by Joe Deninzon | Sep 10, 2013 | News
SEPTEMBER 26TH CANCER BENEFIT FOR DAVID GOTAY
Dear friends,
I would like to focus this newsletter on a very special event coming up in New York City. As many of you know, one of my closest friends and colleagues, David Gotay (cellist from Metro Strings and Sweet Plantain) has been diagnosed with Stage IV Kidney Cancer, which has spread to his brain, chest, and bones. He is fighting for his life. We are organizing a fundraiser to help David and his family pay for his medical expenses and living expenses. If you are in New York on that date, please join us and help support David. The evening will feature 5 incredible bands, all of whom have a personal connection with Dave. If you are not able to attend and would like to make a donation, Please visit www.paypal.com and you can make direct payments to davefightscancer@gotayproductions.com.
Here is all the information about the show.
Please join the event on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/585534714842955/
Thursday, September 26th
The Shrine
Www.shrinenyc.com
2271 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd
(Near 134th St)
5 incredible bands!
7 PM Erbium (www.erbiummusic.com)
8 PM Stratospheerius (www.stratospheerius.com)
9 PM Resolution 15 (www.resolution15.com)
10 PM Andy Milne/Dapp Theory (www.andymilne.com)
11 PM Sound Liberation (www.soundliberation.net)
OTHER UPCOMING STRATOSPHEERIUS SHOWS
Friday, Sept 27th
10 PM
Olive’s
118 Main St.
Nyack, NY
845.358.3120
$5 cover
With SPECIAL GUEST:
Israeli guitarist Gadi Caplan
www.gadicaplan.com
Friday, October 4th and Saturday, October 5th
Stratospheerius RETURNS TO HARVETS BALL!
We are excited to be returning to one of our favorite places; Harry’s Hill in Starks, ME, to play at the annual Harvest Ball Festival. We will be doing two sets alongside an incredible lineup of bands: Friday, Oct 4th at 9:30 P.M. and Saturday, Oct 5th at 12:00 P.M.
For more information, please visit www.harryshill.net
Thursday, October 17th
THE GRAPE ROOM
105 Grape St.
Philadelphia, PA
19127
215-930-0321
www.graperoommusic.com
9:00 P.M.
$5 cover
STRATOSPHEERIUS IS:
Joe Deninzon-electric violin/vocals
Lucianna Padmore-drums
Jamie Bishop-bass
Aurelien Budynek-guitar
One Foot in the Next World Video
Stratospheerius’ first official video has been getting multiple views and great feedback. We are about to launch a full-scale promotion for video, hopefully bringing it to every possible outlet where music videos are shown these days. Check it out at (LINK). Blog it, tweet it, tell your friends.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7ad4iCYIOI
by Joe Deninzon | Jun 19, 2013 | Joe Deninzon, News
WELCOME TO THE DENINZOO
THE LATEST HAPPENINGS FROM VIOLINIST JOE DENINZON AND STRATOSPHEERIUS
JUNE/JULY, 2013
www.joedeninzon.com
www.stratospheerius.com
Dear friends,
I hope you’re having an incredible summer (so far). Here is all the latest and the greatest in my world:
THE VIDEO IS DONE!!
After a successful Kickstarter campaign and months of planning, filming, and editing, The video for STRATOSPHEERIUS’ song, “One Foot in the Next World,” has been unleashed upon the earth!
Watch it HERE. Share it with your friends, distant acquaintances, and sworn enemies. Leave your comments. Tweet it, post it. Make us go viral, baby!
Upcoming Stratospheerius Shows
www.stratospheerius.com
www.facebook.com/stratospheerius
www.reverbnation.com/stratospheerius
Thursday, June 27th
The Shrine
2271 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. (@ 134th St)
New York, NY
www.shrinenyc.com
9:00 P.M.-10:00 P.M.
