When Joe Deninzon moved from the former Soviet Union to the US and discovered MTV, he couldn’t have dreamed he’d wind up as a member of Kansas, one of the bands who immediately influenced him. With a new album from his own group, Stratospheerius, out now, the violinist, guitarist and vocalist offered Prog a glimps into his musical world.
Where’s home?
Old Tappan in New Jersey, which is about 45 minutes away from midtown Manhattan.
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What’s your earliest memory of prog?
Watching MTV in the early 80s and seeing a video of Kansas’ Dust In The Wind and Yes’ Owner Of A Lonely Heart. MTV played some good music back in those days! We had just emigrated from the Soviet Union and I’m the son of a classical musician – MTV was a culture shock, and my gateway to the ‘dark side.’
What was your first prog album?
One of the first prog bands I got deeply into was Rush. I bought Presto when I was 14 – I dug it and I quickly bought their entire back catalogue, then started going to their shows regularly.
And the latest?
Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks’ True. It’s a masterpiece! The writing, the production, the musicianship; and Jon can still sing as well as he did 50 years ago. One of my favourite albums of 2024.
What was your first prog gig?
The Rush Presto tour at the old Richfield Coliseum near Cleveland, Ohio in June of 1990, with Mr Big opening. Growing up in Cleveland, The Coliseum was like a second home for me.
And the most recent?
Beat at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, NJ, last October. The early 80s was my favourite era of King Crimson and it was great to see that music performed live by musicians at the top of their game. Just a mind- blowing concert! Stratospheerius cover Frame By Frame on our new album, Impostor!, which is out now on 7D, Trey Gunn’s label.
What’s your guilty musical pleasure?
I’m a lifelong Bruce Springsteen fan, and I had the privilege of playing some shows with him in a backup string section. Check out Jungleland – an epic 10-minute track, probably my favourite of his. I’m also a fan of some pop music – Pink and Bruno Mars, and my daughter recently got me into Sabrina Carpenter.
Outside of music, what else are you into?
I love to run. I ran the New York Marathon in 2016 and have run many 5ks, 10ks and half marathons. It’s something I do to clear my head. I run in silence and get into a meditative state.I come up with a lot of musical ideas when I get in the groove.
What are you reading?
I recently read Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act and can’t recommend it enough. Really great advice for artists, especially if you’re experiencing writer’s block. He has always fascinated me with his approach to creativity, and how he manages to coax the best performance out of artists. Definitely a producer I would love to work with.
Ever had a prog-related date?
Many, with my wife Yulia, who’s a violinist with the New York Philharmonic. She grew up in Russia and was bootlegging Deep Purple and Scorpions albums, which were banned there at that time. One of the reasons I fell in love with her is because she loves hard rock and prog in addition to classical music.
Your prog hero?
Frank Zappa – he broke all the rules and created a cottage industry for his music. His body of work is so eclectic and he introduced the world to a long list of groundbreaking musicians who got their start playing in his band.
What’s the quintessential prog rock piece?
Close To The Edge. Everything about it is just perfect – the groove, the harmonies, Chris Squire’s melodic bass groove in verse two. I can go on and on. A true masterpiece.
Which prog muso would you most like to work with?
Zappa. Some of my favourite rock violin solos – by Jean-Luc Ponty, Sugarcane Harris, Eddie Jobson – are on his albums. Also Neal Morse: Spock’s Beard are one of the most underrated bands of all time, and I love his writing both with them and solo.
Which prog album gets you in a happy mood?
McStine & Minnemann’s II; Zappa’s Roxy & Elsewhere or anything from that era.
What’s your favourite prog album cover?
Anything by Roger Dean, but I also like clever covers that are a play on words – like Rush’s Moving Pictures or Zappa’s Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch.
What are you up to at the moment?
Stratospheerius’s new album, Impostor!, was six years in the making. We’re planning some shows soon, and there will be more Kansas dates too. Also, 10 years ago I wrote a 30-minute electric violin concerto for full orchestra and I’m finally getting around to recording that. The conductor who premiered it described it as “Philip Glass meets Rush meets Led Zeppelin.”
