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Local musician helps surprise octogenarian

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Pictured (from left) are: Al Rodewalt, Vineland resident Paul Jost, Dean Schneider and Kevin MacConnell.

Three talented musicians performed for octogenarian Al Rodewalt at his birthday celebration on July 22.

It was bassist Kevin MacConnell, of Spring City, Pa., who initiated a first visit, along with pianist Dean Schneider, of Upper Moreland, Pa., and vocalist/drummer Paul Jost of Vineland. The musicians have performed with such world class entertainers as Diahann Carroll, Liza Minelli, Mel Torme and Anne Hampton Calloway.

They surprised Rodewalt at his Voorhees home with an unexpected weekday performance to cheer up their new found friend and committed supporter of live music.

Rodewalt was shocked when he opened his door and the three musicians were standing there ready to spend the afternoon and play for him.

He said, “I was overwhelmed. It was unbelievable; I’ve become such a fan of these three guys!”

Rodewalt, who suffers from a cervical spine disease because of a fall four years ago, was so taken with the initial musical gesture that he offered a gift in return.

He decided to back the trio in a recording session in his home which coincided with his 85th birthday celebration.

Everyone there knew they were blessed to be part of this party, including the musicians. There was not a dry eye in the house.

The recipient of a Masters degree in piano from Youngstown State University and a fan of great jazz, Rodewalt bonded with these three musicians when he first heard them play at the house of a close friend, Michelle Greenbaum.

He then attended their performances at Firecreek Restaurant regularly, while it was open in the Town Center in Voorhees.

His daughter, would bring him until it was too difficult for him to go. Rodewalt didn’t stop smiling for a minute, except for those times when tears of happiness overwhelmed him.

Singer Paul Jost Explores Legacy of a Great Broadway Composer

Intelligencer Journal

Lancaster New Era

Updated Sep 27, 2012 16:20

By JON FERGUSON

Staff Writer

Composer Richard Rodgers’ influence on musical theater is immeasurable.

Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II are responsible for many of the most beloved musicals ever to hit the Broadway stage, including “Oklahoma,” Carousel,” “South Pacific” and “The Sound of Music.”

Their songs fill page after page of the Great American Songbook, and have been a source of inspiration for generations of jazzmen.

That’s the aspect of Rodgers’ legacy that singer Paul Jost plans to explore Friday when he leads a quintet into Millersville University’s Ware Center in downtown Lancaster.

“The thing I’m trying to do in this presentation,” Jost says during a telephone interview from his home in New Jersey, “is I’m really showing his influence on the jazz landscape — not just in the Great American Songbook but how his songs really became jazz classics, with John Coltrane, with Chet Baker, with Miles Davis, with Sonny Rollins, with so many different people.”

Jost will be joined by saxophonist Larry McKenna, pianist Dean Schneider, drummer Dan Monaghan and bassist Keith Mohler for the show, part of MU’s Jazz in the Sky Series.

He says they will perform about 10 songs during the 75-minute set, borrowing arrangements made famous by some of jazz music’s greatest players.

The songs will include “Surrey with the Fringe on Top” (trumpeter Davis), “Spring Is Here” (pianist Bill Evans) and “My Favorite Things” (saxophonist Coltrane).

Jost, a composer and arranger, had to fiddle with the arrangements to accommodate his vocals.

“Miles Davis’ version of ‘Surrey,’ of course, had no lyrics,” Jost says. “I used the essence of what that arrangement was and still made it palatable for singing.”

Jost, who has two grown children with his wife, Valerie, started playing piano when he was 5 years old and moved to the drums a year later. He also plays harmonica and guitar.

“My first love, and the instrument I paid the most attention to, was the drums,” he says. “I always call that my principal instrument.”

Jost, who studied at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, says he got serious about singing when he was 18.

He has embraced musical diversity throughout his career and has served as the musical director at the Golden Nugget casino in Atlantic City, N.J., composed music for movies and television, performed on jingles for companies like American Airlines and Anheuser Busch and taught at various school, including West Chester University.

And he has charted a path as a performer, playing live and recording albums, both as a sideman and as a band leader.

His current projects include the Antfarm Quartet, which has released a number of CDs, and the Modern Rock Ensemble.

The Modern Rock Ensemble, a relatively new group that recently recorded its first album, plays songs by rock artists.

He says they’re considering changing its name.

“There have been some spots where we haven’t been able to get picked up because they think we’re a rock band,” he says. “It’s really a jazz ensemble but we’re doing Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith and some Beatles’ tunes, but were doing them in a jazz way. I’m really excited about it.”

