Latest iTunes Customer Reviews “Music Is”
Latest iTunes Customer Reviews
Don
Why did I have to stumble across this??
This album is so good, I should’ve been seeing this artist accepting multiple awards at the Grammys! Instead, I accidentally stumble across her album because of her single is at the end of a list of “Listeners Also Bought”!?! Now, I do have to have to admit, I could’ve done without the explicit lyrics (especially the use of the “N” word). But, then I also have to admit that those explicit songs were great too! I haven’t heard an album in the mainstream this good in more than a decade!! What has happened to music that I have to find music this good by accident?? I didn’t mind some mindless Pop songs when I was growing up, but, can’t the radio play some real R&B like this every now and then. That’s not too much to ask is it?
On to the album itself. The 1st song “Music Is” was good, but, didn’t quite capture me. It felt a little formulaic to me. Not a bad song, just not the greatest. But, this all changed the minute I hit the second song. One of the 1st singles Joy released from this album is “He Awaits”. That was definitely the right single to release. It’s just infectious! I had to stop listening to the preview long enough to download it! The next song “Good Lovin’” kept the great songs coming!! I could definitely do without all the preludes on the album. I wish they would’ve been included as extras instead of breaking up the excellent songs. “Endless Love” and “Dear John” are also my favorites on this album. But, really, only “Juk Joint” was a song I could call “OK”! The album is that good! I don’t like explicit lyrics in music, but, “Electric Chair” was so good I’ll have to admit I couldn’t help jammin’ to it!
Albums such as these don’t come along every day. I hope Joy releases more music in the future. She has a very bright future ahead of her. Let’s hope the radio stations realize it sooner than later as well!
Love Joy
I have seen Joy perform on many occaisions and she is phenomenal. Yesterday at the funk fest was another great performance. Her voice is powerful and magnificent. Love the new CD.
Download the CD, Submit your review! visit:
V101.5 FM’s JoJo interviews Joy Dennis about Funk Fest 2011
V101.5 FM’s JoJo interviews Joy Dennis about Funk Fest 2011, her current album and her new record label AND plays her debut single “He Awaits” for the first time ever on V101.5 FM. (May 5, 2011)
The Lavilla Project interviews… Joy Dennis BY NAKIA ABREU – MAY 5, 2011
Music is…Joy Dennis
BY NAKIA ABREU – MAY 5, 2011
POSTED IN: INTERVIEWS
http://www.thelavillaproject.com/?p=425
Joy Dennis doesn’t just sing, she sangs! And anybody who has had the pleasure of hearing or seeing her perform, knows that this girl is the real thing. I’ve been following Joy’s career for a few years now and have been nothing but impressed by her talent and showmanship, but even I was not prepared for the dopeness of her new video, He Awaits Me/Electric Chair, directed by Ryan Lightbourn and written by Ms. Dennis herself. The videos, which can almost be considered short-films, starts off as a romantic mystery, which soon turns into a whodunit that will shock you with it’s surprise ending. All of this is going on while Joy shows off what she is known for, her beautiful, commanding voice that is steeped in old school tradition, but contemporary and modern at the same time. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Dennis for The LaVilla Project to talk about the new video, her debut album, Music Is…, her music roots and where she wants music to take her. Check it out.
Nakia: First off, your CD, Music Is… and the video for He Awaits Me/Electric Chair is amazing!
Joy: Thank you, thank you!
Nakia: Now I read that you’ve been singing since you were six years old, what made you decide that you want to sing professionally?
Joy: Everybody kept telling me I needed to take it to another level. (Laughter)
Nakia: Cause you can sing! Girl, you can sang!
Joy: I’m just gonna be honest. They were like, “Girl, you can do this professionally!” I started out at the open mic spots, I did that from like ’04 to ’07 and then I did the Billie to Badu with Akia. And right before there that, people kept telling me, “You need to manager, you need to do it full-time and do it professionally.”
Nakia: So it’s fairly recently, that you decided to go ahead and…
Joy: 07, yeah!
Nakia: Really? I would’ve never thought that, seriously. Wow!
Joy: Yeah, like 3 years doing the open mic scene or a wedding, here. It was like a hobby to me at first. Like, ok I know I can sing, I like to sing, ya know?
