I was fortunate to work with the legendary MTV producer and green screen virtuoso,David P. Levin, as well as the incredibly talented videographer David Milone. The video also features the man of a thousand faces, Max McGuire (Kinsey, Star-Crossed Lovers). Big thank you to Dave Silver and the crew atAlpha Wave Studios. Check it out!
Featuring:
Joe Deninzon-electric violin/lead vocals
Aurelien Budynek-guitar
Jamie Bishop-bass/vocals
Lucianna Padmore-drums
CRITICS CONTINUE TO RAVE ABOUT “GUILTY OF INNOCENCE!”
The new Stratospheerius album,“Guilty of Innocence,”has been garnering some incredible reviews from leading publications! Check out what critics have been saying and (if you haven’t already), buy or download the album at any of the links below!
“ (Joe) Deninzon has been called the Jimi Hendrix of electric violin…Splashy and theatrical, Guilty of Innocence is a howl for justice delivered by virtuosos completely in synch with one another!“ –Pat Moran- (Strings Magazine)
“Joe Deninzon’s music is always both entertaining and creative. I have to say that this might very well be the best Stratospheerius album!” -Gary Hill, Music Street Journal
“Joe Deninzon has pioneered a new standard for rock violin, much the same way Ian Anderson did for the flute.” -Nick Tate, Progression Magazine
“When you put distorted guitars up against a violin you get magic. When you put a violin solo in a metal song, you get Fucking amazing shit! I love it when artists push the boundaries of what is perceived as the norm….. And I love it even more when it’s pure magic… I tip my hat and bow my head in awe ..”-Act/one Magazine. Read full review HERE
“Stratospheerius music is otherworldly!”They can tear out ear hairs and stomp them flat!…sounding both ahead of the curve and accessible at the same time. ”-#cirdecsongs. (www.proglodytes.com) Read full review HERE–Strings Magazine
“Guilty of Innocence is not only great, but one of the most hectic and heart-stopping albums I’ve listened to.-Zachary Nathanson –MUSIC FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM
We were recently honored to be the opener for guitar demonJohn5(David Lee Roth Band, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie) at theSellersville Theater(Sellersville, PA). What an amazing experience! We are forever grateful to John and all the folks at Sellersville!
Joe Deninzon-electric violin/vocals/mandolin Jason Gianni-drums (Neal Morse Band, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Mark Wood Band) Randy McStine-bass (LoFi Resistance, The Fringe, Stu Hamm, Vinnie Moore) Michaelangelo Quirenale-guitar (Thrilldriver)
I am looking forward once again to return to Cincinnati (Montgomery, OH to be exact) and teach/perform with the Sycamore High School Electric Ensemble and the new young band, “Everlasting Monsoon,” led by Angela Santangelo.
Music by Santana, Imagine Dragons, Paramour, White Stripes, Stratospheerius, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Foo Fighters, and more…!!
Friday, March 9th 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM “Finding the Hook … What’s in a Riff?” Demo panel with cellist Pinkney “Sean” Grissom, Joe Deninzon, &David Wallace(String Chair, Berklee College of Music)
Friday, March 9th 1:00 P.M.-2:00 P.M. Joe Deninzon Meet N Greet at Ludwig Masters Booth.
Saturday, March 10th 1:30 P.M.-2:30 P.M. “3d ROCK” Sonic Architecture for electric bowed stringed instruments. by Joe Deninzon Sponsored by D’Addario Strings!
I am looking forward to returning once again to teach and perform at theMark Wood Rock Orchestra Camp Music Festival at MIdAmerica Nazarene university in Olathe, KS. Mark Wood is the inventor and designer of my weapon of choice, the 7-string “Viper” Electric Violin. he is a trailblazer in the world of electric strings, both as a player and builder of instruments. This camp is the only one in the world focused on the performance and gear of electric bowed stringed instruments! All vocalists/instrumentalists are welcome! I cannot express the love and camaraderie that exists among the students, my fellow faculty, and myself. It is truly an extended family. Come and be a part of this very special week!!
These shirts come in S, M, L, XL, and XXL. ORDER TODAY!
FOR THE FIRST TIME, JOE DENINZON SHEET MUSIC IS AVAILABLE FOR SALE!
