JOE DENINZON & STRATOSPHEERIUS NEWS WINTER 20/21

Season’s Greetings, everyone!

Hope you’re staying safe and not losing your minds yet. 2020 has been a dark vortex of misery, and I like all of you am glad to send it into the dustbins of history.

The good news is that we will all (hopefully soon) will be vaccinated, and when this thing ends, (and it WILL end), people will be hungry for live music and entertainment like never before! So whatever you do, don’t say that this its the “new normal,’ cause to me, that’s just admitting that this situation is permanent, and I refuse to go softly into that goodnight, my friends…

‘TIS THE SEASON! ALL ITEMS ON OUR BANDCAMP STORE 20%O OFF!

That’s right, folks! Please visit my BANDCAMP store and get 20 percent off when you type the code
“holidaze2020”  at the checkout. Get deep discounts on vinyl, mugs, t-shirts,  CD’s, and downloads! Available now until January 1st at MIDNIGHT!

Stratospheerius “Storm Surge” Surges!!!

This past October, Stratospheerius released one of most ambitions songs of all time, “Storm Surge.” Based on a 19th century solo piano piece by German Composer Friedrich Burgmuller, the song was co-written by me, our drummer Jason Gianni, and renowned SAGA lead vocalist Michael Sadler. The track features Michael as our guest lead vocalist, and other guest appearances by guitarist Fernando Perdomo, cellist Ruti Celli, NY-Phil Violinist (and my wife) Yulia Ziskel, and blind prodigy and multi-instrumentalist Rachel Flowers on piano and flute.

The track has been getting some love from Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming services.

Check out this awesome review from Sonic Perspectives:
https://www.sonicperspectives.com/features/video-review-stratospheerius-continue-to-impress-with-storm-surge/

BUY & SREAM the song:
https://stratospheerius.bandcamp.com/track/storm-surge

Please follow Stratospheerius on the following streaming platforms:

SPOTIFY
Apple Music
AMAZON MUSIC
PANDORA
TIDAL

If you haven’t seen the video yet, please enjoy!

Rachel Barton Pine plays “Electric Lake of Soul”

In 2015, I was commissioned to compose a solo piecer by my good friend/world-renowned violinist Rachel Barton Pine.
The result was an 11-minute piece called “The Electric Lake of Soul,” inspired by the novel “Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates” by one of my favorite authors, Tom Robbins. On December 4th, the day after my birthday, Rachel performed this piece as part of her weekly “Family Fridays” livestream series. She plays my piece right after a caprice by one of my favorite violinist/composers of all time, Mark O’Connor. Check it out!

JOIN MY PATREON!

Dear friends,

All of these projects that I’m involved in cost money; Paying musicians, engineers, videographers, promoters, managers, etc etc etc. I would love nothing more than to continue making music for you and the rest of the world to enjoy and to hopefully inspire people. In these dark and uncertain times, it is harder than ever for us musicians to survive. Live gigs have all but disappeared, and I am mainly teaching and recording online, which provides a fraction of the income I had before the pandemic. It will take a long time before I build up that revenue stream to come close to what I was making in the “before time.” Patreon is a wonderful site which enables fans of artist to subscribe for as little as $5 per month. In return, you get a monthly free unreleased download, bootlegs, exclusive sneak peaks, early access to new releases, private concerts, music lessons, free swag, and more!

Please check out my  page for more information. Thank you and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
https://www.patreon.com/joedeninzon

Attention String Players and Orchestra Teachers! Joe Deninzon string arrangements NOW AVAILABLE on www.sheetmusicplus.com!

Over the years, I’ve written string duos, trios, quartets, and string orchestra arrangements for weddings, high school and college residencies, music camps, hired arrangements projects, and just for my own enjoyment. Some people curl up with a good novel, but I love to sit with my laptop, sip a beer and crank out string arrangements. It’s my therapy & takes me to my happy place. Anyway, I have over 100 titles and will be uploading plenty more in the next few months. 

