I'm a drummer, vocalist, writer/arranger, and play piano, guitar and harmonica. I've had the incredible good fortune of playing with and being influenced and inspired by some of the finest artists and people I could ever hope to know; and lucky to be a small part of the common thread we all share in this endless journey, where our eyes, ears and hearts are forever open and available to witness, and be effected by, the sincere expressions of others. It would be impossible to list everyone, and painful to discover that I'd left someone out. I'm indebted to all, and the list grows longer everyday, (There's a bio link below if you're interested).
Although I've never really been able to point directly at what is or isn't "Jazz", I accept that the honesty always comes from the same place, and align myself with something I heard Bill Evans once say, that "Jazz isn't so much a style as it is an approach".
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For the past few years, Paul Jost has been presenting his unique vocal style to appreciative audiences throughout the New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware area. His latest endeavor, "Dialogues pt. 2", (as part of The Antfarm Quartet, with Jim Ridl - piano, Tim Lekan - acoustic bass, and Bob Shomo - drums) has generated positive and passionate reviews. His love for music is always evident, and his soulful honesty is both refreshing and infectious. This new CD showcases unique interpretations of classic and not-so-familiar jazz standards on Dreambox Media, the award winning Philadelphia recording label dreamboxmedia

What Critics Are Saying

“…relentless romanticism comes courtesy of Paul Jost’s stunning singing. His burnished, soulful vocals are remarkable - daringly inventive and freely expressive in true jazz tradition, but uniquely his own. In both the charted vocalization (wordless vocals) and improvised scatting, Jost’s musical soul shines. He nearly single-handedly reclaims the male voice as a valid and critically important jazz instrument, and it's simply thrilling to hear. Swinging breezily, scatting with ease and authority, and softly seducing the listener with a catchy combination of the crystalline soulfulness of Sting and the fearless inventiveness of Mark Murphy, Jost is clearly a man coming into his own. If that comparison seems somewhat glib, just listen to him soar and you’ll soon realize what a remarkable accomplishment it is for an original jazz vocalist today to be both accessible and deep.”

-Buster Maxwell- "Woman's Journal"

“In an era of male jazz vocalists jousting for position as Rat Pack wannabees and angst-ridden, twenty-something posers, Jost is a sigh of relief. He possesses an abundance of convincing vocal qualities, most notably his ability to deliver fresh, uncontrived readings of overdone standards like “The Days of Wine and Roses”, “Girl From Ipanema” and “How Insensitive”. Jost’s somber rendering of Rodgers and Hart’s “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was”, is drenched with pathos and is astonishingly compelling.”

- John Barron - "All About Jazz" (N.Y.)

“Ambitious, experimental, straight ahead, traditional—these words go a short way to describe one of the Philly area’s most broad-minded and daring jazz groups. Vocalist Paul Jost’s elastic maneuvers transform the songs’ expected direction. Antfarm Quartet’s Dialogues, Pt. 2, contains impressive arrangements of “The Days of Wine and Roses”, “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and Joe Henderson’s “Tetragon”, and turns “Put on a Happy Face” into the hippest thing this side of Mose Allison and Han Bennink.”

-Ken Micallef – “Philadelphia Weekly”

“…within a short time, the listener becomes absorbed in his highly intelligent, richly emotive, and musically sophisticated renditions. Jost uses rhythm and dynamics to great effect to evoke the variety of moods suggested by the tunes, and the degree of such a swinging force is surprising.”

-Victor L. Schermer – “All About Jazz” ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Current Projects

Vocalist/Arranger on "Dialogues Pt.2" by Antfarm Quartet, (above), featuring, Jim Ridl-Piano, Tim Lekan-Bass, Bob Shomo-Drums, anfarmquartet, released on Dreambox Media 2008, and available at: dreamboxmedia, amazon, cdbaby

To view our latest video on NBC, click below
NBC 10 Show

[News from Cadence/NorthCountryAudio] News 07/09/2008
- Slim's Pick of the Week

THE ANTFARM QUARTET Dialogues, Part 2
Dreambox 1106itemID/UPC 739673110623

Right from the git-go, opening with Mancini's "Days of Wine and Roses," The Antfarm Quartet bursts through the gate swingin' and energized. Jost's ultra hip vocals make this a standout date. On an adventure scale of Mark Murphy to Mel Torme, he lurks somewhere halfway between. His occasional scatting sounds natural and unselfconscious -- not always a given mastered feat amongst vocalists. The band sounds both dreamy and gritty on their brilliant rendition of "And I Love Her." Other standout tracks include: "Centerpiece," "Gentle Rain," and "How Insensitive."
link: http://tinyurl.com/6qdmr4
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"Side By Side" Vocal & Bass duo with bassist Tim Lekan myspace.com/PTDuo
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The Equinox Effect includes the music of Siora, (Dan Kleiman), John Coltrane, a traditional spiritual as well as poetry by Wendell Barry and by the author/narrator of The Equinox Effect, RuthAnn Purchase. Siora vocalist Phyllis Chapell and Paul Jost are featured prominantly throughout the piece. Listen to the broadcast: theequinoxeffect.podhoster
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Just completed my 35th Library CD for Ad Impact. firsttakelibrary
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Below is a short bio:
An eclectic artist known equally for his abilities as vocalist, drummer and composer. A four category Billboard Song Contest Winner, his songs, (most notably, "Book Faded Brown"), have been recorded by The Band, Carl Perkins and Rick Danko. He has composed for Canon Pictures, NBC, etc. He has performed with Billy Eckstine, Mark Murphy, Ann Hampton Calloway, Frank D'Rone, Sylvia Simms; served as musical director for Morgana King, and recorded with a variety of artists including Bobby Scott, Sivuca, Dr. John, Bucky Pizzarelli, Teo Macero. Paul's vocals, drumming and harmonica can be heard on national jingles for Johnson & Johnson, American Airlines, Nissan, Annheiser Bush, Miller Beer, Subway and Dow Chemical.

If you're interested in knowing more, check out myspace.com/pauljost or pauljostmusic or click on bbbsccnj.org/pauljost-bio.pdf which will take you to a bio.