Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius - 2023 - Behind the Curtain. Live at Progstock

(112:00 [DVD/Blu-Ray] / 109:34 [CD]; Melodic Revolution Records)




























When violinist/singer Joe Deninzon was teaching at The New School in New York he came across Alex Skolnick (yes, THAT Alex Skolnick) who was on one of his breaks from Testament and was studying jazz guitar, and together they recorded an album and formed a band called Stratospheerius. The band has been through a few line-up changes over the years, but recently can be found with Joe alongside drummer Jason Gianni, bassist Paul Ranieri and guitarist Michelangelo Quirinale. This four-disc set from Melodic Revolution Records captures two different Progstock concerts, from 2019 and 2021 and includes a CD of each, alongside a DVD and blu-ray, presented nicely with a small booklet.

To write the review I am listening to the audio but must confess I have been mostly watching the concerts on TV as the multi-camera recording has fully captured a band who are very much in their element, bouncing off each other and having a great time. Each of those involved is a wonderful musician, and I think Joe is possibly the only violinist in the world who plays a custom 7-string for the most part, with a strap which allows him to have both hands free as opposed to having to hold the violin at all times. One of the beauties of the visual is that not only do we see the interaction but also the backdrop videos, which sometimes get put into the main feed and their addition is fascinating.

Musically the guys are very much a prog band who enjoy long instrumental passages, yet they can also be surprisingly commercial and also enjoy bringing in jazz. The 2019 set finds the band mixing and melding their fusion style, and the harmonies on opener “Behind The Curtain” are wonderful, and I have found myself returning to that song time and again as it is such a blast, but being honest I often find that whatever song I am playing is my favourite, and “The Prism” is an amazing way to bookend the set. The threads are insanely complex and complicated, and how Joe manages to sound so composed while he is singing yet is demolishing his violin at the same time is totally beyond me.

While the first set is sublime with the band at full speed, the second set is somewhat more fractured just because Joe is extending what the band is doing. For “Storm Surge” they bring in pianist/flautist Rachel Flowers which adds a totally different element of the band, and then there is a full reset for a take on Chick Corea’s “Spain”. Here Joe moves onto a normal violin, Alex Skolnick joins on acoustic guitar, and they then work with Rachel to produce a jazz masterclass – with Rachel being blind it is interesting to note her piano was at a different angle to normal with both Alex and Joe taking their cues from her at all times. The quartet resume with a blistering take on Muse’s “Hysteria” before Alex returns on electric to play “Heavy Shtettle” for the first time in 20 years.

This is an absolutely glorious set from a group who consistently deliver. It is perhaps no surprise at all that Kansas chose Joe to replace the departed David Ragsdale 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, July 2023

Links:
https://joedeninzon.com/
https://stratospheerius.com/
https://mrrmusic.com/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thirteen of Everything - 2023 - Time and Other Delusions

Image
(68:22; Basement Avatar Records) Track list: 1. Timeline 8:57 2. Alternate Life 12:02 3. Where the Time Goes 5:32 4. The Penultimate Flight of Armando the Pigeon 7:11 5. The King of Istanbul 10:35 6. Warmth and Darkness 7:32 7. Count All the Days 16.33 Line-up: Brett Cosby - guitars Mick Peters - Chapman stick, bass, pedals, vocals Ted Thomas - drums, percussion, vocals Bob Villwock - keyboards with: Thad Miller - keyboards Prolusion. US band Thirteen of Everything has been a going concern for a bit over 20 years, releasing their initial demo back in 2002 with official albums following in 2005 and 2019 respectively. Following what has been a brief pause between albums for this band they are now preparing to launch their third studio album "Time and Other Delusions", which will be released on US label Basement Avatar Records. Analysis. In terms of the different variations one can find in the progressive rock universe, Thirteen of Everything resides safely inside the symphonic ...
Read more

Deaton Lemay Project - 2022 - The Fifth Element

Image
(63:04; Deaton Lemay Project) Track list: 1. The Great Awakening 5:32 2. A Different Place in Time 7:24 3. Dragonfly 3:35 4. The Nightmare 4:28 5. Exordium 6:24 - Elements of Life Suite 6. Overture 4:43 7. Fire 6:10 8. Water 6:11 9. Air 4:19 10. Earth 6:53 11. Music 7:25 Line-up: Roby Deaton - keyboards, guitars, vocals Craig LeMay - drums, percussion with: Hadi Kiani - vocals Ehsan Imani - guitars Josh Mark Raj - guitars John Haddad - bass Charles Berthoud - bass Liza Evans - violin Prolusion. US band DEATON LEMAY PROJECT started out officially back in 2018, following a 25 year long period of gestation. They released their debut album "Day After Yesterday" in 2019, and following what I suspect has been a rather busy planning and recording period during the years of the pandemic the creative twosome of Deaton and Lemay are back with their second album "The Fifth Element" at the start of 2022. Analysis. While the fifth element apparently used to be defined as aether ...
Read more

Jay Graboski - 2023 - Authentic Fake

Image
(77:11; Oho Music) Track list: 1. In Dotage 3:55 2. Season of Extremes 3:54 3. 28721 3:38 4. Dot on Your Door 4:55 5. Die Before You Die 4:00 6. Hidden Agenda 4:43 7. Out on a Limb 3:58 8. Mired in Malaise? 3:00 9. Cosmos of the Soul 3:51 10. The Hours 5:32 11. Frog Legs 2:41 12. Metaphors 3:28 13. The Witness Watchers 3:41 14. Authentic Fake 3:05 15. Your Luck is Awake 4:43 16. The Crown 3:51 17. The Doomed Princess 4:01 18. St. Judas 4:12 19. Where Words Do Not Reach 3:28 20. Well, I'll Be 2:35 Line-up: Jay Graboski - vocals, guitars, bass, percussion, glockenspiel with: Dale German - guitars Ray Jozwiak - accordion, keyboards, bass, Moog Dave Kelly - guitars, programming, keyboards, percussion Julie Keough - backing vocals Harry Maben - drums Patrick McAvinue - fiddle Gene Meros - saxophones Bill Phelan - backing vocals, guitars, mandolin, recorder Bill Pratt - keyboards, backing vocals, horn arrangements David Reeve - drums, percussion, keyboards Gyro J. Scope - sequencing Prol...
Read more