“If the violin has a future in rock and jazz, it is with Joe Deninzon”
Photo by Brian Tirpak
Adventures of Stratospheerius: All About Jazz [2002]
The Adventures Of Stratospheerius
By Glenn Astarita
Violinist Joe Deninzon boasts some impressive credentials! He’s performed with soul/pop icon Smokey Robinson, rock/pop diva Sheryl Crow, and others of note. This Russian born, Cleveland Ohio bred artist displays hearty doses of flair and dazzle throughout this somewhat asymmetrical outing. Featuring electric guitar maestro Alex Skolnick and a strong backing band, the violinist launches the proceedings with a snappy, jazz-fusion motif on the opening number, “What’s That Thang?” The musicians also explore balladry and funk-grooves in concert with Skolnick’s crunch chords and a few folksy movements. At times, notions of the Mahavishnu Orchestra emerge. A passable vocalist, Deninzon’s expressiveness provides a rock-crooner style edge to several tracks.
No doubt, Mr. Deninzon possesses monster chops, whereas many of these pieces feature tricky rhythmic maneuvers amid his electrifying violin passages. But, the overly compressed sonic qualities elicit a rather dated or perhaps antiquated sound. Otherwise, Deninzon possesses the compulsory goods to become a major force in the progressive rock and jazz-fusion arenas.
Track Listing: 1.What’s That Thang? 2.Pleasurepain 3.Peppermint Patty 4.Hindsight 5.Hope Alive 6.StoryTime 7.Sun Goes Down 8.Contusion 9.Ants In The Pants 10.Rise 11.Nefertiti 12.Chunga Changa
Personnel: Joe Deninzon: electric & acoustic violin, vocals, mandolin – Alex Skolnick: guitar – Scott Chasolen: keyboards – Rufus Philpot: electric bass – DJ Big Wiz: turntables – Dave Archer: keyboards – Chris Karlic: bass clarinet, baritone saxophone – Grisha Alexiev: drums – Annette Argentine Aguillar: percussion – Jann Klose: backup vocals – Joe Tomino: drums – Matt Murphy: backup vocals – Daniel Sadownick: percussion
Style: Fusion/Progressive Rock
Cleveland Scene [August 2002]
Toledo Blade [April 2002]
Joe Deninzon, who has been hailed as the “Jimi Hendrix of the electric violin,” brings his unique musical vision to Mickey Finn’s on Saturday in support of his latest release, The Adventures of Stratospheerius…
Electric/Blue: Cadence Magazine [1998]
Electrification of instruments is hardly unusual, although not many play the electric 6-string violin as JOE DENINZON does. His album Electric Blue (Wilbert’s Blues records) is a mixture of jazz, rock, fusion, and numerous other styles, although there is ample improvisation to tilt the scale towards jazz. His duet to sextet groupings revolve around Joe Hunter, keyboard; Mark Gonder, drums; Jeremy Bleich, bass; Dallas Coffey, bass; Ricardo Flores, percussion; Kenny Anderson, tenor sax; Winton Reynolds, piano, Erik Unsworth, bass; Ryan Brown, drums, Tony Pulizzi, guitar. With the exception of a Monk piece, Deninzon wrote all the selections, and all are amplified and spirited tunes (Shock Therapy/In Stride/Well You Needn’t/Bluzak/Acid Rabbits/The Dark Frontier/ An Evening Nap in the Afternoon Sun/Oasis. 51:55). Hunter appears on almost all selections. His keyboard romps are typically wild and wooly, which is just the ticket to keep up with Deninzon. Together, they fan most of the flames of these hotly played tunes. The music touches all bases, infusing swing, Gypsy, Latin, and several Jazz periods with rock-based riffs. It truly is a fusion of multiple music types. Although Zappa and Hendrix made Deninzon’s hero list, so did Beethoven, Coltrane, Grappelli, and Stuff Smith. You will hear the influences of all these guys, so you see why his music is a quilt of many colors. He is not suffering from an identity crisis. He simply wants to be different.
Electric/Blue: All-Music Guide [1998]
Review of Joe Deninzon’s Electric Blue: All-Music Guide
by Alex Henderson
Jazz has given us some impressive violinists over the years (everyone from Joe Venuti, Stephane Grappelli, Stuff Smith to Jean-Luc Ponty and John Blake), but compared to saxophonists, trumpeters and pianists, violinists have been a very small minority in the jazz world. One of the few fusion violinists who came along in the 1990’s, Joe Deninzon shows considerable promise on Electric/Blue. This unpredictable jazz-rock effort demonstrates that while the Russian-born improviser has studied the history of jazz violin extensively, he refuses to be shackled by that history. Though Ponty is a strong influence on Deninzon, it’s obvious that he has also spent a lot of time listening to rock guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Steve Vai. Deninzon can be lyrical and charming, or he can be a forceful, in-your-face player who brings elements of hard rock guitar (distortion, feedback) to the electric violin. A musical rollercoaster, Electric/Blue ranges from the poetic “Oasis”, “An Evening Nap in the Afternoon Sun”, to the metallic, “Shock Therapy”, “Bluzak”. he violinist’s own compositions dominate the CD, although he also provides an unusually rock-influenced version of Thelonious Monk’s “Well You Needn’t”. Deninzon takes his share of chances on Electric/Blue, and they pay off handsomely.