“The VJE is the new MJQ”
—ELLIS MARSALIS
"The Verve Jazz Ensemble has matured into a force to be reckoned with.”
— ARTURO GOMEZ, KUVO FM
"A real treat for jazz fans!"
— SEA OF TRANQUILITY
"...navigates between timeless and contemporary"
— R+
“Night Mode shows this ensemble at their absolute best.”
— SEA OF TRANQUILITY
"VJE will continue to make a splash in the jazz world"
— R+
"Creative arrangements allow for...sizzling brass and woodwind interactions…just a few examples of the greatness exhibited by this very talented ensemble."
— SEA OF TRANQUILITY
“The tenor sax and trombone work on “Per Your Request” is absolutely fantastic with an outstanding melodic flair.”
— SEA OF TRANQUILITY
"The scintillating big band jazz in “Drumorello” forms another addictive melody and wonderful band interplay by all members of the quintet.”
— SEA OF TRANQUILITY
"The VJE:Very Live!’: One of the swingingest crew of jazzbos serving up a veritable live greatest hits set...Killer stuff"
– MIDWEST RECORD
"The ensemble deftly shifts from swing to Latin...strong and concise solos"
– Dan Bilawsky, JAZZ TIMES
“The VJE is one of my favorite jazz sounds in the world”
— Joe Domino, NEON JAZZ
“What a skillful supergroup of musicians!’
— Malvin Massey, General Manager WUMR-FM Memphis
"[The VJE] plays with intelligence and finesse...interpretations of great clarity and freshness that satisfies even the weary ear"
– Yves Dorison, CULTUREJAZZ, France
“Catchy melodies imbued with deceptively rich harmonies and finger-snapping grooves”
– JAZZIZ MAGAZINE
"Career-defining…playing that blows you away. This is a display of chops. Killer stuff”
— MIDWEST RECORD
“Vintage sounds…rich, suave, uptown, hip…the fingers are snapping to these tunes” – JAZZ WEEKLY
“One impressive recording”
– ALL ABOUT JAZZ
“The entire ensemble swings with joy…[the VJE] adds octane to every tune…Vrrrooom!”
– JAZZ WEEKLY
“Drummer Josh Feldstein…formed the Verve Jazz Ensemble in 2006…over the interving years…the growth and change has only intensified”
– Dan Bilawsky, JAZZ TIMES
"Smart, inventive exploration of standards…sharp, crisp, tight renditions indicative of keen musicianship"
– HOT HOUSE
“What the VJE does is delve into the past…which is quite rare…really enjoyed it!”
– JAZZ LONDON RADIO
“High octane stuff that’s hot enough to make major labels re-open their jazz department”
— MIDWEST RECORD
“The Verve Jazz Ensemble…is a group that is taking care of business!”
– THE DRUM SHUFFLE
ALL IN
RELEASES
From its beginnings as a proudly straight-ahead unit, the Verve Jazz Ensemble has been motivated by a desire to address a common complaint among jazz followers: that too many jazz artists play music to which the mainstream audience can't relate. As VJE leader Josh Feldstein puts it, his band strives to appeal "to everyone from people in their twenties who know nothing about bebop to people in their '80s who grew up in the swing era."
Having raced to the number one spot on the JazzWeek chart with its 2018 album Connect the Dots, staying in the top 10 slot for nine amazing weeks, the VJE attained maximum liftoff in reaching a wide range of listeners with its follow-up recording, Night Mode, also reaching top 10 radio chart status for 6 weeks in 2019.
Now, the VJE releases its first live album, The VJE: Very Live! a lucky product of a live performance in January 2020 just before the pandemic shut down live performances everywhere. The group's 7th album is an entertaining mix of original compositions by various members, and both popular and lesser-known jazz classics.
"There's so much amazing music that people haven't heard," said Feldstein, the VJE's drummer who studied under the legendary Morello as well as the also-legendary John Riley, another Morello mentee. "One of our jobs is to find music that is fresh, with melodies we love, and blow the dust off it.”
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