Jost is no stranger to the Ware Center as he was part of a band that in April performed a tribute to Thelonious Monk there.

“I love the Ware Center,” he says. “It’s a great place to perform, just a perfect venue. I don’t think there’s a bad seat that you can have and the sound is great. I’m really looking forward to coming back.”

And this time he’ll be paying tribute to another American musical icon.

“I’ve sung Richard Rodgers’ songs all my life and we’re lucky to have a composer like him in the landscape,” Jost says. “It was really fun discovering a lot of this stuff myself.”

Jazz in the Sky Series

Paul Jost

Fri. 7:30 p.m.

$20 adults, $10 students

The Ware Center, 42 N. Prince St.

872-3811 or 871-2308

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/744853_Singer-Paul-Jost-explores-legacy-of-a-great-Broadway-composer.html#ixzz27hiYJ92u

Enjoy Summer Swing at the Timbers

From LDNews.com

August 4, 2012

PAUL JOST QUINTET: It’s hard to imagine the American music theater without the work of Richard Rodgers and, on Friday, Sept. 28, at 7:30 p.m., the Paul Jost Quintet will perform some of his best selections, demonstrating Rodgers’ influence on the jazz landscape.

The Paul Jost Quintet, featuring saxophonist Larry McKenna, pianist Dean Schneider, drummer Dan Monaghan and bassist Keith Mohler, will perform in the Millersville University’s Jazz in the Sky Series at the Ware Center, 42 N. Prince St., Lancaster.

Tickets are $20 and available at muticketsonline.comhttp://www.millersville.edu/ware-center or by calling 871-2308.

Jost’s voice is so soulful that music critic Buster Maxwell said, “He nearly single-handedly reclaims the male voice as a valid and critically important jazz instrument.”

Jost is also a multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger, who has written over 40 CDs for major music libraries that are heard daily in more than 750 markets throughout the United States.

Jost has always been a Richard Rodgers fan, and he said in a news release, “How could anyone not be a fan of Richard Rodgers? Throughout his career Rodgers was often at the forefront, revolutionizing musical theater and bringing attention to sensitive social issues. His music has reached us through every arena, (theater, movies, television, pop music and jazz). What we’re doing in this series is showing his influence on the jazz landscape by presenting arrangements of his music by Miles Davis, Chet Baker, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Ray Charles and others.”

Rodgers wrote more than 900 songs and wrote for 43 Broadway musicals.

For more information about Jost, visit pauljostmusic.com.

Philadelphia City Paper
Published: Jan 9, 2008

The Unsung Singer

The Antfarm Quartet doesn’t pander to its vocal minority.

by Shaun Brady

Jazz

In jazz, the second a singer enters the picture, the picture itself tends to change. Landscape becomes portrait, with the vocalist front and center, the instrumentalists a supporting blur in the background.

The New Jersey-based Antfarm Quartet runs wholly counter to that concept. If jazz music and vocal jazz can be looked at as completely different genres — and for the most part, they are — then Antfarm falls squarely into the former category, despite the fact that most of their repertoire consists of vocal tunes.

A lot of the credit falls at the feet of vocalist Paul Jost, who, even when singing well-known lyrics, wields his voice like an instrumentalist — which, in fact, he is. He contributes harmonica and guitar to the Antfarm Quartet, and is a drummer and composer whose songs have been recorded by The Band and Carl Perkins, as well as in a slew of TV commercials.

In a world accustomed to thinking of singers as “frontmen,” Jost’s approach may seem self-effacing. But his efforts aren’t so much magnanimous as an integral part of a four-way whole; this is a collective (hence the name), each member of which is keenly attuned to the others, a trait most valuable when it comes to knowing when to get out of the way.

In fact, the group didn’t start out as a vocal quartet. Their eponymous debut, released by Philly label Dreambox Media (as is their new CD, Dialogues, pt. 2, which they’re celebrating this weekend at Chris’), saw pianist Jim Ridl, bassist Tim Lekan and drummer Bob Shomo joined by trumpeter Bob Meashey, who was replaced about four years ago by Jost. Ridl recalls seeing Jost perform with Shomo and Lekan as a trio in South Jersey at a time when the original Antfarm’s schedule was slackening.

“I was really moved by how great it sounded without a chordal instrument,” Ridl says. “It had all this freedom in it, and I dug it so much that I wanted to get into that, too.”