Music by ACDC, Journey, Guns N Roses, Nirvana, Coldplay, The Beatles, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, Queen, Van Halen, Rihanna, Tylor Swift, Katie Perry, and much much much more! I also have original pieces up there. Check it out! Arrangements for levels ranging from beginner/intermediate advanced!
Visit my store at: www.sheetmusicplus.com

Joe Deninzon to teach at Strings Without Boundaries
2021 Winter String Summit Jan 7-11

It is my great honor to teach alongside such great artists and colleagues in the “multi-style” string universe. Strings Without Boundaries is a program founded by violinist Julie Lyonn Lieberman, who has been a pioneer in the field of “alternative/multi-style” string playing for over 40 years! I have contributed to her latest book, “A Festival of Violin and Fiddle Styles,” and had a chance to teach at her online symposium this past summer. She has put together an incredible world-renowned faculty to teach this virtual schmorgasbord of classes. There is no tuition and classes can be taken a-la-carte. Visit the website for the schedule and list of classes. www.stringswithoutboundaries.com Mine will include:

-Rock 101
-How to Read Chord Charts and Lead Sheets
-Getting in the Groove
-Intro to Live Looping
-Learn the solo to “Stairway to Heaven.”

Stay safe, stay strong, and carry on!

-JD

The Story of Storm Surge

A little over a year ago, my son Max was playing a short piano piece by 19th century composer Friedrich Burgmüller, called “The Storm.” The piece was stuck in my head because I would hear him practicing it every day. I started to imagine it as a rock power ballad and began to sketch out a slowed down version with the basic chord changes and structure. 

I had no lyrics, but I showed it to my band and we laid down the rhythm tracks in May of 2019. Long story short, we got backed up with other projects and here we are a year later!

I was imagining a cello replacing the ostinato part played by the left hand on the piano, so I asked my friend Ruti Celli, who I met on Cruise to the Edge last year when we played with Dave Kerzner and In Continuum, to contribute her beautiful part. 

Our drummer, Jason Gianni, has a sketch of a song he never finished that he thought would be a perfect fit as an insert to the song. I layered a huge string orchestra on top of that section and recruited the great Fernando Perdomo to lay down a soaring guitar solo. 

Next, I was hearing a flute during the breakdown section that followed. We have never had a flute, or any woodwinds for that matter, on one of our recordings!  I asked the genius multi-instrumentalist Rachel Flowers to play flute and lay down a piano track for the song. Rachel has been blind since age 3 and plays piano, flute, bass, guitar, drums, stick, sings, and records and mixes her own albums! I’ve meet and worked with hundreds of talented people in my career, but don’t think I have ever met a person with this level of talent! Check out the documentary about her, “Hearing is Believing,” on Amazon Prime.

Finally, I’ve been into the idea of using outside singers in Stratospheerius. Up until his time, I have always been the lead vocalist. The new album we are slowly putting together will have feature many special guests.

We’ve been longtime fans of the 80’s Canadian band “Saga,” bee known for their hits “Wind Him Up” and “One The Loose.” When we played the afterparty at Progstock back in 2018, Saga’s lead singer Michael Sadler caught our set after his performance at the festival, and was raving about the band! We were incredibly humbled to receive such words of encouragement from such an iconic artist in the world of prog. 

We felt Michael’s voice would be perfect for this song! He ended up contributing a jaw-dropping vocal performance, enhancing the melody, and adding Queenesque harmonies. As a side note, he and his wife Gwen turned out to be some of the nicest and most gracious people I have ever worked with!

So in the end, the song is a  writing collaboration between myself, Friedrich Burgmüller, Jason Gianni, and Michael Sadler.

Storm Surge is about the anxiety we all feel in these uncertain times. With the global pandemic, racism and the continuing struggle for social justice, climate change, political upheaval, economic turmoil, and a future of uncertainty, there is a storm that’s raging inside of us right now.

This Saturday, Stratospheerius will be live-streaming our first full band performance since March. Thank you to our friend Matt Vanacoro for letting us use his studio! The performance will culminate with the WORLD PREMIER of the STORM SURGE video!

You can purchase tickets for the event HERE:

https://www.stageit.com/progstock_presents/joe_deninzon_and_stratospheerius/87299

And HERE is the Facebook event for ALL the performances in this series. We encourage you to support all of these renowned artists!

We hope you are able to tune in!

Stay safe and strong.

