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You are here: Home / Archives for Ray Weston

Ray Weston

Frogg Cafe with special guest Brett Kull (April 22, 2017)

March 17, 2017 by NJProghouse

Frogg Cafe with special guest Brett Kull
http://www.froggcafe.com | https://www.brettkull.com

when: Saturday, April 22, 2017 | 8:00PM Doors | 9:00PM Show
where: Roxy & Dukes | 745 Bound Brook Rd, Dunellen, NJ (map)
Cost: Online Presale $22.00
Walk ups day of show $30 (Cash Only) Beginning at 8PM
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

 

FROGG CAFE

http://www.froggcafe.com/

Frogg Cafe is a 5 piece original rock band from the New York metropolitan area making music that incorporates elements of Zappa-esque progressive rock, pop melodicism and fusion jazz. Frogg Cafés music is also peppered with an appealing variety of other flavors including latin music, bluegrass, modern chamber music and avant-garde/experimental. Their energetic live shows feature extended flights of group improvisation that draw grins from any hardcore prog fan.

The members of this unique group are Bill Ayasse (vocals, electric violin, mandolin), James Guarnieri (drums), John Lieto (vocals, keyboards, trombone), Nick Lieto (vocals, keyboards, trumpet, flugelhorn), and Andrew Sussman (vocals, bass, cello, acoustic guitar). Frogg Café studio albums also exploit the considerable talents of a regular supporting cast of guest musicians, who supply marimba, flute, and additional percussion to their colorful and highly textured arrangements.

Discography includes six albums within a seventh due out summer 2017. Amongst them a double-disc live release and a full length improvisational album. Most recent studio album, Bateless Edge (2010) represents a collection of seventy-four minutes of music, full of complex arrangements in several different progressive rock styles.  Past discography includes: Frogg Cafe (2001), re-mastered with a live bonus track; Noodles (2002) an improvisational album which captures a snippet of a four-hour jam session in the studio; the melodic and heavily Zappa and early Genesis-influenced Creatures (2003); Fortunate Observer of Time (2005); and live double-disc The Safenzee Diaries (2007),  which features fourteen songs and over two hours of live music spanning from 2004-2006.  Safenzee captures a band that is internationally renowned for live performances at their absolute best, in a virtuoso display of showmanship.

The real experience comes when you witness the band live. Frogg Cafés festival performances include: Terra Incognita, Quebec, QC (2015), NEARfest (Northeast Art Rock), Bethlehem, PA (2005), Calprog, Whittier, CA (2007), Progday, Chapel Hill, NC (2007), Prog in the Park, Rochester, NY (2004, 2005), Zappanale, Bad Doberan, Germany (2004), Berg-Herzberg, Herzberg, Germany (2004), Rites of Spring (Rosfest) Pre-show, Phoenixville, PA (2004), New Jersey Proghouse Homecoming (2013), and most recently at the Orion Studios 20th Anniversary Appreciation Fest, Baltimore, MD (2014).  Some club performances include: The Knitting Factory Tap Bar (formerly NYC), Towne Crier (Beacon, Pawling, NY), Lizard Lounge (Boston), Nectars (Burlington, VT).

Frogg Café has shared the stage with noteworthy artists Proto-Kaw featuring Kerry Livgren of Kansas, The Flower Kings, Happy the Man, keyboard virtuoso Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater and drumming legend Rod Morgenstein, Miriodor, Necromonkey Spiraling, Izz, Helmet of Gnats, Page McConnell of Phish, Amfibian featuring Tom Marshall, Dave Mason, and Ryan Montbleau.  Legendary ex-Zappa percussionist Ed Mann took up the mallets for the 2004 Zappanale Festival in Germany.


https://www.facebook.com/Frogg-Cafe-66279581629/

 

BRETT KULL

https://www.brettkull.com/

Brett Kull is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, producer, and engineerfrom the United States. He is best known for being a founding member of the band Echolyn, and long standing member of Grey Eye Glances. Brett is also an adjunct college instructor sharing his love for audio engineering and sound design.

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkuAlWVAEbNHwQ8JoulSSxw
Bandcamp: https://brettwilliamkull.bandcamp.com/releases
Web Page Blog: http://www.brettkull.com/blog
echolyn: http://www.echolyn.com/bandcamp
more release: https://echolyn.bandcamp.com/music

Filed Under: NJProghouse Presents Tagged With: Brett Kull, Captain Cabeza, echolyn, Frogg Cafe, Ray Weston

Ray Weston | Red | Valdez | Pluck & Rail [July 18, 2015]

June 11, 2015 by NJProghouse

An All-Star Acoustic Evening at NJProghouse!

