Joshua Shneider

Music has always been the main attraction in Shneider's life. Born in Stamford, Connecticut, raised in the greater Boston area and residing in Brooklyn, New York since 1988, Shneider is the product of a childhood spent searching the radio dial, and rifling through his parent's records. These included sides by Al Hibbler, Cozy Cole, Count Basie, and a particular favorite, A Jazz Salute to Freedom, which featured Bird, Dizzy, Miles, Stan Getz, Ellington, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn and many others. Regarding AM radio, where he heard an incredible variety of music Shneider elaborated, "Just on 'Hit' radio you could hear Louis Armstrong, Sly Stone, Hugh Masekela, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, The Beatles, Motown, John Coltrane, James Brown, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, Cannonball Adderley, Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery and more; just on one station in the space of a couple of hours - it seems crazy now. The music grabbed me and shaped me before I had a reason to think about it; before I even knew about style or influence."

"Completing this project has been a milestone and an incredible experience for me. Although I have been a working musician for many years, this is the first recording I’ll have out under my own name. I feel that I’ve been able to draw on my various experiences as a sideman, writer and arranger, and fly on the wall to present a musical snapshot of where I’ve been and an inkling of where I hope to continue to go. For the future, I hope to expand on the areas that I feel are bearing fruit for me now and to explore new directions and concepts that are important to me as an artist", Joshua Shneider.

www.joshuashneider.com

The Joshua Shneider Love Speaks Orchestra

"The Joshua Shneider Love Speaks Orchestra recording is chock full of strong, well crafted harmonies with beautiful melodies and lush sonorities throughout. A very engaging big band outing with a small group feeling! BRAVO!" - Rufus Reid, Jazz Bassist / Composer

“I involved Josh for many years in projects of mine, from "The Gospel at Colonus" to the score for "Bagdad Cafe." At that time I knew him only as a wonderful and innovative alto saxophonist. The first time I heard his orchestra playing his compositions and arrangements I was blown away by his harmonic sophistication and imagination, not to mention the pleasure I felt hearing the acoustic richness of his post-Gil Evans big band sound. Wow!” -Bob Telson, Pulitzer, Tony, Grammy and Academy Award nominated Composer

Joshua Shneider composer, arranger, conductor.
John O’Gallagher, Matthew Willis, Dan Pratt, Ian Rapien, Frank Basile - woodwinds 
Matthew McDonald, Noah Bless, John Yao, Max Seigel - trombones.
Jeff Wilfore, Alex Pope Norris, David Smith, Justin Mullens - trumpets, Justin Mullens - french horn. 
Eric Halvorson - drums, David Ambrosio - bass, Bennett Paster - keyboards, Joe Cardello - percussion, Gary Sieger - guitar “The Hurting Kind” 

Featured Guests: Lucy Woodward - vocals, Dave Stryker - guitar