I am proud to announce that I recently signed a deal with the wonderful Lynne Latham and Ludwig Masters, which will be publishing my sheet music. Here are the first two offerings: old warhorses from the early days of Stratospheerius, adapted for solo violin and string quartet.
A hard-rockin’ solo for violin and accompaniment CD. Accessible to advanced intermediate students who want to escape the classical box, but has plenty of pedagogical points too!
CD features Jason Gianni on drums, Aurelien Budynek on guitar, and Jamie Bishop on bass
This one is not for the meek, but will certainly impress your audience! In a “swunk” style, a combination of swing and funk, the quartet is featured individually with written out solos for all (of course you can improvise your own, with changes in the parts).
If you buy the video and play it, please post photo/video/audio on social media with #playthatthang!
You can hear Sweet Plantain performing it at 7:20 in this video:
DENINZONEWS WINTER 2017/2018 THE LATEST ON VIOLINIST/VOCALIST/COMPOSER JOE DENINZON
Season’s Greetings, Friends!
It’s been a wild ride in the past three months, and the New Year promises to be another breathtaking roller coaster!
October was jam packed, withSweet Plantainperforming in Elon, NC, Greeneville, SC, and Ft. Lauderdale, FL.Stratospheeriusrocked Chicago at the third annualProgtoberfest. Along the way, we got to perform at Sweetwater HQ in Ft. Wayne, IN. Other highlights were shows in Elkhart, IN and Madison, Wisconsin alongside incredible bands likeAisles from Chile and King Llama from California! I also had a blast doing workshops and performances for the talented young musicians at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, IL under the direction of Daryl Silberman. While there, I had a chance to jam with her husband, the great Danny Siedenberg, violist from the 90’s lineup of the Turtle Island String Quartet! Here are some pics from the tours:
Sweet Plantain with Nick Katonah from Melodic Revolution Records
With Danny Siedenberg
With Daryl Silberman and Danny Siedenberg
Joe and Aurelien with legendary Spock’s Beard drummer Nic D’Virgilio
Paul Ranieri drooling over pedals at Sweetwater
Before our performance at Sweetwater. (L ro R) Paul Ranieri, Joe Deninzon, Lucianna Padmore, Aurelien Budynek.
In late October, Sweet Plantain did a string of shows with the the band Renaissance, led by the legendary Annie Haslam, with performances at Town Hall in NYC, Ridgefield Playhouse in CT, The Egg Theater in Albany, and the Keswick Theater in PA, where a live DVD was recorded, which can be pre-ordered on their website!
With keyboardist/Musical Director Rave Tesar
Our audience at The Egg Theater in Albany, NY
With Annie Haslam
Renaissance in rehearsal
Bows at the Keswick Theater
Stratospheerius would like to thank everyone who attended our big CD Release Halloween show on October 31st at The Shrine in NYC. Thank you also to Ad Astra and Van Davis for kicking off the night!
November had Stratospheerius playing CD release shows in Binghamton, NY and Wilbert’s in my hometown of Cleveland, followed by an incredible opportunity to open for the legendary guitar hero Gary Hoey kicking off his annual “Ho Ho Hoey” tour at Sellersville Theater in Sellersville, PA! Thank you, Gary!
Here’s a clip of me sitting in with Gary and his band back in July playing “All Along the Watchtower.”