Love,

JD & Stratos

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On Saturday, September 12th at 8 P.M., we will be livestreaming a 90-min LIVE performance for the Virtual Progstock Festival. This will be the first time the band has played in one room together in 6 months! Our live performance will culminate with the WORLD PREMIER of our new song, “Storm Surge,” co-written by and featuring guest vocalist Michael Sadler from legendary Canadian prog rockers Saga, Rachel Flowers, Ruti Celli, and Fernando Perdomo. Don’t Miss it!

https://www.stageit.com/progstock_presents/joe_deninzon_and_stratospheerius/87299

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius new single, Frame by Frame available NOW from Melodic Revolution Records!

FRAME BY FRAME

The new single by Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius

Available for public consumption on May 1st, 2020.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome to the roaring twenties!

Highlights of 2019:

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius post-holiday sale!

MAJOR discounts on  CD’s. vinyl, mugs, t-shirts, and more!
visit: www.stratospheerius.bandcamp.com
LIMITED TIME Sale ends at the end of January!

BUY A MUG, send us your Mug shots, and we will post on our instagram!

Upcoming performances

Feb 27 Sonic Voyage Fest presents: STRINGFEST II

Echo of the Ghost (7 P.M.)
Susan Aquila Band (8 P.M.)
Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius (9 P.M.)I’m starting a tradition of mini-electric and eclectic string festivals. The concept is an evening of bands playing original music led or comprised of creative electric string players who push the boundaries of their instruments. We had a great first mini-fest last year at DROM with Mazz Swift, 2 Birds Band, and Seven Suns. The sequel will feature Stratospheerius along with 2 of my favorite electric violinists/songwriters/friends; Susan Aquila and Claudia Chopek.

March 11-14, Sonic Voyage Fest Tour with Potters Daughter & Dark Beauty
Stratospheerius is honored and excited to tour with our label mates at Melodic Revolution Records! More details forthcoming…
Wed, March 11th: Debonair Music Hall (1409 Queen Anne Rd, Teaneck, NJ 07666)
Thur, March 12th: Bushwick Publick house (1288 Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221)
Friday, March 13 TBA
Saturday March 14th TBA

New Recordings

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius new single, “Impostor” on Melodic Revolution Records

If you haven’t already, stream (or better yet, download) the new Stratospheerius single, Impostor.
Featuring: Joe Deninzon-electric violin/vocals, Jason Gianni-drums, Michelangelo Quirinale-guitar, Paul Ranieri-bass, Bill Hubauer (Neal Morse Band)-keyboards, Randy McStine-guitar/vocals
Recorded by Rave Tesar (Renaissance). Mixed and Mastered by Rich Mouser (Spock’s Beard, Flying Colors, Neal MKorse, Trans Atlantic, Dream Theater, Tears for Fears)

In Continuum 

I’m honored to have participated on one of the best Prog albums of 2019 with an all-star cast. Keyboardist/singger/songwriter/producer Dave Kerzner released the sci fi concept albums, Acceleration Theory Part I & II in 2019, and I contributed strings to both projects. Musicians on the album include Michael Sadler (lead singer of Saga), Jon Davidson (lead singer of Yes), Steve Hacket (original Genesis guitarist), drummer Marco Minneman (Joe Satriani, Aristocrats), drummer Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard, Big Big Train), singers The McBroom Sisters (Pink Floyd), bassist Matt Dorsey, guitarists Randy McStine and Fernando Perdomo, and singers Gabriel Agudo and Leticia Wolf!

TPM Top Keys of 2019

Joe Deninzon Published Sheet Music

Attention string players!
Check out my original compositions available on from Lathasm Music/JW pepper. My latest is a “Sidewinder”-style funky jazz string quartet titled “Benson Burner Boogaloo.”
BUY SHEET MUSIC HERE!

New Projects

We are currently hard at work filming and editing the video for Stratospheerius “Impostor,” with videographer David P. Levin, who produced our video for “Behind the Curtain”

Here is the full performance of my “Dream Diary Electric Violin Concerto” by Prof Rudolf Haken!

Finally, check out this bootleg video of Stratospheerius performing our song, “Game of Chicken” live at Progstock Oct 13, 2019. Union County Performing Arts Center.

We are also putting the finishing touches on three new tracks that will be a part of the next Stratospheerius album. At least one will be released as another single until the album comes out. Also writing new music we plan to record.

I will soon be launching patreon account and look forward to the opportunity to share my day to day musical activities, projects, and general thoughts with you. Stay tuned…

Peace, love, and music,
-JD