"About fifteen years ago my wife and I were in a Greenwich Village eatery when she let it slip that I was in the music business. The waiter...proceeded to audition for me in front of God and everybody in the restaurant.
Had that waiter been half as talented as Josh Weinstein, I'd have signed him on the spot. Sadly, the gifted among us are few and far between, which is why the warbling waiter of Bleecker St. is probably still slinging hash and Weinstein has produced a richly rewarding album.
Brooklyn Is Sinking is Weinstein's second solo album. On it he takes his patented blues-funk style and creates a magnificent, multi-tiered soundtrack filled with electrifying emotion mixed with imaginative compositions that broaden the boundaries of jazz. Much to Weinstein's credit, he avoids channeling the uber-slick Harry Connick, Jr. and myriad lessers, soulfully presenting imagistic songs that fit together in a story line reminiscent of the great filmmaker Godard.
Weinstein is ably assisted on this album by Marco Oppedisano on guitar, Bruce Huron on saxophone and melodica, John Carlson on trumpet and flugelhorn, Oliver Van Essen on organ, Tom Hubbard on bass, and Sunny Jain on drums and percussion. Most notable is the string section, featuring Sarah Schwartz and John Kass on violins, Arthur Dibble on viola, and Adam Grabois on cello.
The band sways lithely through Weinstein's staccato pieces, some of which start with a tremendous bang, scuttle to a whisper during the bridge, and then end with an orchestral flourish that may bring avant-garde composer Steve Reich to mind. Throughout the pieces, Diamond and Zhana Saunders add elegiac backing vocals in support of Weinstein's lush tones.
What separates Brooklyn Is Sinking from Weinstein's first solo effort is his use of sampling, capturing street scenes, media cross-talk, and bar room boasts to give the project a seedy, character-driven feel. It's an experiment that pays off, as Weinstein breathes life into the troubled, possessed spirits that inhabit our "world gone crazy."
As good as the music is, what really shines on this album are Weinstein's lyrics, which at times flow with the hard-boiled excitement of a Mickey Spillane novel, and at other times have the philosophical tone of a poem by Ezra Pound. Weinstein writes from deep within himself, committing blood, grit, and sensitivity to paper, creating a highly original masterwork filled with remarkable warmth and craftsmanship.
I don't know if the singing waiter ever got his big break or not. If he hasn't, he might want to pick up a copy of Brooklyn Is Sinking to learn how to become a sensation. You should pick up a copy of Brooklyn Is Sinking simply because it's sensational.
—Larry Sakin, December 14, 2006
Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
"Opening with an Elton John-ish Tumbleweed Connection-sounding Stones, Brooklyn Is Sinking quickly erupts into a piano-centered, street-wise-and-dark-eyes Steely Dan landscape that is an absolute joy to listen to and get lost in. Lyrical in a harsh-yet-human Tom Waits way with Randy Newman orchestral textures lurking throughout (Sonny is resplendent), Weinstein leaves the usual crowd of folk-based singer/songwriters miles behind (in Staten Island or Queens perhaps?).
Tough (Scared White Men, A Minor Cool (Palimpsest)), lush (She Like), and soulful (take your pick), Weinstein and his superb accompanists...sound like a hybrid of classic artists, but never, and I do mean never, do they sound derivative or imitative. Even if the songs and music weren't as good as it is, just that would be a major accomplishment."
—Mike Jurkovic, December 11, 2006
Josh Weinstein is a hard man to pin down. His musical style shifts so suddenly and dramatically, it can be hard to keep up. Take equal parts Steely Dan and the Beatles circa 1967, and throw in a little--let's say--Primus for good measure, and you're starting to get the idea.
Although Weinstein performs on Brooklyn Is Sinking with a full band on most tracks, the focus is squarely on him—vocals and keyboard—and it's an interesting organism that emerges as a result. Consider Norah Jones: essentially, she's a pop artist infused with hints of jazz and blues in large enough doses to keep things interesting. Weinstein may be her mirror image: he sounds like a jazz musician at heart with enough spattering of pop to give his songs some sense of structure. To his credit, the recipe Jones is cooking is about as risky as toast. Brooklyn Is Sinking is a perpetual balancing act in which Weinstein is constantly pushing the boundaries of what pop music can entail without ceasing to be, well, popular...
