Monthly Archives: January 2019

Joy on Fire Featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered

2019 is off to an AMAZING start for Joy on Fire. Two weeks into the new year and we find ourselves honored with a spot on NPR’s All Songs Considered, hosted by Bob Boilen.

On this episode of the podcast, Bob features JoF’s latest single Hymn which will appear on the upcoming album of the same name. Of Joy on Fire, Bob says, “It’s a perfect name for the band, and they just blew me away—they are just so fantastic.” The Joy on Fire segment begins around the 14-minute mark, but check out the whole show. We’re in good company, as other segments include Lana Del Rey, Telekinesis, and The Wild Reeds.

Joy on Fire at the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, June 9, 2018.
Photo by Brian Jenkins

Hymn, written by John Paul Carillo, is a hopeful and bittersweet celebration of the life of his mother, whose passing inspired him to capture her sense of humor and joyous spirit in song. You can listen to the song on our bandcamp page, where you’ll also find our first two releases, Fire with Fire, released November 1, 2017 on Procrastination Records, and The Complete Book of Bonsai, released independently on September 1, 2013.

Bob is an aficionado of vintage synthesizers and makes adventurous electronic music, which is how we first came to meet him.  He sat in regularly with DC-based improvisational renegades Heterodyne during the band’s lifespan.  Joy on Fire shared the stage with Heterodyne many times and has become friends and comrades with the group.  Be sure to check out Heterodyne’s deep archive of expansive improvisations, as well as Bob’s absolutely beautiful ambient album, Take It To Bed: Music For Clouds.

Bob performing on the Arp Odyssey synthesizer with Heterodyne, led by Maria Shesiuk and Ted Zook. Photo by Aaron Mertes

So, thanks very much to Bob Boilen, All Songs Considered producer and co-host Robin Hilton, and the whole All Songs Considered crew for an auspicious start to the new year. We are grateful for your support and enthusiasm. Stay tuned for much more excitement in 2019.

Joy on Fire Makes Portugal’s Jazz.pt Best of 2018

Happy New Year from Joy on Fire to you.  

2018 was a fantastic year for Joy on Fire, and as we approached the cusp of 2019, we were contacted by music journalist Gonçalo Falcão of Portugal’s Jazz.pt website.  Gonçalo was assembling a year-end list of his favorite albums and wanted to let us know that our Procrastination Records release Fire With Fire would appear on that list.  

Joy on Fire is in very, very good company, as Gonçalo’s list of Best International Discs also includes releases from Andrew Cyrille/Wadada Leo Smith/Bill Frisell, Ingrid Laubrock, and Ambrose Akinmusire, among others.  We are thrilled and gratified to discover we’ve made such an impact in such a highly regarded field—and with a journalist who has deep roots in the music.

Guitarist Gonçalo Falcão was a student of and collaborator with Vítor Rua, an iconic figure in Portuguese creative music.  Falcão went on to study composition with Louis Andriessen and Salvatore Sciarrino, and also performed with Evan Parker, Eddie Prévost, Miguel Carvalhais, and many more.  Prior to Jazz.pt, Falcão wrote for the Monitor and All Jazz publications.

Joy on Fire’s Fire With Fire was released on Maryland-based Procrastination Records and received a four-star review from All About Jazz.  Watch for new Joy on Fire releases in 2019.  Meanwhile, enjoy this Joy on Fire video.