Photo by : Roza Zah
The Jost Project Can’t Find My Way Home
The Jost Project is a jazz ensemble devoted to its genre. On this CD -- “Can’t Find My Way Home” -- TJP switch things up a bit. Instead of using jazz standards as their base, they interpret rock-related “standards” in a contemporary jazz format. What’s their goal? To reach a new audience of rock fans and create a whole new connection between the music of the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Donovan, Simon and Garfunkel, The Beach Boys and jazz. They love it when fans of such songs as “Walk This Way” hear it in a new way. That’s what they hope will happen for you. So, if jazz is something you weren’t familiar with before – this is a rock fans primer to jazz. If you’re a jazz fan, we hope you’ll appreciate this diverse repertoire of songs performed in the modern jazz idiom. www.thejostproject.com
About The Jōst Project: The Jost Project artists are based in the Philadelphia area. Tony Miceli (vibraphone), Paul Jost (vocal, harmonica) and Kevin MacConnell (acoustic bass) make up the band originally formed by Tony and Kevin, playing their jazz interpretation of the classic rock they heard when they grew up … the music of Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles and more. The seeds of this idea were planted in Tony’s 2005 recording “Hippie jazz”. When Tony heard Paul sing, a multi-talented musician as well as vocalist, he felt such a strong musical connection that he invited him to be part of the group. Because of Paul’s strong musical influence and arranging talent, Tony and Kevin were convinced the group should have Paul’s name and they became The Jost Project. The combination fit and The Jōst Project grew in popularity. Tony’s vibraphone stirs echoes of the famed Modern Jazz Quartet with Milt Jackson. Kevin’s lyrical playing is an essential element and Paul invokes blues, mainstream, and scat styling in his unique introspective way, bringing out the emotions contained in the songs. It’s immediately evident that these skilled artists each bring their own distinctive experience and approach to this blended collective.
About the Music: Standards from the Great American Songbook and the mainstream jazz repertoire have long held sway in jazz performances. But the so-called “baby boomers” and subsequent generations came of age with rock and roll, the Beatles, hard rock, and other genres which are rarely played by jazz groups. While the harmonies are not necessarily in line with more recognizable jazz progressions, such music is well within the scope of the modal and melody-based jazz of Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” and other post-bop developments in jazz. The ever-expanding repertoire of The Jōst Project includes rock/pop classics that are included on this album as well as “What a Day for a Day Dream” (John Sebastian; Loving Spoonful); “Tennessee Waltz” (Redd Stewart and Pee Wee King); “Come Together” and “And I Love Her” (The Beatles). For good measure, jazz compositions like “Don’t Forget the Poet” (Enrico Pieranunzi); “Caravan” (Dizzy Gillespie); “Waltz New” (Jim Hall); and “Passion Dance” (McCoy Tyner) are also included in the group’s playlists. We hope you enjoy “Can’t Find My Way Home” and experience the unique sound of The Jost Project, their exceptional artistry, originality and imagination. www.thejostproject.com
A Behind-the-Scenes Story … On a recent trip to Bucharest, Romania, I met an amazing photographer Roza Zah. Usually, I hate photos of myself but Roza came up to me after a performance at the Radio Hall and showed me photos he took of me. For the first time, I saw a photo of myself where I didn’t cringe. I was totally impressed. I told him I wanted to pay him for the photos and send him money, so I asked for his address. But, he didn’t have one. Roza told me he was homeless. I was stunned and speechless. How could a photographer this good be homeless! I just stood there in shock. Finally, I asked how he carried his camera around with him. I couldn’t imagine how it would be safe. He said he didn’t own a camera. He borrowed it. I felt tears well up in my eyes but held them back. When we were recording Can’t Find My Way Home, I found myself thinking of Roza and how appropriate this title would be. I’m not sure who came up with the final idea but we knew then that we had to get a photo by Roza. When we went through Roza’s photos and found the caterpillar, we had goose bumps. The photo totally fit the concept. This recording is about our lives, about Roza’s life and about a generation of people in search of their way home. This is our songbook and our new standards. It’s the music we love to play. Roza, you are an inspiration to our musical and spiritual creativity. We dedicate this recording to you. Tony Miceli
Photo by : Roza Zah
www.thejostproject.com
Walk This Way (5:42) Joe Perry, Steven Tyler (arr. T. Miceli) Daydream (3:46) John Sebastian (arr. P. Jost) We Can Work It Out (5:01) John Lennon, Paul McCartney (arr. P. Jost) Can’t Find My Way Home (6:04) Steve Winwood (arr. T. Miceli, K MacConnell, P. Jost) Bridge Over Troubled Water (7:20) Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel (arr. P. Jost) Sunshine Superman (4:12) Donovan Leitch (arr. P. Jost) Kashmir (8:38) Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham (arr. T. Miceli, K MacConnell, P. Jost) Maybe I’m Amazed (4:03) Paul McCartney (arr. P. Jost) In A Gadda Da Vida (5:35) Doug Ingle (arr. T. Miceli) Tony Miceli, vibes Paul Jōst, vocal, harmonica, guitar Kevin MacConnell, double bass Charlie Patierno, drums Recorded August 2012 Recorded at Giant Steps Recording, Sicklerville, NJ (www.giantstepsrecording.com) Recorded and mixed by Vic Stevens Produced by Paul Jōst and Tony Miceli Mastered by Mark Knox (www.newsoundprod.com) Photo Roza Zah (www.facebook.com/rozaginza Cover design Kathy Ridl (www.kathyridl.com) Art work MFM Media (www.mfm-media.com) Management & PR Sharla Feldscher (www.sf-pr.com) Tony Miceli is endorsed by Applied Microphone Technology | Alternate Mode Mike Balter Mallets | Being Bags Charlie Patierno is endorsed by TRX Cymbals
Find us on: www.thejostproject.com
DT R 9 0 2 4
www.dottimerecords.com