“There are so much [sic] musical influences and references here, but without losing track of the essence of the stunning compositions – sounding sometimes like a straight jazz ensemble, then like a funk band or a small ensemble supporting the vocalist. Stunning arrangements, the overall playing and the vocal performances (and lyrics) are outstanding.” – Wulf Muller wulfmuller.wordpress.com/2020/06/26/soundtracks-for-our-times/
“If you’ve spent a lick of time with anything Sojoy’s done in the past, you know what you’re potentially getting into here. In collaboration with Stu Dias who drops his vocal prowess on much of the record, the horn-fueled, jazzily funkified rhythmic lifeblood that is Sojoy has made, dare I say, another absolute marvel of aural pleasantry here. A masterwork in musical movement(s).
“To top it all off, the artwork, crafted by Sara Argue, is breathtaking and pulls you right in while the music permeating from your stereo speakers fastens you right in place.” – Chris Hislop, Portsmouth Herald www.seacoastonline.com/entertainment/20200505/sojoy-to-celebrate-new-album-with-livestream-listening-party-may-9
The constellations are celestial calligraphy. They are stories written in the stars and are one of the only things that… more
credits
released June 19, 2020
Personnel –
Stuart Dias – vocals/composer
Eric Klaxton – tenor sax & clarinet
Matt Langley – soprano, tenor & baritone sax, bass clarinet
Nick Mainella – tenor sax & clarinet
Zach Lange – trumpet
Josh Gagnon – trombone
Scott Kiefner – bass
Jonny Peiffer – drums/composer
Sojoy – vocals (track 2,4,6,11)
Executive Produced by – Stuart Dias and Jonny Peiffer
Executive Produced by – C & C Madden
Associate Produced by – Eric Klaxton
Recorded March 30 & 31, 2019 by Eric Klaxton at The Noise Floor, Dover, NH
Mixed and Mastered by Eric Klaxton at Klaxton Studios, Berwick, ME
Cover Art and Design by Sara Argue (saraargue.com)
Copyright Sojoy + Stu Dias 2020, All Rights Reserved
A big THANK YOU to all of our Celestial Boosters:
Karly Nihal and Evan Karatzas, the Mahoney family, Frank and Ingrid Getman, Julie, Joe and Emily DeFilice, Elizabeth Callahan and Liz Lake, Colleen and Clem Madden, Mike and Rebecca Harrison, Beverly James and Patrick Daley, Tom, Merrill and Henry Peiffer, Tina Overton Peiffer, Tucker and Baba Overton (from above), and the anonymous donors who supported this album.
The 5 tracks on the EP below were selected to be a microcosm of the entire 19-track universe. The listener is introduced to The Little Fox, The Giant Crane, The Little Bear, and Octans (the navigational tool). These pieces embody some the overarching themes of the whole – the Playful Child of Vulpecula (Little Fox), the Earth Mother of the Great Bear (Ursa Minor’s mother), The Great Spirit of Grus (the Giant Crane), and the Trickster, here embodied by a spider version of Octans.
The tracks below represent all of the instrumentals recorded for the ‘Ambistellar’ project, including the instrumental versions of songs on the EP and the full length disc.