“When you put distorted guitars up against a violin you get magic. When you put a violin solo in a metal song, you get Fucking amazing shit! I love it when artists push the boundaries of what is perceived as the norm….. And I love it even more when it’s pure magic… I tip my hat and bow my head in awe ..”-Act/one Magazine. Read full review HERE
“Stratospheerius music is otherworldly!”They can tear out ear hairs and stomp them flat!…sounding both ahead of the curve and accessible at the same time. ”-#cirdecsongs. (www.proglodytes.com) Read full review HERE
“ (Joe) Deninzon has been called the Jimi Hendrix of electric violin…Splashy and theatrical, Guilty of Innocence is a howl for justice delivered by virtuosos completely in synch with one another!“ –Strings Magazine
“Guilty of Innocence is not only great, but one of the most hectic and heart-stopping albums I’ve listened to.-Zachary Nathanson MUSIC FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM
“Joe Deninzon’s virtuosity is undeniable….It’s progressive music that’s not afraid of a catchy chorus. The 12 minute closing track, ”Soul Food” is a well crafted multi-tempo road trip. It ventures into magnum opus territory where 70’s rockers Kansas were at home…” -Haydn Seek SkeletonPete.com
“Deninzon’s perfect vocal delivery and skills as a violinist. Stratospheerius is as tight as ever and really create a strong organic melody. Bravo! This is music!” –Warlock Asylum International News
Give the gift of music this holiday season, order/download/stream “Guilty of Innocence” TODAY on the following websites:
Joe Deninzon-electric violin/vocals/mandolin Jason Gianni-drums (Neal Morse Band, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Mark Wood Band) Randy McStine-bass (LoFi Resistance, The Fringe, Stu Hamm, Vinnie Moore) Michaelangelo Quirenale-guitar (Thrilldriver)
These shirts come in S, M, L, XL, and XXL. ORDER TODAY!
FOR THE FIRST TIME, JOE DENINZON SHEET MUSIC IS AVAILABLE FOR SALE!
I am proud to announce that I recently signed a deal with the wonderful Lynne Latham and Ludwig Masters, which will be publishing my sheet music. Here are the first two offerings: old warhorses from the early days of Stratospheerius, adapted for solo violin and string quartet.
A hard-rockin’ solo for violin and accompaniment CD. Accessible to advanced intermediate students who want to escape the classical box, but has plenty of pedagogical points too!
CD features Jason Gianni on drums, Aurelien Budynek on guitar, and Jamie Bishop on bass
This one is not for the meek, but will certainly impress your audience! In a “swunk” style, a combination of swing and funk, the quartet is featured individually with written out solos for all (of course you can improvise your own, with changes in the parts).
If you buy the video and play it, please post photo/video/audio on social media with #playthatthang!
You can hear Sweet Plantain performing it at 7:20 in this video:
COMING SOON: NEW VIDEO FOR THE SONG
“BEHIND THE CURTAIN”
STRATOSPHEERIUS is excited to be working with legendary MTV producer David P. Levin and renowned actor Max McGuire for the upcoming video of our song “Behind the Curtain,” The opening track from “Guilty of Innocence.”
We will also be editing with David Milone, who worked on our Hysteria video. Thanks also to Dave Silver and Alpha Wave Studios in East Hanover, NJ. Here are some photos from the video shoot:
I proudly present to you the first official video off ofStratospheerius‘ upcoming CD, “Guilty of Innocence” onMelodic Revolution Records. This is our re-imagined version ofMuse’sclassic, “Hysteria!”
Hope you’re firing up the grill, cause this will be one SIZZLING summer!
So much to do, so much to say….
A new publishing deal, a new record deal, playing with Peter Criss, teaching at Mark Wood’s Rock Orchestra Camp, numerous other school/camp residencies, festival appearances, concerto performances, and I might even take a nap somewhere along the way!
I am excited to announce that I’ve just signed a publishing deal with LudwigMasters Publications for the string quartet arrangement of my song, “What’s That Thang?” and a play-along CD of my song “Shock Therapy.”
You can hear Sweet Plantain performing my arrangement of “What’s That Thang” at 7:20 in this video:
I’ll be sure to let folks know as soon as these become available for sale. I look forward to working with Ludwig and hopefully releasing more arrangements in the future!
After 3 years of writing/recording, STRATOSPHEERIUS is will be releasing our new album, “Guilty of Innocence,” on September 29th, and we are proud to announce that we are signing a deal with Melodic Revolution Records, run by our good friend, Nick Katona!
I am psyched be leading the string section for the legendary PETER CRISS (original KISS drummer) at The Cutting Room in NYC on June 17th with musical director Alex Salzman (Engineer for the upcoming Stratospheerius CD), with Patrice Jackson-Tilghman-cello, Katie Jacoby-violin, & Meg Okura-violin. Having been a rabid KISS fan since age 14, I know I’ll be pinching myself all day and this will be an experience I’ll never forget!
I am honored to be returning to teach and perform at the 8th annual Mark Wood Rock Orchestra Camp & Music Festival.