Visit Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/626839527330188/
Friday, June 28th
Olive’s
118 Main St.
Nyack, NY
845-358-3120
With special guest, iS
http://www.reverbnation.com/isjamtrio
Visit event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/246131245525529/
Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius
Stratospheerius is:
Joe Deninzon: electric violin/vocals/mandolin
Lucianna Padmore-drums
Jamie Bishop -bass/vocals
Aurelien Budynek-guitar/vocals
Other shows
Saturday, June 29th
Performing with Balkan Stomp
Rockwood Music Hall
MIDNIGHT
196 Allen St.
New York, NY
212-477-4155
FREE ADMISSION
www.rockwoodmusichall.com
Songs from Serbia, Bosnia, Italy, remixed.
www.facebook.com/balkanstomp
Saturday, July 6th
9:30 P.M.
at Mehanata
113 Ludlow St.
New York, NY 10002
212-625-0981
www.mehanata.com
EDUCATION STATION
ATTENTION STRING PLAYERS!!!
Joe Deninzon to teach at Mark Wood’s Rock Orchestra Camp this summer!
http://www.mwroc.com/faculty/
I am excited to be returning as a faculty member at Mark Wood’s Rock Orchestra Camp. Mark Wood was the designer of the 7-string fretted Viper Electric violin that I play. He is a legendary performer who has played with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Dee Snyder, and Billy Joel, to name a few. He is also a true revolutionary in the world of electric violin and string education. The camp will take place at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, KS from July 14-20, 2012.
REGISTER TODAY AT
http://www.mwroc.com/
JOE DENINZON RESIDENCY AT “GOT STRINGS” SUMMER CAMP
I will be giving a free masterclass on improvisation/extended techniques and a solo electric violin performance as part of the Got Strings Music Camp on Saturday, July 27th at 10:00 AM. The event is FREE and open to the public and is part of my two-day residency with the camp (July 26-27).
www.gotstrings.com
Souderton Mennonite Church
105 W. Chestnut St., Souderton, PA 189
“PLUGGING IN” by Joe Deninzon
If you are a string player interested in going electric and exploring the world of improvisation for the first time, buy this book today!
http://www.melbay.com/Products/Default.aspx?loaddwn=true&ProductID=22035SET_R
Read the review from STRINGS magazine!
http://www.allthingsstrings.com/Reviews/Editions/Plugging-In-A-Guide-to-Gear-and-New-Techniques-for-the-21st-Century-Violinist
Like the new “Plugging In” Facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/plugginginbook
DAVID GOTAY FIGHTS CANCER
In my previous newsletter, I told you about how my friend and colleague David Gotay, cellist in Sweet Plantain (www.sweetplantain.com) and Metro Strings (www.metrostrings.com) is fighting Stage 4 Renal Cell Carcinoma (Kidney Cancer.) Dave has very basic health insurance from the Musician’s Union in New York City and is not able to work as a result of his condition. We are pleased to announce that we raised over $70,000 in our Indiegogo campaign to help Dave pay his medical bills, mortgage, and living expenses! In the interim, David was able to get a better deal with his insurance company, but he still has to pay thousands of dollars a year out of pocket for his medication and treatment. There will be numerous fundraising concerts taking place in the next few months with some major acts performing. Stay tuned for updates… and a tremendous THANK YOU for your prayers and support!
Visit the indiegog page:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dave-fights-evil-cancer
PRESS ROOM
Amazing interview with Joe Deninzon in Spring issue of Progression Magazine
http://www.progressionmagazine.com
Read full interview HERE: https://joedeninzon.com/category/press/
Joe Deninzon interview in “Prog Talk” section of Downbeat Magazine
http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=news&subsect=news_detail&nid=2123
by Eric Harabadian
STRATOSPHEERIUS T-SHIRTS NOW AVAILABLE!
Stratospheerius is proud to finally have the opportunity to take the fashion industry by storm!
Our super soft and comfortable shirt feature artwork from our latest CD, “The Next World.” Comes in 2 varieties: With and without ringers. Available in M, L, XL, XXL. Order your shirt today and be the envy of all your friends!
Any order Includes immediate download of our song The Prism in your choice of MP3 320, FLAC, or just about any other format you could possibly desire!
http://stratospheerius.bandcamp.com/merch/stratospheerius-next-world-t-shirts
VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE
Bootleg footage from our show at Old Miami in Detroit on 12-14-12.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AImUeJg6Ucc
Stratospheerius LIVE footage:
http://youtu.be/e6_dhY84Wvg
http://youtu.be/gqOR2XtIpKw
http://youtu.be/wnFfEd33QuA
http://youtu.be/betmiaNU05A
http://youtu.be/KiQJw-1coNM
http://youtu.be/RYQoxjI1JNU
Reviews of Stratospheerius’ “The Next World”
Our latest CD, “The Next World,” reached number 10 on the national Jamband charts and has been continuously receiving nationwide airplay and rave reviews.