The gray, overcast sky dominating what appears to be a chilly Jersey shore scene on the cover of Dialogues, pt. 2 well represents the music contained within, which is remarkably unified despite the presence of Lennon and McCartney next to Rodgers and Hart next to Jobim, Joe Henderson, and originals by Ridl and Lekan. Like the emptiness of the off-season beach, the Quartet’s take on often-familiar material finds an inviting loneliness once the clutter of expectations is cleared away. The overall feel is restrained but not off-putting, finding a casual warmth inside a frequently downbeat approach.

“I think we create a lot of, to me, beautiful-sounding music,” Ridl says. “Even though it can get aggressive, it always has a sense of beauty to it, which I really dig. I don’t want that all the time, because I like stretching, but I think it’s a very welcoming vibe; it’s intelligent and it’s heartfelt, but there’s also a lot of sweat involved, so it’s not fluffy.”

The Antfarm Quartet plays Sat., Jan. 12, 8 and 10 p.m., $15, Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St., 215-568-3131, chrisjazzcafe.com.

Antfarm Quartet: Centerpiece

Track – Centerpiece
Group – Antfarm Quartet
CD – Dialogues, Pt 2 (Dreambox 1057)

Musicians: Paul Jost (vocal, harmonica), Jim Ridl (piano), Tim Lekan (bass), Bob Shomo (drums) Composed by Harry Edison. Lyrics by Jon Hendricks

Recorded: Philadelphia, 2007

Rating: 90/100

Rarely does a new jazz vocalist inspire me to open a bottle of wine. Grab your corkscrew. Paul Jost is a genuine vocal musician, and the Antfarm Quartet is as cool as the object with which it shares its name. Jost began as a drummer, and added songwriting, and harmonica to his list. With a smoky, tannin-tinged voice, and the soul of an improviser, he brings bouquet and finesse to this hip, blues-fringed arrangement. This piquant quartet is swingin’, complex, noble, and memorable; in with an aromatic vamp, velvety vocal, harmonica for body, then Ridl and Lekan’s luscious solos, replete with the personality I look for. Jost’s ascending line is an elegant finish. The entire CD conveys depth, character, and brilliance; one of the years best in my cellar.

Reviewer: Marissa Dodge

Antfarm Quartet: And I Love Her

Track – And I Love Her
Group – Antfarm Quartet
CD – Dialogues, Pt 2 (Dreambox 1057)

Musicians: Paul Jost (vocals), Jim Ridl (piano), Tim Lekan (bass), Bob Shomo (drums)

Composed by Paul McCartney and John Lennon

Recorded: Philadelphia; 2007

Rating: 90/100

When a prolific vocalist plants the seed of a down-to-earth pop song in the fertile soil of a copious quartet, it’s guaranteed to thrive. This essential adaptation, set in lush Brazilian-influenced terrain, not only does justice to the original, but transcends it. Shomo cultivates a luxuriant groove that compliments Lekan’s sensitive presence. Jost opens with a diaphanous, unison riff, as Ridl’s rich chords on Rhodes provide the ideal environment for Jost’s misty voice. Ridl’s lithe piano solo leads to vocal improvs, a natural modulation, and multi-petaled piano lines to fade. Those who might believe that classic pop songs have no place in the jazz garden may change their tune when they hear this hybrid cover. This quartet is of a rare genus and I’d bet the farm on them.

Reviewer: Marissa Dodge

AllAboutJazz.com

Dialogues, pt. 2
The Antfarm Quartet | Dreambox Media
By John Barron

The Antfarm Quartet is an ultra-hip ensemble of seasoned east coast jazz musicians with like-minded ideals. On Dialogues, pt. 2, vocalist Paul Jost, pianist Jim Ridl, bassist Tim Lekan and drummer Bob Shomo demonstrate a collaborative penchant for soulful experimentation on a solid set of originals and standards.

In an era of male jazz vocalists jousting for position as Rat Pack wannabees and angst-ridden, twenty-something posers, Jost is a sigh of relief. He possesses an abundance of convincing vocal qualities, most notably his ability to deliver fresh, uncontrived readings of overdone standards like “The Days of Wine and Roses,” “Girl From Ipanema” and “How Insensitive.”

Jost’s somber rendering of Rodgers and Hart’s “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was,” complimented by Ridl’s minimalist accompaniment, is drenched with pathos and is astonishingly compelling.

Ridl is a dynamic force on the keyboard. The North Dakota native demonstrates dexterous command on the up-tempo “Put on a Happy Face,” and dense lyricism on his own ballad “Sun on My Hands.” Lekan and Shomo swing along with unremitting energy, elevating the intensity of each groove and providing a relaxed foundation for Jost and Ridl to shine. Lekan also contributes to the bouncy title track, an engaging group-improv piece that maintains a relaxed pocket.