Mark Wood is a pioneer in the electric string world, bothers a player, educator, and inventor of my weapon of choice, the 7-string “Viper” violin. If you are a string player (or any instrumentalist) interested in exploring the world of rock, improv, jazz, funk, blues, learning about electronics and recording technology, songwriting, stage presence, music business, and much more, I guarantee you will not find a camp like this ANYWHERE in the world! I am also blessed to be surrounded by such inspiring colleagues/teachers, like Val Vigoda, Dr. David Wallace, Chuck Bontrager, Matt Vanacoro, and Greg Byers.
Once again, I will be returning to the Grand Canyon to teach the School of Rock program I co-founded in 2007, alongside my partners in crime; guitarist Steve Benson and local music teacher Bentley Monk.
On Friday, Sept 1st, Steve and I will join harmonica virtuoso Robert Bonfiglio at the Shrine of the Ages on the South Rim to perform some blues, jazz, rock, and classical crossover music.
On Saturday, Sept 2nd, I will be joined by pianist Jon Klibonoff to perform selections from my Electric Violin Concerto, which I premiered with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra in 2015, as well as other original music for electric violin. Here are excerpts of the premiere, under the baton of Douglas Droste:
Happy Spring! Hope you are all continuing to stay positive, stand up for what you believe in, and spread love and beautiful vibrations throughout the universe. Here are some things I’ve already cooked and am currently in the process of cooking up for your consumption in the coming warm months:
WHAT’S COOKED
Sycamore and SEE1
On February 24th, I returned for the third year in a row to Sycamore High School in Blue Ash, OH near Cincinnatti to work with the incredibly talented young musicians in SEE1 (Sycamore Electric Ensemble). Under the incredible direction of David Smarelli, the kids worked hard to prepare a two-hr concert of music by Stratospheerius, AC/DC, Heart, Aerosmith, Michael Jacks, Jean Lucianna Ponty, Fall Out Boy, Soundgarden, and more…
Mr. Smarelli is retiring after 35 years of teaching. I want to express my gratitude andwish him well. This was an inspiring collaboration I will never forget!
Asta 2017
On March 4th, I gave a presentation on “How to Read Chord Charts and Lead Sheets” at the annual ASTA (American String Teachers Conference) in Pittsburg, PA. The topic is a gaping hole in the education of many string players and my class was well attended. Afterwards, I showed my gratitude to artist rep Lyris Hung and D’Addario for sponsoring my class by doing an impromptu performance at their booth. Here is what went down:
Stratospheerius played two shows at Olive’s in Nyack (Feb 10th) and The Shrine in NYC (March 9th) billed as Night of the Living Shred, with two incredible bands, Ad Astra and Valence. We will be repeating this party at the Shrine on Halloween night, 2017. Stay tuned…
Stratospheerius also recently performed on March 18thwith Trio of Madness for their CD Release party at the NJ Proghouse at Roxy & Duke’s in Dunellen, NJ. Here are some pics from the show, courtesy of JP Fitzgerald:
We are currently negotiating a record deal with a very cool indy label (TBA) and are in the final mixing/editing stages of the last two songs on the record. Stay tuned for updated, samples, etc….
FAKE 45
On March 8th, my new solo cello piece, “Fake 45,” was premiered by the incredible Craig Hultgren as part of the annual Composers Concordance Festival in NYC. Thank you to Gene Pritsker and Dan Cooper for the opportunity. Video is forthcoming…
When I was 17, I was a misfit at my high school A violin nerd who had a deep love for Led Zeppelin,. Rush, Kiss, ACDC, Zappa, and wanted to rock out! If only a camp like this existed when I was 17, I would have been all over it! I see my younger self in every kid who attends. There really is a familial atmosphere and I have made lasting friendships with campers, teachers, and fellow colleagues who are a part of this incredible experience! It is not just for string geeks; guitarists, bassists, singers, drummers, keyboard players, teachers and students of all ages are welcome! I can’t speak enough about what a game changer this week has been for so many musicians and can be for you! Mark Wood is a legendary player/teacher/composer in his own right and designed the 7-string Viper electric violin which I have been playing for two decades! I am honored and excited to be coming back for my 7th year as a faculty member at the Mark Wood Rock Orchestra Camp/Music Festival! Register today at:
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