Within the jazz/jazz-fusion realm, Joe Deninzon is a name that’s steadily been on the rise ever since he emerged with his debut effort ‘Electric/Blue’ in 1998 (Released through Wilberts Blues Records).
Since then, the Russian born/New York based singer/song writer/violinist has released a succession of albums (Both under his own name and under the banner of Stratospheerius), all of fuse together traditional jazz, funk, jazz-fusion and straight out rock into a sound that Deninzon himself calls ‘psychojazz trip funk’. Outside of recording, Deninzon also teaches, does session work and tours on a consistent basis, making him without a doubt one of the hardest working violinists within the jazz scene today.
Two years on from his recorded effort with Metro Swings (2008’s ‘Hide The Evidence’ E.P.), Deninzon is back with something new – this time under the name of the Joe Deninzon Trio, and their debut album ‘Exuberance’.
Unlike some of Deninzon’s past projects, ‘Exuberance’ sees Deninzon, guitarist Steve Benson and bassist Robert ‘Bob’ Bowen, take on a more traditional jazz direction, with the bulk of the thirteen tracks on the album virtually laid down live in the studio in order to catch the authentic live vibe of a jazz trio.
The trio open up the album with a cover of Steely Dan’s classic ‘Bodhisattva’, which is something that’s a little unexpected and anything but a disappointment. The song is still largely recognisable (And if it wasn’t, then there would be something seriously wrong, right?), but given a complete makeover within this reworking. Deninzon’s solos are as exceptional as ever, while the backing from Benson and Bowen is executed to perfection without losing sight of the song’s original form.
The follow-up track, a cover of Alice In Chains’ ‘Heaven Beside You’, is another unlikely track tackled, and perhaps a little more traditional sounding in the jazz sense. Again, the band does a killer job in transforming the song.
Django Reinhardt’s ‘Nuages’ again shows another facet of the band’s diverse sound, with the song steering their sound more toward the classical side of things, while Bowen’s own ‘Exuberance, In The Face Of Utter Anguish And Despair’ is an exercise in timing and shifts in tempo, all the while maintaining a distinctly rocking jazz feel throughout.
From here, Deninzon leads the band through some originals, including the Latin tinged ‘Ellipsis’, the subdued jazz smoulder of ‘Night Coast’ and the classically influenced ‘The Last Days Of Scorpio’, before Bowen takes charge with his self-penned ‘Surreptitious Soliloquy’.
Guest vocalist Luba puts in a beautiful performance on the traditional sounding ‘Sun Goes Down’ (Which originally appeared within the 2005 film ‘What’s Up, Scarlet?’), before the band run through a laid back (And I mean quite laid back) rendition of Glen Campbell’s ‘Wichita Lineman’ and a rather unconventional (It’s classical, but not as you might know it!) take on Choplin’s ‘Chopin Nocturne In Eb Op. 9 No. 2’.
Finishing up the album is Deninzon’s own traditional jazz piece ‘The Last Days Of Scorpio’, a faithful rendition of Fats Waller’s ‘Jitterbug (Used To Be A) Waltz’ and a stunning cover of Radiohead’s ‘The Tourist’ (Which is without a doubt my favourite track on the album).
Sometimes Deninzon’s releases can be a little over the place in terms of direction, and I guess in some ways ‘Exuberance’ really isn’t all that different. But where this album succeeds more than others is that the shifts in direction have more to do with sounds and feels, rather than overall direction. There’s a focus here, and that’s something that hasn’t always been the case with Deninzon’s former projects.
Deninzon may well be billed as the star here, but on the evidence of ‘Exuberance’, I would say that all three shine here. It’s a strange album, but nothing short of a triumph for all three within the Joe Deninzon Trio.
The Old Miami in Detroit’s Cass Corridor is truly one of the Motor City’s downtown venues that have stood the test of time. It’s been there through the good and the bad and the years have done nothing to erode any of this rugged institution’s charm or character. I’ve heard it likened to the long-lamented New York City alt/punk club CBGB’s and there may be something to that. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons that ground-breaking NYC violinist Joe Deninzon and Stratospheerius has been back a number of times and been embraced by the local hipsters and the cultural cognoscenti with open arms.
Electric violinist and lead vocalist Deninzon made no haste kicking their animated and adventuresome set full throttle with a tune off their Headspace album called “Long Rd.” It was an energetic rocker, with the mad fiddler front and center leading the charge as if his life depended on it. Another strange track off that same album, “Old Ghosts”, brought in a bit of funk laced with a tuneful chorus and jazzy lilt. “Today is Tomorrow” highlighted drummer Lucianna Padmore’s tabla-like flourishes and asymmetrical rhythms that gave the tune an exotic Middle Eastern feel. Another song called “Gods” showcased yet another aspect of the band’s sound where Deninzon plays his electric fiddle “bowless” in a pizzicato fashion like a guitar. “The House Always Wins” found Deninzon switching to mandolin for a gypsy blues taste, with stellar accompaniment by French guitarist Aurelien Budynek.
It seemed like Stratospheerius covered just about every kind of musical genre imaginable and the snappy ska-like “Tech Support” further displayed that notion. Bassist Jamie Bishop really propelled this one into overdrive, with some wacky and truly inspired soloing by Deninzon on the violin. As the set wound down they dedicated one of their more “prog rock” numbers “Mental Floss” to their much-anticipated gig mates Tiles. Guitarist Budynek stepped out with some ripping leads joined by cool and avante garde sound effects manipulation by Deninzon and an exceptional drum break by Padmore.
