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Live At Fifth Avenue

From jazz to hip-hop to heavy shtetl,
Joe Deninzon's violin really rocks.

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AUDREY BECKER
Special to the Jewish News

developed a technique that allows him to
sing and play violin at the same time.
"Violin is often thought of as just a
e has been called the "Jimi melodic instrument," he says. "But I
Hendrix of the violin."
like to use it as an accompanying
Joe Deninzon takes
rhythm instrument."
what many consider to be
He explains: "There's a technique I
a classical instrument and uses it in a
do with the bow called 'chopping' — I
jazz, funk, fusion, and hip hop con-
learned it from the Turtle Island String
text. Now, with a new CD — The
Quartet. It goes way back to fiddle
Adventures of Stratospheerius —
music. They used to do it to keep
Deninzon will play at Fifth Avenue in
rhythm at country dances, but
Royal Oak on Aug. 10.
I apply it to funk and rock
Deninzon studied with his father, a
and change it
classical violinist, from his early years.
around to suit
If his family hadn't left Russia,
my music."
Deninzon might have remained exclu-
When Deninzon
sively a classical violinist.
takes his show on
However, growing
the road, the per-
up in Cleveland,
formance returns to its
Ohio, entranced
live incarnation. "We
by the music of
adjust the arrange-
John Coltrane and
ments [from the new
Stevie Wonder, he
album], which is a fun
developed his own style
challenge."
by experimenting with
Deninzon, who has record-
the sounds of
ed and performed with Sheryl
American popular
Crow, Everclear, Johnny Mathis
music and applying
Joe Deninzon:
and Smokey Robinson and has
them to his violin.
Jewish and Middle appeared in front of President
Deninzon began
Eastern music, too. Clinton, was born in 1974 in St.
teaching violin at age
Petersburg, Russia, to a Jewish
14, while he was playing guitar and bass
family. It's a background that has
in high school rock bands. Later he
influenced his approach to music.
earned a bachelor of music in violin
"We have a song that we're work-
performance and jazz studies from
ing on right now called 'Heavy
Indiana University and went on to the
Shtetl,"' he says. "Three-fourths of
Manhattan School of M_ usic, where he
the band are Jewish. Our bass player
continued to study jazz and violin.
is Israeli. Our guitarist is Jewish and
Deninzon's first CD, Electric/Blue,
I'm Jewish. We play a lot of Jewish
was recorded in about one week. Says
and Middle Eastern music, and we
Deninzon, "It was almost all live per-
thought we'd write a song about our
formances in the studio. I did that one roots.
when I was about to move to New
"A lot of people tell me, even though
York. I wanted to take something that
I'm a rock/fusion player, there's a real
I could give to people and introduce
Russian gypsy-ish quality to my,music,
myself with."
which I wasn't consciously aware of
The Adventures of Stratospheerius is a
when I was writing it. But if it's there,
different story. "It took about two years
that's cool. I love that kind of music."
because I kept adding things on and
experimenting," says Deninzon. "I dis-
covered a recording studio two blocks
Joe Deninzon appears 10 p.m.
from my house in this great neighbor-
Saturday Aug. 10, at Fifth
hood — a Greek neighborhood — and
Avenue, 215 Fifth Ave., in Royal
I decided that I could really take my
Oak. Also appearing are Alex
time and try all kinds of different
Skolnick on guitar and local
things and invite special guests."
musician Gary Jibilian. $5-$7
On his new CD, Deninzon also incor-
cover charge. (248) 542-9922.
porates mandolin and vocals. He has

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