High-level musicianship aside, the real charm of The Antfarm Quartet lies in their communal sensibilities–they sound like a real band. Dialogues, pt. 2 is full of give-and-take, humility and warmth.

Track Listing: The Days of Wine and Roses; Centerpiece; Sun on My Hands; Let Me Call You Sweetheart; Dialogues, Pt. 2; And I Love Her; Put on a Happy Face; I Didn’t Know What Time It Was; Tetragon; Gentle Rain; Girl from Ipanema; How Insensitive.

Personnel: Tim Lekan: bass; Paul Jost: vocals, harmonica, guitar; Bob Shomo: drums; Jim Ridl: piano, keyboard.

Antfarm Quartet Perform for Somers Point Jazz Society
- Story by Rebecca Grites; photo provided by Antfarm

The Somers Point Jazz Society’s Winter Series keeps on putting out the coolest and most enjoyable names in local – and national – jazz music. This week, get down and dirty with some ants. Well, not really the insects, but the Antfarm Quartet. They will be playing Mac’s Restaurant in Somers Point on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 8 p.m.

Tim Lekan, acoustic bassist for Antfarm, spoke about the group’s musical diversity and understanding as well as what kind of show southern New Jersey jazz lovers can expect.  “People can expect to see and hear a group of musicians (who) listen to and communicate with each other,” Lekan says. “They’ll see the band members smiling a lot because we love making music together.”

Lekan is sure their soulful and sweet original jazz melodies will woo the crowd, but not to forget the jazz standards and cover songs they perform in their own, unique style. “We play a mix of original compositions and jazz standards,” says Lekan, who mentioned famous composers like Gershwin, Cole Porter and Jobim. Antfarm even likes to spice up its act with songs by the Beatles, Tetragon and Joe Henderson.  Lekan is certain the audience will see an emotionally charged show that shows a “wide, dynamic range” of jazz music. “The music can be, at times, very quiet and subtle, (but) still very intense,” he says. “And sometimes it can reach quite a peak.”

In terms of Antfarm’s musical influences, Lekan puts it simply: “We like all styles of music – good music is good music.” As far as strictly jazz influences, Lekan believes the entire group would agree with him that Miles Davis and Keith Jarrett are the big two.  “(An influence), in particular, (would be) the Miles Davis Quintet that formed in 1964 with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams,” Lekan says. “That group realized such a high level of creativity and group interaction – they set a very high standard.”  The Antfarm Quartet is definitely a jazz group any and all music lovers should make it a point to see.

What They Play: Original jazz songs and covers.

Specialty: Improvising. The band is known to watch and listen to each other’s instrumentation and explore jazz music with spontaneous, new songs.

New To Setlist: Songs off of their recently released album, including “Dialogues Part 2″ and “Sun On My Hands.”

Roster: Paul Jost, vocals and harmonica; Tim Lekan, acoustic bass; Jim Ridl, piano; Bob Shomo, drums.

Why They’re Cool: They are a band that is truly in love with not only the innovation of jazz music but also the innovation of musicianship itself. These guys are so in-tune with one another, it’s as if they were born to play together.

Originals: “Dialogues Part 2″ and “Sun On My Hands,” plus many more off their latest album, “Dialogues Part 2.”

Go See Them: 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Mac’s Restaurant in Somers Point as part of the Somers Point Jazz Society’s Winter Jazz Series. The show is free for Jazz Society members and $10 for non-members.

Web Site: www.antfarmquartet.com

*** PAUL JOST REVIEWS ***

Buster Maxwell – “Woman’s Journal”

 “…relentless romanticism comes courtesy of Paul Jost’s stunning singing. His burnished, soulful vocals are remarkable – daringly inventive and freely expressive in true jazz tradition, but uniquely his own. In both the charted vocalization (wordless vocals) and improvised scatting, Jost’s musical soul shines. He nearly single-handedly reclaims the male voice as a valid and critically important jazz instrument, and it’s simply thrilling to hear. Swinging breezily, scatting with ease and authority, and softly seducing the listener with a catchy combination of the crystalline soulfulness of Sting and the fearless inventiveness of Mark Murphy, Jost is clearly a man coming into his own. If that comparison seems somewhat glib, just listen to him soar and you’ll soon realize what a remarkable accomplishment it is for an original jazz vocalist today to be both accessible and deep.”