•Ray Weston (of echolyn)
•Red (featuring Karl Eisenhart of Pinnacle)
•Valdez (featuring Simon Godfrey of Tinyfish and Tom Hyatt and Paul Ramsey of echolyn)
•Pluck and Rail (featuring Andy Sussman of Frogg Cafe)

when: Saturday, July 18, 2015 | 7:00PM Show | 6:00PM Doors
where: Roxy & Dukes | 745 Bound Brook Rd, Dunellen, NJ (map)
Cost: Online Presale $22(includes $2 processing fee)
Walk-ups Day of Show $30 (Cash Only) Beginning at 6:00PM

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS


Ray Weston

http://echolyn.com

weston

Ray Weston has been performing live since he was fifteen, and has spent the last twenty-five years performing with the progressive rock group echolyn. Ray’s contributions have been mostly through composition of words and melodies, often depicting dark life events and pairing them with sweet melodies, weaving stories that explore these experiences.

Ray’s growth with echolyn continues to develop and redefine a compositional style best described as melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and dynamic—true progressive rock. Defying categorization while achieving critical acclaim from around the globe, echolyn continues to bend the ears of the world’s listeners. The seeds of echolyn were sown in the late 1980s when Ray, Brett Kull, and Paul Ramsey played in a cover band named Narcissus. A year later, Christopher Buzby joined Kull and Ramsey to form echolyn, a band that made the conscious decision to create entirely original music, and they began recording their eponymous CD echolyn in 1990. Echolyn was a welcome breath of fresh air in that generally lean time for progressive music.

 


Red

http://www.redacoustic.com

red

The Acoustic Power Duo

The history of RED goes back to the summer of 1997, when Karl Eisenhart (Pinnacle, Twist of Fate) and Chris Michels (Apple Jack, Copper Penny) both found themselves “between bands” and tired of playing the same set of cover tunes that it seemed every cover band ended up doing. They started out as a three piece rock band with a fairly eclectic set list ranging from Wang Chung to Jethro Tull, but persistent drummer problems forced them to re-evaluate the band’s future before they even booked their first show. Chris’s abilities on multiple instruments lent themselves to a more acoustic-oriented project, so the “duo” era of RED was born.

Because of the unusual instrumentation–in those days including mandolin, violin, electric bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar and guitar synthesizer—it was practically impossible to stay true to the arrangements of most of the cover songs they did, so they just stopped trying. Most songs were rebuilt from the ground up to suit the sound of the group. This turned out to be an extremely freeing approach to music and also great research and development for writing originals.

Karl and Chris quickly realized that the songs that seemed to resonate with the audience the best were the more stripped down/strictly acoustic numbers, so a great deal of excess instrumentation and amplification was shed and a smaller, more nimble version of the band emerged. This new version of the group recorded a CD called Oracle in 2001. Long out of print, it is now a collector’s item treasured by literally tens of people.

In 2006, RED was hired as the house band at Bear Creek Mountain Resort. This meant that they were playing in the same venue weekly and necessitated a much more varied set list. Within a year, the list of cover songs they played (still ranging from Wang Chung to Jethro Tull and beyond) had grown to well over 100 songs, and originals were developing fast. The group could now play three full nights without ever repeating a song.

Around this time, it was discovered that percussion is important, and since then a host of brilliant drummers have played with the band when time and space allow. Ian Frey (F.C.C., Sunshine Symphony), Moe Jerant (The Large Flower Heads) and Dave Parfitt (everybody) now all make regular appearances with the world’s most over-staffed duo.

In 2011, their second album, Another Sun, marked the beginning of another phase in the development of the band. Applying the reverse of the irreverent approach used in learning cover songs, they took the opportunity to realize full-band arrangements of many of the songs that they had written as an acoustic ensemble. These originals take lyrical inspiration from such diverse origins as Dr. Who and Poet Laureate Robert Penn Warren and musical inspiration from practically everywhere. Two of the more obscure cover songs from the RED live set round out the album. “Silver” was written by John Wesley (Porcupine Tree) and “Dust” was written by Tony Carey (Rainbow, Planet P Project). Not wanting to say anything as self-satisfying and snooty as “genre-defying,” the music is best described as “progressive acoustic.”

 

 


Valdez

valdez

Valdez is an acoustic/electric band from Philadelphia, comprising UK singer/songwriter Simon Godfrey, Echolyn bassist Tom Hyatt, and Joe Cardillo, keyboard player for jazz-rock fusionists Cold Blue Electric.

The group came together as part of series of informal get-togethers at Simon’s Duckland Studios in Philadelphia. The chemistry proved so good, the three decided to form a band and named it Valdez after a ’70s western movie Joe had liked.

Simon Godfrey had fronted the UK band Tinyfish for 5 years before moving from the UK to live and work full time in the US. In those first weeks he met Echolyn bassist Tom Hyatt, during a night out at a Philly comedy club.

“We hit it off immediately” said Tom. “Having a shared sense of humor goes a long way when it comes to creating good music.”

“After that night, Tom and I would get together Thursday evenings just to play songs.” added Simon “When you do as much laughing as you do playing, you know in your heart there is a special chemistry at work.”

In January of this year Tom suggested keyboard player Joe Cardillo join in on the sessions. The results we’re immediate. “It was if I we had been playing together for years. The way the three of us locked in with each other’s playing was uncanny.” said Simon. Joe has spent the better part of his life playing keys in a wide variety of bands, performing classics and original music throughout the tri-state area.