Here is what other critics have been saying about the “The Next World”:
“(Stratospheerius) once again shows the world that Russians and Americans can make beautiful and exciting music together …A thrilling array of songs that run the gamut from complex prog tunes to simple ballads. “The Next World” is an electrifying album, guaranteed to take you into the stratosphere and beyond…”
-Wildman Steve
www.thecornernews.com
Read more…
http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/music_n_movies/comments/out-of-this-world-album/
“You just can’t go wrong with this outfit. Nor can you assume what you are going to hear when they release a new disc. While the fusion elements of previous releases are still present, this one has more pure rock in it, too. Frankly, this might be the best Stratospheerius disc yet!”
-G.W Hill
Read more…
http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/index_cdreviews_display.cfm?id=103508
“Every member plays with passion and invention. Budynek is tight and bright in rhythm mode and soars when the song calls for it. Bishop is a flat out low-end monster and perfectly matched with the fiery Padmore. She is that drummer every musician wants in their ensemble: a player that can blow your mind one moment, then tenderly hold your hand the next. As for Deninzon – the sounds he gets out of that violin are inhuman. His speed, precision, color, and character are just off the charts!”
-Jon Wilcox
Read more…
http://progsheet1.hypermart.net/cdrz.html
“A leading contender for the best rock album of 2012… Joe Deninzon’s dazzling violin solos, creative loops and effects are
clearly spectacular and demonstrate that he is one of the most talented instrumentalists in the current rock scene. ”
-Angel Romero
Read more…
http://progressiverockcentral.com/2012/05/04/a-superbly-gifted-violinist/
“Tightly crafted studio pieces including intricately produced vocal articulations, electronic effects, and multi-tracked instrumentation…It’s an album with bright, vibrant tones from four players who aren’t competing, but rather congealing.”
-Wessley Britton
Read more…
http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Music-Review-Joe-Deninzon-Stratospheerius-3477902.php
“It’s in STRATOSPHEERIUS that the violinist holds the richest palette to take colors from….a fabulous vibe goes down the listener’s spine.”
Read more…
www.dmme.net
http://dmme.net/reviews/reviews49.html#spheer12
Visit The Next World homepage on the Digital Nations website (Digital Nations logo)
http://www.digital-nations.com/artists/premier-dn-artists/joe-deninzon-stratospheerius/
Listen to samples and download it on itunes.
Itunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-next-world…/id501158622
Buy it on CDbaby.
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/joedeninzonstratospheeri
Buy it on Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0076T21XM/ref=dm_sp_alb?ie=UTF8&qid=1328726471&sr=8-3
Buy it on abstractlogix.com
http://www.abstractlogix.com/xcart/product.php?productid=25506&cat=0&page=1
Purchase “The Next World…” and other releases on the new Stratospheerius and Joe Deninzon pages on bandcamp.com
www.stratospheerius.bandcamp.com
www.joedeninzon.bandcamp.com
by Joe Deninzon | May 15, 2013 | News, Sweet Plantain
I first met David Gotay at a recording session in 2000. I had been living in New York for two years. I had just graduated from Manhattan School of Music and was trying to make my way as a freelance musician. At the session, we instantly hit it off. We were part of a string quartet accompanying the band Illuminati, a well known jam band in New York. I was impressed with David’s musicianship and his sense of humor and warmth. We stayed in touch over the years and played in many orchestras and recording sessions together. When I was asked to form a rock string quartet to play private events, David was my first choice for cello. He had amazing classical chops and a great sense of groove, nurtured by his love of funk and hip hop, which he obsessively listened to growing up in the Bronx in the 80’s. He would be the first guy I call whenever I need a cellist for a recording session.
I also became a huge fan of David’s quartet, Sweet Plantain, which became one of the hottest genre crossing groups in the New York scene. I was amazed by the way in which they mixed Hip Hop, jazz, classical, and Latin flavors. Dave brought the hip hop element into the group and was acting as manager. With his charm, and organizational skills, the group was touring all over the world and it’s following was growing rapidly. It was exciting for me to witness it because I felt like I knew these guys from the beginning.
