New York, NY (Top40 Charts) On April 28, 2015, Motéma
Music will release Stop Time, the label debut of acclaimed singer/songwriter and pianist Jon Regen.
Produced by Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Paul McCartney), and featuring Davey Faragher and Pete
Thomas from
Elvis Costello and the Imposters, Stop Time finds Regen at the peak of his songwriting and pianistic powers, with ten original tunes that brim with humor and heart. Songs like "I Will Wait," "Morning Papers" and "Stop Time" prove Regen a master of the sticky lyric and the penetrating piano hook, recalling the work of forbears like
Billy Joel and
Randy Newman while simultaneously showcasing Regen's singular take on modern love.
Today, The Wall Street Journal premiered the album's first single, "I Will Wait," calling it "a breezy pop tune built around Regen's rolling piano chords and pleasantly rumpled voice. He's a confident, soulful singer who steers the melody with ease..."
"These tunes range from beautifully melodic to funky and fun. Great, great playing and vocals, infectious soulful grooves… Stop Time never stops pleasing the ears."
Chuck Leavell, The Rolling Stones
"Stop Time is a gem of direct songwriting and elegant playing."
Benmont Tench,
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
"The album is a joy to listen to."
Larry Crane, Tape Op
Regen talks about the making of Stop Time in the video teaser, which contains rare studio footage and offers a sneak preview of the album's new songs. Fans who pre-order the album on iTunes will immediately receive the first single "I Will Wait."
"The album really began after I met the actor Jeremy Irons at a party in London," Regen says. "We started talking over ample amounts of wine and soon after, he asked me to play the piano for him. Not wanting to disappoint an Oscar winner, I sat down and started playing a bluesy, New Orleans kind of vamp. Without warning, he grabbed a cello off the wall and started playing it like an upright bass. We jammed together on that one song for nearly fifteen minutes! When I returned home to New York City, I married the bluesy feel of that jam session to a set of lyrics I had written about a guy who becomes dismayed watching his youth slip away. The resulting song 'Stop Time' became the anchor for the album that was to come."
"Jon plays pop music that people might associate with artists like
Elton John and Randy Newman, but at the same time, he has a kind of swing in his piano playing that is distinctly his own," Froom explains. "I think the result is just a tremendous sense of humanity and positivity that you get listening to him. I feel that I'm catching him at a time where everything is really coming together for him as a singer/songwriter."
A protégé of the legendary pianist Kenny Barron, Regen began his career as a sympathetic sideman to jazz artists like
Kyle Eastwood and
Little Jimmy Scott. After releasing a series of acclaimed instrumental jazz recordings, Regen made an abrupt left turn in 2004 and released the singer/songwriter EP
Almost Home. Regen followed the EP with his full-length 2008 release Let It Go, which featured Andy Summers of the
Police and Martha Wainwright.
In 2011, Regen co-produced and released the album Revolution. Featuring contributions from Andy Summers, Benmont Tench from
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers and
Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, the album received rave reviews the world over. Bloomberg and Allmusic each awarded it "Four Stars." The Philadelphia Inquirer pronounced Regen "a supremely accomplished pop artist," and JazzTimes described his music "as potent as anything crafted by Sting." Regen surprised listeners again in 2013 with the release of the instrumental album Change Your Mind, his collaboration with the renowned physician and meditation expert Dr. Mitch Gaynor. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard New Age charts and took the top spot at iTunes and Amazon.com as well.
But for Regen, Stop Time cuts even closer to his core.
"For me, the new album is all about hope and home," Regen says. "In many ways, the album is a sort of love letter to my wife, who helped me realize that there is life beyond the breakup song!" (Regen's May 2014 wedding was profiled in the Vows section of the New York Times). "It's a heartfelt album, but it's also a humorous one because living in New York City is always an adventure. I decided to call the album Stop Time because it's the song that started this whole wild ride in the first place. And maybe if we all could stop time once in a while, we would realize how much there already is to celebrate."
Tour Dates:
5/5: New York, NY - SubCulture *Album Release Show*
5/6: Philadelphia, PA - Tin Angel
5/8: Old Lyme, CT - The Side Door Jazz Club
5/9: Cleveland, OH - Nighttown
5/31: Boergerende-Rethwisch, Germany - Conventer Atrium
6/2: Bratislava, Slovakia - NuSpirit
6/3: Vienna, AUS - Reigen Live
6/4: Ingolstadt, GER - Ingostadt Bluesfest
6/5: Berlin, GER - Jazzradio Concert Series
6/6: London, UK -
Pizza Express Jazz Club
6/7: London, UK -
Pizza Express Jazz Club
6/10: Paris, FR - Duc Des Lombards
www.jonregen.com
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