Joseph Lorenzo Wise to Release New Album SONGBOOK This Month

SONGBOOK is an album featuring ten live performances by Joseph Lorenzo Wise. It also features a bonus track "Papaparazzi," the new hit single featuring the Beethoven Fifth. The inspirational songs range from spirituals, to pop hits, to Sibelius. The CD also features one original song -- "Dreams" -- written in New York City in the '80s by Joseph Lorenzo Wise.

The talented musicians on the album are seasoned veterans in the music world, with credits that include playing with Natalie Cole, George Benson, Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin. Prestigious graduates of Julliard, California College of Music, Cal State Northridge, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, these players are the real thing. Also featured on the album is organist extraordinaire Bob Ralston, who played with The Lawrence Welk Show for over thirty-five years. Joseph Lorenzo Wise is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, and appeared on Broadway in the original cast of ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, starring Madeline Kahn.

Wise who played a vocal coach to two-time Grammy-winner Nate Reuss in the 2015 short film "The Grand Romantic" exclaims: "Nate was my inspiration for 'Papaparazzi,' he gets chased by photogs all the time for real!"

"Having 'Dreams' on this album is truly 'a lifelong dream'. I always wanted to do a CD and the way this one came about is truly a divine happening. It all started backstage at LA Opera where I had taken a small role as a jazz band leader in the opera 'La Traviata' just to get back on the stage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion where I appeared in 'On the 20th Century' with Rock Hudson, Judy Kaye and Imogene Coca. One night waiting to go onstage I heard two singers talking about a place called Founder's."

Before long, Wise joined the Founder's choir and quickly became a soloist, singing Negro spirituals. That lead to his first record "Jesus Done Got Me," his original contemporary Negro Spiritual with Grammy nominee Kevin Toney of the Blackbyrds. It was also at Founder's where Wise met Cody T. Gillette, a pianist, arranger and owner of OZmosis Records. That lead to his next singles "Amen-This Little light of Mine", and "On the Boulevard," a song Wise wrote for Robin Williams last movie. His love for being in the studio and his friendship with Cody T. grew and they released two more singles, "Christmas Again" and "Papaparazzi," which is the bonus track on SONGBOOK.

Cy Coleman was the first musician to take Joseph into the recording studio. "I loved it! Along with being on Broadway, going into the recording studio was a giant thrill" Wise added. Years later, that initiation would lead to another single "Life Is Like A Train," by Cy Coleman, Betty Comden and Adolph Green.

"The unique thing about working at the Founder's Center is that, there is no other venue that I know of that does such a wide array of musical styles." The album contains covers of some very popular songs, like "Feelin Good/I Feel Good and "We're In this Love Together", and other standards. All the songs focusing on their "spiritual" content!

Founder's is a landmark oval building in the Wilshire Corridor designed by African American Architect, Paul Revere Williams a trailblazer, who helped to shape Los Angeles. The round curve of the building creates an expansive auditorium that seats 1500, and has the feel of the Coliseum in Las Vegas. "It's a wonderful place to sing", Joseph vocalizes.

SONGBOOK, the new album by Joseph Lorenzo Wise featuring ten live performances is available for pre-order at Amazon.com. Official Release Date 3/16/16 on iTunes, CDBaby and Google Music Store. For more information visit josephlorenzowise.com. Preview, pre-order and download the CD on Amazon.com.

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