Nakia: And you broke on to the scene at open mic spots?
Joy: They were doing at poetry at the time and wanted to start a live music night and they asked for people to come and audition and I came and sung and it just went from there.
Nakia: And the people pretty much responded well to you?
Joy: Yep, very well, very well, very well.
Nakia: Ok! Now about Music Is…, your debut, how has that been for you? How was the process of getting it out?
Joy: It’s all me, it’s just all me and it’s easier to sell something, if it’s you. You know what I’m saying? But getting it out, as far as the creation; I write poetry, I don’t recite, it’s crazy, I can get up there and sing, but I’m shy and scared to get up there and do a poem. But I took a lot of my poems and wanted to convert them into songs or rewrite the poems to fit a song, so the majority of them came from my poems. Others, my manager helped me write some of them, we’d sit around and brainstorm. That was the creative process. And reality, stuff I’ve experienced, stuff that I know someone else may have experienced, things like that.
Nakia: And you’ve gotten a good response from the listening audience?
Joy: I think that everybody can relate to at least one song on that CD. When we put it together, we felt that we needed to do something for everybody of every age group in a sense; different genres, you got your R&B, you got your Funk, you got your Jazz, you know you got old Juke Joint and then you have your ballad with Dear John. We wanted to get something for everyone to listen to because when I perform, it’s a wide gap in age, you may be 21 or my moms, who is in her 60′s, may come in there, so it’s a wide range.
Nakia: How would you describe your sound?
Joy: Soul, soulful, definitely soul.
Nakia: Who are some of your musical influences?
Joy: Jill Scott, all day long. I used to listen to Kelly Price when she first came out. Everybody loves Patti. I used to listen to Vanessa Bell Armstrong, the Gospel singer, when I was growing up and my mom has a whole record collection, so I grew up listening to Anita Baker and Kenny G. and Earth, Wind and Fire, Frankie Beverly and Maze, just a lot of old school artists.
Nakia: Now did you used to sing in the Church?
Joy: I used to. I used to sing in the choir, in the children’s choir from elementary school on up to my early college years.
Nakia: So would you say that had a lot of influence on your sound, with you coming up singing in the church, with the big voice?
Joy: It did, but I didn’t have the big voice in Church.
Nakia: Really? The way you sing now, you completely command a stage.
Joy: Not at all. I grew up in a Methodist Church, it’s more structured, so I didn’t start singing “out-out” until high school, when I started singing in the choir at Ribault, so it was like me singing in the choir and everybody else was like we were in a Baptist Church, rocking it and choir robes and it’s a big difference. I learned listening to my singing partners in the choir how to project my voice and stop singing inward.
Nakia: Ok, now you sing with a live band. Why was it important to your sound and your show to perform with the band versus over a track?
Joy: I love live instrumentation. I love it and with a track, you kind of feel in a box. I feel in the box, like I just have to be, you know, verse, chorus, this, this, you know? And you’re going to get that same feeling from the track, opposed to when I have a band behind me and I’m in the moment, I may want to break and I may want to talk to my audience and tell them how I’m feeling at that particular audience and why I’m singing this song. You know anything, it just gives you either more creativity on the stage or just the reality of what you’re feeling right there at that present moment. I just love instruments. I love people who sing. And we have a lot of talent here in Jacksonville.
Nakia: I Agree. Now you’ve done quite a bit of performing at festivals like the Funk Fest. Where else have you performed and who have you shared a stage with?
Joy: Funk Fest and we’ve done the Jacksonville African American Cultural Festival which is next month at A. Phillip Randolph park, they do that once a year. I had the opportunity to perform there for the first time, last year. We did Florida A&M Alumni concert last year with Charlie Wilson and Musiq Soulchild. When Uptown 21 was open, I performed on the same stage as Keith Sweat, Jasmine Sullivan, Silk, H-Town.
Nakia: And how was the experience? Sharing the stage with people, you grew up listening to?
Joy: The feeling was perfect. But the main thing I gained from that was learning a bigger stage. It’s different than when you’re at the coffeeshop or at the open mic spot, like when I first started out. You have to learn to work the stage and work way bigger crowds, so I learned a lot during those performances.