At the end of the day, Brooklyn Is Sinking is a gutsy and sweeping expedition.
—Andrew Peterson, May, 2007
24/7 (Cover Story, December, 2006)
"Like Charles Bukowski, minus the in-your-face vulgarity." (click cover to read article)
With the release of Brooklyn Is Sinking, Josh leaves little to doubt and speculation as to why he is getting national acclaim.
Reminiscent of Tom Waits and Steely Dan, Weinstein is a powerful singer and a witty songwriter. He has put together a collection of dark, instantly appealing, finely crafted tunes with flowing melodies and soulful vocals. This CD is an intricate tapestry of pop and jazz coupled with the unbridled force of articulate, unblinking humanity."
—John Shelton Ivany, April, 2007
"Intriguing blend of jazz and indie rock that takes surprisingly creative twists and turns."
—addreviews.com, September, 2007
"Josh Weinstein’s Brooklyn Is Sinking blends rock, blues and jazz into a neat package of musical perfection. Reviewer's Rating: 9"
—Sari N. Kent, December 4, 2006
"Weinstein’s strong suit is his lyrics – an almost filmic picture of New York and its various boroughs (though not limited to that region) is painted throughout the album’s twelve tracks. On “Stones,” Weinstein conjures up images of a red light district that the narrator has distanced himself from. Meanwhile, “Scared White Men” sets the scene immediately with the lyric “South Boston, 1987. Young black boy of eleven stops to tie his shoe.”
Weinstein’s voice and intonation recalls a young Tom Waits. In fact, Brooklyn’s opening track – “Stones” – wouldn’t sound out of place on Heart of Saturday Night...Later on the album, the influence seems to shift...to Donald Fagen’s work as a solo artist and with Steely Dan. The jazz-influenced arrangements, the interesting chord structures, the songs about New York… it all fits. This is especially true on the album standouts “Is And Should Have Been” and “She Like,” with its dazzling horn arrangements. But I’d be remiss to write Weinstein off as derivative. The songs may be familiar, but they’re certainly original – and his ability to weave from one style to another is commendable.
Few artists still exist that are willing to explore the human condition, and luckily Weinstein is one of them. I suppose my only complaint about Brooklyn is Sinking is that it is a bit on the long side. Despite the variety, patience is required to listen to the whole thing in one sitting. But that doesn’t really matter, does it? This is a polished album that retains its soul and collects some excellent songs that will hopefully add to Weinstein’s existing success as a singer-songwriter. Bravo."
—Adam D. Miller, November 2006
"Josh Weinstein is in complete command of his instrument on "Brooklyn is Sinking." You can hear shades of jazz, pop, cabaret and even songs that just flat out rock. Some folks make music to pay the bills while other folks make music because they're artists through and through and it's in their blood. Josh Weinstein clearly falls into the latter category."
—Mike Casey
"Listen to Brooklyn is Sinking and it becomes quickly apparent that Weinstein isn’t interested in courting the “cool” sound of today. Though the album has a contemporary feel, thanks to a sardonic writing style and occasional excursions into funk, the album is the sound of an artist who has absorbed his influences not simply by listening to a bunch of recordings by jazz standards, but by paying his dues the old-fashioned way. For the most part, Brooklyn is Sinking is a soundtrack fit for lonely nights spent in hotel bars with a liberal helping of wine and clove cigarettes.
Polished, but unpretentious, Brookyn is Sinking is an album that’s fun enough to win over more than a few non-jazz fans while winning the approval of most jazz purists."
—Sean McCarthy, November, 2006
A "top 10" discovery for 2006. "I'm really impressed with this cat's vibe."
—Vin Scelsa
"A superb writer, pianist and performer."
—Joey Reynolds
"Weinstein knows how to work a crowd well, with a laid-back demeanor and an easy smile."
—Ernest Barteldes
"Very, very cool."
—Dan Herman