The band Stratospheerius features Joe Deninzon (vocals, violin, mandolin), Jamie Bishop (bass), Aurelien Budynek (guitars), and Lucianna Padmore (drums). The sound is hard to classify in a genre.It combines modern and classic music in a way that is hard to find. The new album Headspace showcases the style nicely.
POSTED BY FRANK LEWIS ON WED, FEB 17, 2010 AT 11:58 AM
Joe Deninzon is soaked to the bone in music. He had a strong presence in Cleveland’s rock scene in the ’90s, playing guitar and bass and singing with various area groups — he even played violin for Michael Stanley — before moving to New York in 1997 to earn a master’s degree in jazz at the Manhattan School of Music. He got his undergraduate degree in jazz and classical violin at Indiana University’s world-famous conservatory program, where he also met his wife Yulia Ziskel, now a member of the New York Philharmonic. Before that, he studied with his father, a Cleveland Orchestra violinist, and at the Cleveland Institute of Music. (His mother is also a classical musician.) Deninzon has played with artists ranging from Sheryl Crow and Smokey Robinson to Les Paul and Ritchie Blackmore, performed for President Clinton, won the John Lennon International Songwriting Contest, written music for TV shows and the New York City Ballet, and released four CDs with his band Stratospheerius (he plays electric violin in the quintet). He’s now taken another turn with his latest release with the Joe Deninzon Trio, Exuberance. Deninzon, bassist Robert Bowen and guitarist Stephen Benson play acoustic jazz, influenced by Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt — and contemporary pop music. The CD includes a take on Steely Dan’s “Bodhissatva,” as well as a version of Fats Waller’s “Jitterbug (Used to Be A),” giving an indication of the group’s range. The trio will celebrate the album’s release in Deninzon’s hometown at 9 p.m. at Nighttown (12387 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Hts., 216.795.0550), where they’ll be joined by Stratospheerius drummer Lucianna Padmore. Tickets: $15. — Anastasia Pantsios
A quick glance at Joe Deninzon’s MySpace page reveals a roster of influences that reads like the index for The Encyclopedia of Rock: Frank Zappa, Bruce Springsteen, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Yes and The Police are all there.
Given that Deninzon’s main axe is a violin (whether it be acoustic, electric or fretted seven-string) and his primary musical thrusts are Prog and Jazz, it’s not unusual to find a few brothers of the bow (Jean Luc Ponty, Didier Lockwood, Stephane Grappelli) or bands that feature them (Dave Matthews, Mahavishnu Orchestra). But when you find Igor Stravinsky, Steve Vai and the Screaming Headless Torsos in the same list, you might be forced to make connections you never thought possible. A quick listen to Joe Deninzon’s music will do pretty much the same thing.
With his astonishing band Stratospheerius, the Russian-born Deninzon easily references all of the aforementioned and then some. His lightning fast runs seem less informed by his violin influences and more by his guitar heroes; the speed fingering of Vai, the delicate power of McLaughlin, the blazing invention of Zappa, the thundering bow mastery of Page.
But when Deninzon dials it way back, he’s a Jazz violinist of the first order and yet retains the skills and the mindset that make Stratospheerius a formidable Prog experience. With his Jazz Trio — bassist Bob Bowen, guitarist Steve Benson and drummer Lucianna Padmore — Deninzon has crafted a brand new album, Exuberance, which floats and flutters in the Stephane Grappelli style while offering a set list that seems like the textbook definition of sonic schizophrenia.
On Exuberance, Deninzon and the Trio tackle the music of Steely Dan, Django Reinhardt, Radiohead, Frederick Chopin and Alice in Chains — as well as a few excellent originals — as the violinist arranges each with virtuosic flair and puts his indelible stamp on every track.
Regardless of the direction he decides to twist the volume knob, rest assured that Deninzon reshapes musical boundaries with the freewheeling abandon of a New World mapmaker.
Dave Richards’ Music Muse: Joe Deninzon Trio to jazz up the Jive on Saturday
Rock violinist Joe Deninzon will stop in Erie for a rare free performance to show off his jazz side project.
The Joe Deninzon Trio, which includes upright bass player Robert Bowen and guitarist Stephen Benson, will play at the Jive Coffee Shop, 1014 State St., on Saturday at 1 p.m. Sitting in will be Lucianna Padmore, Deninzon’s regular drummer in Stratospheerius.
“This is a group I’ve had on the back burner for many years,” said Deninzon. “But I’ve been recording music over the last seven years, and it’s finally culminated in the CD we’re releasing, ‘Exuberance.’
“Basically, it shows the jazz acoustic side of what I do. Most people know me as an electric fusion player, but I’ve always loved playing jazz.”
Artists such as Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt inspired “Exuberance.”
“But we wanted to add our own twist to it,” added Deninzon. “So we decided to cover Alice in Chains, Radiohead, Steely Dan, and Frank Zappa, and bring in the rock element.
“We get together and take songs we know and just mess with them, seeing how we can change the rhythm, change the character, but still maintain the skeleton and spirit of the original song. It’s like a game you play.”
“Exuberance” also includes the pretty “Sun Goes Down,” an original that won for best jazz composition in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition in 2006. The CD won’t hit stores until March 2, but Deninzon will have copies at the show.
Stratospheerius will release a new CD later in 2010 and hit the road. Deninzon is also completing an instructional book on electric violin for Mel Bay.
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