Nakia: Now about the video, He Awaits Me/Electric Chair, what was the vision behind it? Who did it first of all?
Joy: Ryan Lightbourn, he’s out of Orlando. A friend of ours showed us some of his work and we were sold on the first video, in the first five seconds of the video, we were like, “We gotta hire this guy.” And I wrote both videos. We sent him my script and with his vision and his eye, it was a whole other layer to what I had in mind. We worked great together. I would definitely hire him for another video.
Nakia: It was really amazing, everything about it, from the look of it, to the different scenes…
Joy: I started to take it that angle f something that you would normally see on TV; sometimes we put ourselves in a box, because it’s easy or it’s relative or it’s something that you’re used to seeing. Thank God for Manager, she was like, you gotta flip it, give them something different, create a story, not just you singing and performing in a video.
Nakia: Right! It made you want to know what happened, who killed him. Hell, I still want to know!
(Laughter)
Nakia: Ultimately, Where do you envision music taking you?
Joy: I want the hear the world to hear me. The world. Claim it, claim it. It’s not just about Jacksonville. It’s not just about Florida, it’s a whole world out there. And it can be done, whether you’re under a major label or whether you have an independent label. We started a label this year, Urb Garden Music and we focus on distribution and promotions and publishing. And we’re just going to maximize on our label, keep pushing forward, and own our own stuff.
Nakia: Do you have any words of advice for anyone who’d like to make music a career?
Joy: Don’t lose focus. Know what you want and go after it, because anything’s possible, anything is attainable. You just have to have the right support behind you and stay focused.
Nakia: Where can our readers find more information about Joy Dennis? Purchase the CD? See you perform?
Joy: www.joydennismusic.com, you can be updated on shows, visit live performances, t-shirts, become a fan, download the music on your phone, everything is on the website. And then I’m on YouTube and Reverbnation, Keyword: Joy Dennis.
Nakia: Any final words for our readers? Buy the CD!
(Laughter)
Joy: Yes, buy the CD and view the videos, because views matter. Tell everybody about the video.
Nakia: How many views have you gotten?
Joy: It’s over 2000, and it’s only been a week and one day.
Nakia: Wow! Well a couple of them are from me.
Joy: Thank you, thank you.
Jacksonville singer and producer Joy Dennis finds her passion in music
Jacksonville singer and producer Joy Dennis finds her passion in music
Read more at Jacksonville.com:
View The Florida Times-Union Link
By Tonyaa Weathersbee
Joy Dennis sorted through a few hobbies and suffered through a bit of heartbreak before she found her voice.
Thankfully, it’s a voice everyone else now gets to hear.
“I started out in sports,” said Dennis, a local singer and producer. “I had cousins who went to Ribault [High School], and I went there to run track. … At one point, I was into tae kwan do, but I grew out of it.”
Then she found chorus.
Dennis had sung in her church choir as a youth, and in elementary school. But in chorus she learned the dynamics of singing, and the principals of how to sing.
“It was like a breath of fresh air to me,” she said.
Dennis, 31, is giving others a chance to sample what she’s created since then.
Last summer, she released her first CD, “Music Is.” It’s a spicy stew of songs seasoned with blues, funk, jazz, R&B and other forms of music that can spur listeners to dance, to amen or to simply reflect.
One song, “Electric Chair,” is Dennis’ remake of a blues song originally sung by Bessie Smith, then by Dinah Washington, about a woman contemplating using a knife to end the abuse she’s suffering from her man. Another is simply titled “Dear John,” about a heartbroken woman writing a letter to the one who broke her heart.
Travis Lockley, who owns Visionary Studios in Northwest Jacksonville where Dennis rehearses, said he can even relate to “Electric Chair.”
“I see it as being about how people can do you wrong in general, so much to the point where you don’t care about what happens to you if you go after them with a knife.”
But, Lockley said, he sees most of Dennis’ music as being “relaxing, lovable and soothing.”
Recently, Dennis held a party to herald the video release of “Electric Chair” and “He Awaits.” And while her future in music looks promising, Dennis said her main job as a child abuse investigator for the Florida Department of Children and Families exposes her to experiences that help to shape her voice.
