of organizing all the perks and will get them to you before the end of the month! Thank you for your patience an your support!
Have a great spring and I hope to see you soon!
Love, JD
Our new video and single, “Spain (Live at ProgStock) feat Joe Deninzon, Alex Skolnick and Rachel Flowers.”
DENINZONEWS FALL 2022
Hello, my friends.
It’s Friday, September 2nd. I’m sitting here on the balcony of our rented condo in Maui overlooking the islands of Molokai and Lanai, watching the sunset, enjoying our the last days of our annual family vacation, and contemplating the insanity that awaits me when the plane touches down at Newark on Sunday. This fall looks to be one of the busiest runs of performances I’ve ever had, so it’s the GOOD kind of insanity. I just hope I can juggle all this different music in my brain! I feel refreshed and ready to kick some booty! Hope your summer has bee full of beautiful memories and inspirational moments.
Here is a long list of upcoming events I would like to share with you. I hope you can join me on parts of this ride…
Upcoming shows:
9/16 & 17 with Robert Bonfiglio. Grand Canyon Music Festival
My tenure with this festival is old enough to drink (has been for a few years now), which means I’m old enough to have my first colonoscopy.
But enough about that! Sept 12-17th, I return to the Grand Canyon Music Festival to teach the program I co-founded, “The Grand Canyon School of Rock,” and performing with renowned harmonica virtuosos, Robert Bonfiglio, with my friend, guitar genius Steve Benson and local cats John Vail on bass and Bryan Stone on drums. We perform at the Shrine of the Ages (South Rim) on Friday, Sept 16th and Saturday, Sept 17th.
Tickets can be purchased at www.grandcanyonmusicfest.org
9/20 Chord Charts/Lead Sheets workshop for www.stringmasters.com
I will be teaching a virtual class for intermediate-advanced string players on how to read chord charts and lead sheets, a skill that is essential for all modern musicians, but often overlooked in traditional string education. Reserve your spot in the class HERE!
9/30 & 10/01 Stratospheerius at Ganja Grail at Harry’s Hill
It’s been a while, but Stratospheerius is excited to return to Harry’s Hill in Starks, ME for two performances at one of their awesome festivals, Ganja Grail! Friday 9/30 @7PM and 10/1 @ 12 PM. Tickets for the whole weekend can be purchased at harryshill.net/ganja-grail/.
10/1 Stratospheerius Sonic Voyage Fest Stone Church. NH with Dark Beauty and Dreadnaught
Stone Church is an old Church in Newmarket, NH that has been converted to a music venue. We love playing here, and have not done so since the first Sonic Voyage Fest in 2015. We are excited about coming back and performing with our friends, the newly relocated New Hampshirites Dark Beatry and local favorites Dreadnaught! Come out to the show! Tickets available HERE!
10/8 with Sweet Plantain/Harlem Chamber Players NYC
Celebrating LatinX Heritage month with Harlem Chamber Players and Sweet Plantain.
7 P.M.
Broadway Presbyterian Church
601 W. 114th St.
NY, NY
Ticket link
10/9 with various bands. ProgStock Festival. Rahway, NJ.
I’ll be the house violinist at my favorite prog rock festival. Sitting in with Evership, Dave Kerner, Rachel Flowers, and Pattern Seeking Animals! Busy day, folks!
10/12 with Stratospheerius/District 97 Kennet Flash. Kennet Sq, PA, 8 P.M.
Stratospheerius is psyched to be opening for one of our favorite prog bands, Chicago-based District 97!
We are major fanboys of these guys, and believe the are one of the most creative, innovative bands out there right now!
Tickets & info
Renaissance Legacy Tour
After a long, 3-year break. I’m honored to once again be joining the legendary Annie Haslam and Renaissance, along with my brothers in Sweet Plantain and the Renaissance Chamber Orchestra, for their East Coast “Legacy” tour celebrating Annie’s 75th birthday.
What makes this even more special is that my good friend Rachel Flowers will be opening for us on October 20th, and I’ve just been asked to sit in with her and Annie on an intimate song. More info to come…
Tour dates below and more info at https://renaissancetouring.com/tour/
10/19 Patchogue Theater. Long Island
10/20 Count Basie Theater. Red Bank, NJ
10/21 Keswick Theater Glenside PA
10/27 The Egg. Troy, NY
10/28 Ridgefield Theater, CT
10/29 Town Hall, NYC
11/05 with Stratospheerius & Kinetic Element. Orion Studios, Baltimore, MD.
We will be joining our label mates Kinetic Element from Melodic Revolution Records
for Orion Sound’s legendary Progressive Showcase series.More info HERE!
11/18 with Steve Sandberg. Miller Symphony Hall. Allentown, PA
I am excited to be joining Emmy award-winning jazz pianist/composer Steve Sandberg (best known as the guy who scored Dora the Explorer!)
and his quartet for this concert at Miller Theater, home of the Allentown Symphony.
Friday, Nov 18th at 7 P.M.
Miller Symhpony Hall
23 N 6th St, Allentown, PA 18101
Tickets and info
In the Studio
I first discovered the music of Dave Kerzner in 2014, when I got hooked on “Sound of Contact,” the band he created with Phil Collin’s son, Simon on lead vocals and drums. Dave was the co-writer, producer and keyboardist of their phenomenal album, “Dimensionaught.” Since then, he has released a series of great solo albums, and I’m fortunate to have contributed strings to two of them. Her is his latest release, “The Travekler,” featuring strings from me, cello from Ruti Celli, Fernando Perdomo on guitar, Nick D’Virgilio and Marco Minneman on drums, Durga McBroom (Pink Floyd/Rolling Stones) on backup vocals, John Davidson from Yes on guest vocals, Matt Dorsey (Sound of Contact) on bass, Billy Sherwood (Yes) on bass, and more guests.
https://sonicelements.bandcamp.com/album/the-traveler-standard-edition
Lots more news to come, but for now, this is all I can share. Stay tuned for a big announcement coming real soon….
Love and music,
-JD