There was no other band like this! I truly believed this band could do great things and reach the level of great world-renowned genre crossing string quartets like Turtle Island and Kronos. In 2010, Dave asked me to join the group and I was thrilled. We had a great chemistry and it felt like a family. There were a lot of laughs and magic moments shared on and off stage and we had a blast touring, and are looking forward to great things happening in 2013 and beyond.
Last year, the group was picked up by Joanne Rile Management and there are some incredible prospects.
I could not think of another cellist who could rap, play electric and acoustic cello, and write amazing music with Dave’s unique combination of influences. Without David, this group simply could not exist. Not just because he is irreplaceable as a cellist and composer with classical, jazz, and hip hop influences, but also as a proactive person with great managerial skills who has rallied the troopss and has kept the group going, getting us the gigs, following up with presenters, organizing APAP showcases. He did most of the grunt work so the group can keep touring and building its audience.
I consider David one of my closest friends. He is at his core a warm and decent person who is loyal to his family and friends and always has your back. A great husband, brother, uncle, son, and friend. Dave is loved by so many people because he is easy to love. It is rare to meet people like Dave in this world, and when you do, you should hold on to them. These people are precious. We all want Dave to be around for a long, long time to come. On a personal note, I hope to keep make music with this man many years from now.
At the end of April, 2013, Dave woke up one morning with no feeling in his right arm. Doctors mistakenly told him it was Brachial Nuritis, a rare viral nerve disease which could be cured on its own with physical therapy. On May 9th, David had a series of MRI’s and was diagnosed with Stage IV Renal Cell Carciroma-kidney cancer that had spread undetected to his brain and lungs. The diagnosis was a total shock. David first went to the doctor for what he had thought was a simple strain injury in his right arm from too much time on the cello, only to discover he had a brain tumor, an infected kidney, and 35 tumors in his lungs. Today, David is in the fight for his life.
David’s insurance through the Musician’s Union is ridiculously limited and limiting. It doesn’t cover hospitalization nor many of the treatments he will need. Cancer is expensive!
And remember, he is a freelance musician. There are no paid sick days for artists! Every day he spends in treatment fighting this cancer is a day he doesn’t earn money. David and his wife Yuko (who is also a musician) were proud to buy their first home last year., and are now saddled with mortgage payments.
Our listed goal is to raise $40,000. Our REAL goal is to raise $200,000-and believe us, David is worth every penny!
So please search within your heart and dig deep into your pockets. David and his family are counting on your generosity.
This is why we are asking for your support.
Please donate to help David in the fight for his life.
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dave-fights-evil-cancer
Also, please like and contribute your thoughts and prayers inn these pages:
https://www.facebook.com/DaveFightsEvilCancer
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dave-fights-evil-cancer
Thank you in advance for your support.
by Joe Deninzon | Apr 25, 2013 | Joe Deninzon
Prog Talk: Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius
Posted 4/25/2013
With a musical background that encompasses classical, jazz, rock, world and all points in between, violinist-mandolinist-vocalist-bandleader Joe Deninzon is a whirling dervish of vibrant creativity. He is one of those folks who seem to have a limitless supply of intriguing ideas. Deninzon is the embodiment of a true progressive artist, with jazz at his sonic core.
“I was a jazz major in school, and that jazz influence has always been infused in our music,” he said.
Deninzon was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and is the son of a concert violinist father and a concert pianist mother. He grew up and was raised in Cleveland, and studied classical and jazz violin at Indiana University. After relocating to New York City in 1998, Deninzon recorded his first venture into the jazz-fusion milieu, Electric/Blue. Its release was concurrent with the budding string player’s burgeoning career as a freelance studio musician and sideman.
He was also studying at the Manhattan School of Music and teaching at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. It was there that he met and began a musical partnership with guitarist Alex Skolnick, known for his work in the metal genre. The two of them pooled their love of electric Miles Davis, Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra and the like into an exciting new ensemble called Stratospheerius. This collaboration resulted in the 2002 CD The Adventures Of Stratospheerius. The 12-track album consisted mostly of Deninzon’s compositions along with interpretations of songs by Wayne Shorter, Vince Guaraldi and Stevie Wonder.