“With one of my videos, ‘Electric Chair,’ I wanted to give awareness to domestic violence,” she said. “Children get hurt, they get in the middle when they’re trying to break up their parents’ fights, and they’re emotionally and mentally abused just by seeing that.”
Dennis has had her share of emotional bruises herself. After graduating from Ribault in 1997, Dennis suppressed her passion for a more practical pursuit: A college degree. She majored in psychology at the University of North Florida.
She said she experienced some painful times in college. And like many of the single mothers she encounters on her job, she was also affected by growing up without her father in the home.
“My mom gave me a lot of love, and I still had a strong male influence, my grandfather, and I visited my father,” she said. “But there’s nothing like having a dad in the home.”
But, she said, she found a way through it.
“I started writing poems in college, and I went through a tough time in college, trying to go to school, trying to have a life, and at times I felt lonely when relationships and friendships ended.”
Dennis began singing again in 2004.
“I started going out to the live venues and the poetry readings, and then I would come back home and listen to my CDs and my mom’s old records,” she said. “One night I had the opportunity to sing at an open mike venue, and I was asked to come back for an audition to sing at an album release for Jill Scott. I got a chance to sing ‘A Long Walk.’ After that came more exposure and more opportunity.”
Dennis turned what used to be a hobby into a serious pursuit.
“Joy’s a very soulful artist,” said Jeremy Gray, who plays bass for her. “Everything she sings comes from life experiences.”
Said Dennis: “I plan to continue to put out good music … that can say to people, ‘You’re not the only one going through this. … I’ve been there’ “
To order Dennis’ music, go to www.joydennismusic.com, or call (904) 302-8146.
Tonyaa Weathersbee: (904) 359-4251
Joy Dennis – He Awaits & Electric Chair [Official Extended Music Videos]
Just Dropping off my new Music Videos! Enjoy! http://www.joydennismusic.com
Joy Dennis – He Awaits & Electric Chair (c) 2011 Urb Garden Music Group Directed by Ryan Lightbourn [Official Non-PA Music Videos]
Written & Performed by Joy Dennis
Debut Album “Music Is” Now on Sale
For MP3 Downloads visit Joy on iTunes ( http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/music-is/id389456910 )
Amazon, Rhapsody, CDbaby, etc.
For Hardcopy CD’s visit:
Official website: http://www.JoyDennisMusic.com
Log on to Joy’s Official website for Fan Merchandise, Ringtones, Apparel, CD’s, MP3′s, Booking, Tour Dates and more.
Text JOIN JOYDENNIS to 69937 for Fan Exclusives!
For more information on Domestic Violence Awareness:
Jacksonville, FL: http://www.HubbardHouse.org
National: http://www.ncadv.org/
Joy Dennis’ Official Music Video Premiere (April 2) “He Awaits” & “Electric Chair”
On Saturday, April, 2, 2011
Urb Garden Music and Ms. Joy Dennis present
The Official Joy Dennis Video Premiere Party & Open Stage
At River City Brewing Company overlooking the beautiful St. Johns River
For Directions:
http://www.rivercitybrew.com/directions.htm
Join us as we Premiere the Much Anticipated Music Videos for Joy Dennis’ Debut Singles, “He Awaits” & “Electric Chair”
Come Meet & Party with Joy and the Cast!
Enjoy Live Music Performances of Joy Dennis and Open Stage performances of Guest Artists and Musicians.
The evening will be hosted by one of Jacksonville’s Favorite Radio Personalities, Ms. Ericka Schell!
The evening begins at 8pm and ends around 1:30am
Upscale Attire Required
Dinner menu includes:
Visit: http://www.rivercitybrew.com/Dinner.htm
Full Bar: Drink Specials will be Available
Best of all, Admission is absolutely Free. It costs you nothing. I just ask that you make sure you leave with a copy of the my Debut CD “Music Is”
Buy one for yourself, buy another for your friends and another for your family.. just make sure that everyone you know has the album!
I’ll see you on the NEW DATE, April 2nd, 2011 at 8pm!
