Another Music Video And Web Review To Boot

We've made another music video using an excerpt of the track "Up Tyner", which is track number 5 from our new album Freeing Form. Freeing Form also got a decent review on a French webzine. Info and links below.

Up Tyner

This piece was part of a longer recorded set. Dean began playing an old McCoy Tyner riff variation in slow swing, and the band soon joined in. The title is a dedication to that moment. The piece was completely improvised, including lyrics, and tracked live at Clear Lake Studios in 2022.

A webzine in France also wrote a good review of Freeing Form. It's always great to know we're appreciated. Translation and link are all below.

"Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of The Stratos Ensemble, an alternative jazz group based in Los Angeles, known for its daring improvisations and captivating soundscapes. Their latest single, “Together In Flames”, taken from the album “Freeing Form”, has just been launched and promises an extraordinary musical adventure.

Since 2004, under the direction of producer Dean De Benedictis, The Stratos Ensemble has challenged conventions by skillfully blending electronic sounds with modern and ambient jazz performances. This collective of artists, with changing personnel, explores aural textures as much as musical virtuosity, making each piece an epic odyssey of sonic discovery.

“Freeing Form”, the album from which “Together In Flames” comes, brings together a selection of work spanning from 2014 to 2023, with a particular emphasis on the last few years. This project presents a more versatile ensemble than ever, incorporating innovative vocal elements thanks to the arrival of singer Nichole Michelle Jones in 2022. Each track begins as a total improvisation before De Benedictis intervenes in post-production to refine and enrich the recordings, giving them the appearance of a finished production while retaining a spirit of improvisation.

The album's title, “Freeing Form,” plays on the words 'free-form', emphasizing a freedom of expression in improvised music that transcends traditional forms. “Together In Flames,” recorded live at Clear Lake Studios, captures the essence of this freedom, with melodies that float freely amid the band’s captivating improvisations.

With “Together In Flames”, The Stratos Ensemble invites us to rediscover freedom in music. This piece, a perfect fusion between emotional intensity and melodic dynamics, is an invitation to let yourself be carried away by the flames of passion and musical innovation. Prepare to be moved, inspired and absolutely captivated by this centerpiece of their repertoire."

-EXTRAVARNB