Stratospheerius established itself as a high-energy performance entity, with extended jams, sophisticated improvisation and intricate violin/guitar interplay, as evidenced on the 2004 concert disc Live Wires. The album was a turning point for Deninzon and company in numerous ways. Jake Ezra replaced Skolnick on guitar, and it was the debut for drummer Lucianna Padmore, a fellow New School alum. They also trimmed the outfit from a sextet to a lean-and-mean foursome, with Ron Baron on bass. In 2007 the album Headspace took the band in a slightly different direction as more overt funk and jazz styles were laced with increasing melodic and progressive rock overtones. More personnel changes transpired as bassist Bob Bowen and guitarist Mack Price joined Padmore for the expansion of their sound.
Around this juncture Deninzon took a break from the fusion world, teaming with bassist Bowen and guitarist Steve Benson in the acoustic Joe Deninzon Trio, which recorded the 2010 jazz albumExuberance. It was at this point where the versatile violinist took a step back to his musical beginnings and cast all of his improvisational influences together in a fresh light.
“What’s really fun for us is to open up the songs live and take them in all directions,” Deninzon explained. “For that to happen, you’ve gotta have an improvisational jazz mentality and tap into a certain head space. We all have a jazz background and we bring that to the table.”
Following Straospheerius guitarist Price’s departure and Bowen’s tragic death in a biking accident, Deninzon recruited French guitarist Aurelien Budynek and bassist Jamie Bishop in 2008. This has been the group’s most consistent and enduring lineup thus far, documented on the 2012 CD The Next World.
“On my first [album] we did a cover of Thelonious Monk’s ‘Well, You Needn’t,’” Deninzon said. “On The Adventures Of Stratospheerius, we covered Wayne Shorter’s ‘Nefertiti.’ Our latest is a more focused and song-oriented album. It’s heavier and more rock-oriented but there are still a lot of jazz influences there, too.”
The all-original excursion contains a lot of jazz-influenced music, such as the dynamic and atmospheric disc opener “Release,” while the instrumental “Fleshbot” has a lot of fire à la violinists Jean-Luc Ponty and Didier Lockwood. “Missing Link” matches odd time signatures with strong vocal hooks, and “Ballad For Ding Bang” is a sweet dedication to Deninzon’s son Max that features smooth chord changes and delicate accents by Padmore.
“I’ve always admired artists who are spontaneous and don’t just rehash their recorded material onstage,” Deninzon said. “I always like to keep the band on their toes and keep me from being bored playing the same material. We’ll change what we play and how we play it. Zappa was notorious for doing that kind of thing. Weather Report did that. All the great jazz groups did that. I let the music dictate where I’m gonna go—sort of like a Ouija board where you tap into that spirit and it leads you where it wants to.”
—Eric Harabadian
by Joe Deninzon | Apr 2, 2013 | Joe Deninzon
MWROC2013flyer-2pg
ATTENTION STRING PLAYERS!!!
Joe Deninzon to teach at Mark Wood’s Rock Orchestra Camp this summer!
http://www.mwroc.com/faculty/
I am excited to be returning as a faculty member at Mark Wood’s Rock Orchestra Camp. Mark Wood was the designer of the 7-string fretted Viper Electric violin that I play. He is a legendary performer who has played with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Dee Snyder, and Billy Joel, to name a few. He is also a true revolutionary in the world of electric violin and string education. The camp will take place at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, KS from July 14-20, 2012.
REGISTER TODAY AT
http://www.mwroc.com/
Some of the topics I will be teaching include:
-“Fiddlefunk”: Using the violin in a funk or hip-hop band
-“Rhytholin”: Chopping, scratching, and comping on the violin
-The “Effective” Violinist: Working with effects in a solo or composition
-Fusion Violin: Mahavishnu, Jean-Luc Ponty, and original songs.
-Singing and playing/arranging violin parts around vocals
-Rocking out your string quartet-coaching and performing some of my string quartets that I perform with Metro Strings (www.metrostrings.com)
-Fitting into a rock arrangement using chord patterns, fills and solos, and effects.
Other renowned faculty members/friends include:
Rachel Barton Pine, Tracy Silverman, Bridgid Bibbens, David Wallace, Sean Grissom, and Chuck Bontrager.