To Get Your Copy of Joy Dennis’ Debut CD, “Music Is”, Log On: http://www.joydennismusic.com/
“So I was thinking… Around this time last year I was gearing up for the release of my album Music Is, I started reflecting on all of the faces that I have seen on my path in this music game. The most obvious thing that I noticed was that most of those smiling faces were always there. They were consistent. They were there when I performed, at Black Thoughts, Funk Fests, other festivals and shows. They were there at the release. They were there when it was time to flood the streets with the cds to help meet sales quotas. They were there when I had bad shows, and tough obstacles to overcome. They were even there when I wasn’t strong enough to perform. They were there at 6:00am in the morning, in the cold, to help shoot my first music videos..
You guys make my dreams attainable. So.. I know we scheduled the video premiere party for March 26 at Poppy’s, but scratch that. I was thinking, I owe you more.
So for all of those familiar smiling faces, I dedicate this night to you.”
- Joy Dennis
Joy Dennis: Story Behind the Music – (Buzz Magazine)
Joy Dennis "Story Behind the Music" Buzz Magazine Feature
By: James Neal
Joy Dennis is a truly brilliant young artist who is defying all rules and limitations of music genres. Her multitalented vocals have given her free range to incorporate any blend of music she so chooses, and this young lady takes advantage of every bit of it!
Joy Dennis’s most recent album entitled Music Is was released in May of 2010 through Urb Garden Music. With Music Is, she wanted to tap into a greater audience than just R&B and Jazz, so she intentionally infused multiple genres (Hip-Hop, Blues, Soul, and Funk) with her versatile voice and unique style. Every song on the album is a story and an experience directly from Joy’s life. She paints a truly brilliant picture with each word drawing listeners from every scope of the imagination into her music and soul. Some artists put out albums where the majority of the songs sound just like the last track, but Joy is far from being that artist. Each song has a brand new combination of infused genres and an original storyline of lyrics accompanied with it. Anyone would be hard pressed to find even the slightest unenthusiastic review of this album. The songs “He Awaits” and “Music Is” have been gathering commentary all across the net. The up-tempo song “Juk Joint” is also sure to gain popularity and be a crowd pleaser. Her live performances are stocked full of energy and audience participation, and only confirm how much she lives and breaths music.
“You can expect a soulful, alive feeling in my music, whether the songs are originals or covers. I’m able to relate to them and in turn, express them to my audience in a way that is absolutely captivating” – Joy Dennis
Joy’s passion for music is not limited to simply releasing albums and collaborating with artists, but she is also passionate about assisting other artists in being heard and recognized. Off the stage and out of the studio, Joy has helped launch Urb Garden Music (a publishing / licensing, digital & physical distribution, and radio promotion group). Urb Garden Music has partnered up with thousands barber shops and hair salons across the nation to promote, distribute, and literally flood communities with independent artists. With Joy as one of their front runners, the group is pushing for a national (and maybe soon, global) awareness of independent talent and music.
Joy currently has multiple projects going on at once. While working with and sharing the stage with multiple emerging and established artists, she is preparing for her upcoming promotional tour for Music Is. She is being featured in a soon to be released Hip-Hop album by a local artist (name withheld). Additionally, as further proof of Joy’s musical diversity, there is a producer from Sweden that she is collaborating with on a house track. Joy Dennis is without a doubt a rising star, and is certain to entertain and inspire many audiences to come.
Further information about Joy Dennis and Urb Garden Music can be found at:
http://www.joydennismusic.com & http://www.urbgardenmusic.com
IWantABUZZ.com
Black Thought Sundays Live Soul Music & Open Stage (1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY)
Sunday, November 14 · 7:00pm – 11:30pm
Location Poppy Love Smoke (PLS Music Lounge)
112 East Adams Street
Jacksonville, FL
View Event on Facebook
Special Thanks to DJ GoodLife for holding things down for us last Black Thought while we prepared for Homecoming.. but NOW it’s time for ALL the musicians, and the poets, and the vocalists…**Attention all LIVE music lovers** On November 14th, 2010, join us for the 1 Year Anniversary of our own live soul music and open stage event, Black Thought Sundays inside Poppy Love Smoke… Get.. So.. Ready…
*Guest Information:*
This is a… live music & open mic/ stage event. Vocalists, Musicians and poets are welcome to perform during this event.
Live Music is provided by the Black Thought House Band and the evening will be Hosted by Jacksonville own, Ms. Joy Dennis!