John Barron – “All About Jazz” (N.Y.)

 “In an era of male jazz vocalists jousting for position as Rat Pack wannabees and angst-ridden, twenty-something posers, Jost is a sigh of relief. He possesses an abundance of convincing vocal qualities, most notably his ability to deliver fresh, uncontrived readings of overdone standards like “The Days of Wine and Roses”, “Girl From Ipanema” and “How Insensitive”.  Jost’s somber rendering of Rodgers and Hart’s “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was”, is drenched with pathos and is astonishingly compelling.”

Ken Micallef – “Philadelphia Weekly”

 “Ambitious, experimental, straight ahead, traditional—these words go a short way to describe one of the Philly area’s most broad-minded and daring jazz groups. Vocalist Paul Jost’s elastic maneuvers transform the songs’ expected direction.  Antfarm Quartet’s Dialogues, Pt. 2, contains impressive arrangements of “The Days of Wine and Roses”, “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and Joe Henderson’s “Tetragon”, and turns “Put on a Happy Face” into the hippest thing this side of Mose Allison and Han Bennink.”

Victor L. Schermer – “All About Jazz”

“…within a short time, the listener becomes absorbed in his highly intelligent, richly emotive, and musically sophisticated renditions. Jost uses rhythm and dynamics to great effect to evoke the variety of moods suggested by the tunes, and the degree of such a swinging force is surprising.”

Cadence/North Country Audio News –  Slim’s Pick of the Week
The Antfarm Quartet “Dialogues, Pt. 2″

Right from the git-go, opening with Mancini’s “Days of Wine and Roses,” The Antfarm Quartet bursts through the gate swingin’ and energized. Jost’s ultra hip vocals make this a standout date. On an adventure scale of Mark Murphy to Mel Torme, he lurks somewhere halfway between. His occasional scatting sounds natural and unselfconscious — not always a given mastered feat amongst vocalists. The band sounds both dreamy and gritty on their brilliant rendition of “And I Love Her.” Other standout tracks include: “Centerpiece,” “Gentle Rain,” and “How Insensitive.”

Marissa Dodge – www.jazz.com

The Antfarm Quartet “Dialogues, Pt. 2″
Track: Centerpiece
Composed by Harry Edison. Lyrics by Jon Hendricks
Arranged by Paul Jost

Rarely does a new jazz vocalist inspire me to open a bottle of wine. Grab your corkscrew. Paul Jost is a genuine vocal musician, and the Antfarm Quartet is as cool as the object with which it shares its name. Jost began as a drummer, and added songwriting, and harmonica to his list. With a smoky, tannin-tinged voice, and the soul of an improviser, he brings bouquet and finesse to this hip, blues-fringed arrangement. This piquant quartet is swingin’, complex, noble, and memorable; in with an aromatic vamp, velvety vocal, harmonica for body, then Ridl and Lekan’s luscious solos, replete with the personality I look for. Jost’s ascending line is an elegant finish. The entire CD conveys depth, character, and brilliance; one of the years best in my cellar.

Marissa Dodge – www.jazz.com

The Antfarm Quartet “Dialogues, Pt. 2″
Track: And I Love Her
Composed by Paul McCartney & John Lennon
Arranged by Paul Jost

When a prolific vocalist plants the seed of a down-to-earth pop song in the fertile soil of a copious quartet, it’s guaranteed to thrive. This essential adaptation, set in lush Brazilian-influenced terrain, not only does justice to the original, but transcends it. Shomo cultivates a luxuriant groove that compliments Lekan’s sensitive presence. Jost opens with a diaphanous, unison riff, as Ridl’s rich chords on Rhodes provide the ideal environment for Jost’s misty voice. Ridl’s lithe piano solo leads to vocal improvs, a natural modulation, and multi-petaled piano lines to fade. Those who might believe that classic pop songs have no place in the jazz garden may change their tune when they hear this hybrid cover. This quartet is of a rare genius and I’d bet the farm on them.

Bruce Klauber, biographer of Gene Krupa and producer/writer of the Warner Bros. “Jazz Legends” DVD series, said,

“Paul Jost literally defines the description: ‘multi-talented.’  As a drummer, Paul was and is one of the most in-demand players because of his taste, invention and sensitivity.  And that applies to his singing as well.  The late Mel Torme’ was a great singer and a great drummer.  So is Grady Tate.  I would add Paul Jost to that short list.”

Philadelphia Daily News …
“Jost, a multi-instrumentalist himself, is a musician’s vocalist ….”