The three are currently writing material as Valdez for a release later in the year.

 


Pluck and Rail

https://www.facebook.com/pluckandrail

pluckandrail

Pluck and Rail is the acoustic intersection of Andrew Sussman of the prog-rock heavyweights, Frogg Café, and George Gierer of the folkabilly band South County. Drawing from the deep well of American music, Pluck and Rail blends together gritty songwriting, tight vocal melodies and soaring cello runs to craft unique sound. Bitter and sweet, pleasure and pain, Pluck and Rail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: NJProghouse Presents Tagged With: Andy Sussman, Karl Eisenhart, Paul Ramsey, Pluck and Rail, Ray Weston, Red, Simon Godfrey, Tom Hyatt, Valdez

Ray Weston | Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius (February 1, 2014)

January 10, 2014 by NJProghouse

Who: Ray Weston | Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius
http://echolyn.com | http://www.stratospheerius.com

When: Saturday, February 1, 2014 | 8:00PM Show | 7:15PM Doors

Where: Roxy & Dukes | 745 Bound Brook Rd, Dunellen, NJ

Cost:
Online Presale $20 (includes $2 processing fee)
Walk-ups Day of Show $25 (Cash Only)

CLICK HERE TO ORDER TICKETS


 

Ray Weston

http://echolyn.com

rayweston

I have been performing live since 1977. The last 25 with echolyn. I know my way around the piano, the guitar and bass, but most of my contributions have been through words and melodies.

I am a cup half empty, waiting for the next bad thing to happen kind of guy. I write from the heart and I’m never afraid to discuss my prior drug use, bouts of depression and the loss of family and friends.

I take these dark subjects and put them over simple chords, then put them to a light hummable melody. I love telling the stories behind all that mess. It’s liberating for myself, as well as the listener. In the end, I think it brings us closer as friends and turns us into one big extended family.


Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius

http://www.stratospheerius.com

STRATOSPHEERIUS

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius’ fifth album, THE NEXT WORLD charted on the Relix/Jam Band charts at #10, and stayed there for two months. The band recently had a feature story in PROGRESSION magazine in 2013.

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius’ new album, THE NEXT WORLD celebrates its acclaimed sound–a melodic mixture of progressive hard rock with jam band, funk, jazz, and Gypsy influences. The unique merging of these sounds can be heard in the fiery “Gods,” the energetic power clash in “The Missing Link” and the glorious intro, “Release.” As usual there are wide ranging instrumentals–the superfast “Road Rage” and the soulful “Ballad for Ding Bang,” as well as the post-apocolyptic “Fleshbot.” And Joe & his band bend genres in the electronic/ska-inspired “Tech Support,” the country rock ballad “Climbing,” and the bluesy “The House Always Wins.”

THE NEXT WORLD is chockful of dynamic musicianship, and creative energies of bandmates–leader Joe Deninzon on electric violin and lead vocals, French guitarist Aurelien Budynek (Cindy Blackman, Vernon Reid), bassist Jamie Bishop (The Syn, Francis Dunnery), and drummer Lucianna Padmore (praised by Modern Drummer Magazine for her “Deep grooves and serious fusion chops.”

The album is dedicated to the memory of Bob Bowen, the bassist in both Stratospheerius and the Joe Deninzon Trio. Bob was killed in a bicycle accident in Manhattan in 2010. Bob’s bass playing can be heard on “The House Always Wins.” He was also a talented visual artist and drew the cover artwork for the album.

Stratospheerius has played at colleges, festivals, and clubs throughout the US. The New York-based group has opened for Tim Reynolds, Mickey Hart, The Slip, Ekoostik Hookah, and John Scofield. The group was a winner in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, won the Online People’s Choice Awards in the Cornucopia Festival, and was named “Best Jam Band” in Musician’s Atlas Independent Music Awards.

Joe Deninzon is the music world’s expert on alternative violin techniques and has been called the “Jimi Hendrix of the electric violin.” His song “Scarlett’s Waltz” is in the soundtrack of the Will Ferrell-produced movie, VIRGINITY HIT. In January 2012, Mel Bay books published his “PLUGGING IN: A Guide To Gear and New Techniques for the 21st Century Violinist.” A musician who transcends many genres, he has recorded and performed with a variety of artists including Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, Everclear, Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Mathis, Les Paul, Phoebe Snow, Jane Monheit, and Robert Bonfiglio among others.

Joe has appeared as a soloist with the New York City Ballet, has performed on MTV and at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, and has played for former President Clinton. His music has been featured on CMT, VH1, ABC, Comedy Central, the Travel Channel, History Channel, Food Network, and National Geographic. An active clinician, Joe has taught at Mark O’Connor’s renowned String Camp and Mark Wood’s Rock Orchestra Camp.

www.joedeninzon.com
www.stratospheerius.com
www.facebook.com/stratospheerius
www.reverbnation.com/stratospheerius

Filed Under: NJProghouse Presents Tagged With: Joe Deninzon, Ray Weston, Stratospheerius

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