ADMISSION IS ONLY $1…
… when you purchase the debut CD “Music Is…” at the door.
Feel free to purchase your CD today by visiting: http://www.joydennismusic.com/
Doors open at 7pm Show starts at 8pm $5 Martinis -
Dress code enforced. With that being said, you know how we do it!
There are 2 house rules we ask that you follow:
1) Crowd Participation!
2) Tell a Friend, Tell a Friend
*About our Venue:*
For those of you who have never been, Poppy Love Smoke is a music lounge in the heart of downtown attractions, offering live jazz, neo soul, blues, R&B, backpack hip-hop & funk all in a relaxed setting called
the “chill lounge”.With great wines from all over the globe,
great beer and awesome cigars to enjoy, The P.L.S. lounge will be your
spot to unwind with friends.
*Location & Directions:*
Poppy Love Smoke (PLS Music Lounge)112 East Adams Street Jacksonville, FL 32202Get Directions >> http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=LYq&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=poppy+love+smoke+jacksonville&fb=1&gl=us&hq=poppy+love+smoke&hnear=jacksonville&cid=9661947568465716590
*Performing Artists, A&R’s, Labels, Agents:*
Touring Artists are welcome to perform at our event/ venue.
Please visit http://www.joydennismusic.com/black-thought-sunday.htm for booking information.
http://www.joydennismusic.com/
events@joydennismusic.com
Sponsored by:
Joy Dennis: http://www.joydennismusic.com/
Urb Garden Music : http://www.urbgardenmusic.com/
Ambitionn.com : http://www.ambitionn.com/
Trigen Entertainment : http://www.TrigenEntertainment.com/
Free Artwalk Concert feat. Special Formula Band, Chemistry & Joy Dennis Oct. 6 @ De Real Ting Cafe
Jacksonville, FL – On October 6, 2010 and every 1 Wednesday thereafter Trigen Entertainment presents A Free Artwalk Concert (LIVE MUSIC) at De Real Ting Cafe in the heart of beautiful downtown Jacksonville. Enjoy a heart-stopping mix of Funk, Soul and Ole’ Skool music featuring Jacksonville’s own, Special Formula Band, the Motown sounds of Chemistry and soul music recording artist Joy Dennis.
The evening starts off with a Happy Hour from 5pm – 9pm Dining and Drink Specials Available! Free Admission all night! PLUS DJ Big Russ on the 1′s and 2′s. Show starts around 8:30pm
The Real Ting Cafe is located at 128 Adams Street (Corner of Adams
and Hogan St) Details: http://www.TrigenEntertainment.com/ http://www.joydennismusic.com
Front-line Promotions presents 25/live ft. Joy Dennis and the Rohan Reid Band – Rain Ultra Lounge Orlando, FL Sept 24th
FRONT-LINE PROMOTIONS INVITES YOU AND YOUR CLOSET FRIENDS TO …..
25/LIVE
WITH “JOY DENNIS LIVE ON STAGE
AT
……RAIN ULTRA LOUNGE
…9:30-3AM
SEPT 24TH 2010
FEATURING:
R&B SOUL SINGER
JOY DENNIS
(http://www.joydennismusic.com)
LIVE,UPCLOSE & PERSONAL
ALONG WITH THE ROHAN REID BAND
*A 25 + GROWN AND SEXY PARTY VIBE
*STIMULATING SOUNDS BY ORLANDO’S HOTTEST DJ
GO DJ LYVWRE
*LIVE MUSIC WITH THE ROHAN REID BAND
ALSO NATIONAL RECORDING ARTIST
*STRONG & UNIQUE DRINK SPECIALS ALL NIGHT
*THE OLD SCHOOL vs NEW SCHOOL MEGA MIX
————————————————–
HOSTED BY
GO MC JAY DEEZY
—————————————————
AT THE REQUEST OF THE OWNERS THE DRESS CODE IS SEXY AND CHIC.
No Tennis Shoes, Ball Caps, or Shorts permitted
FOR RESERVED SECTIONS, V.I.P ROOMS & TABLES CALL 407- 212-1096
BOTTLE SERVICE & EARLY ARRIVAL ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
—————————————————————————————————————-
RAIN ULTRA LOUNGE- 4732 S KIRKMAN RD
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