Tony LaJoye

This disc is jazz oriented, with very skilled performances. And not just some jazz chords thrown over some singer-songwriter stuff – there’s obviously some study and background going on here. The songs lyrically attempt to be charismatic or maybe even funny, but more often than not they simply stay out of the way until a semi-catchy hook happens. It’s a pleasure to listen to the bass player, and for what it’s worth, the guitar and drums never step out of character. Go to facebook.com/tonylajoye to check it out. -Ryan Cunningham - Recoil Magazing

Steeped in jazz, pop, soul, folk and fun, the Tony LaJoye Trio makes its mark with a lively debut album and a jaunty Local Spins Live appearance by its frontman.

No wonder his approach is eclectic: Tony LaJoye is a fan of Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Frank Sinatra and Big Band jazz.

He reveres Stevie Wonder, exhibiting a penchant for soul, R&B and funk.

While playing acoustic guitar during folk-flavored solo shows, he’ll sometimes loop backing tracks and “do some hip-hop stuff and … lay down the layers and do some rapping.”

Trained as a percussionist starting in middle school, he’ll even sit in on drums on occasion with the Thornapple Jazz Orchestra when they need a sub.

Not only that, he plays steel drums to add fresh textures to some of his songs, and professes to be a big fan of such varied singers as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, John Mayer and Jack Johnson.

To say that Hastings native and Middleville resident Tony LaJoye embraces an unusual musical approach is probably an understatement.

As the frontman for the Tony LaJoye Trio – which recently released its debut album, “Thrive,” recorded at Matt Ten Clay’s Amber Lit Audio in Grand Rapids – it’s an eclectic modus operandi that gives the group a jaunty folk- and jazz-pop flavor that’s almost instantly fetching.

“I like to play a lot of different styles of music,” LaJoye says, “but I like to keep some pop sensibility to it.”

Those elements certainly were on display during the singer’s performance of “Baby, I Need You” on this week’s edition of Local Spins Live on News Talk 1340 AM (WJRW). Listen to a podcast of the entire show here and check out a video of LaJoye below. (You can read about last week’s featured artist, Rick Beerhorst and The Wealthy Orphans here.)

Reared in an ultra-musical family – both of LaJoye’s parents were involved in music education in Hastings schools, and his sisters are singers – LaJoye learned to play piano and percussion, and later took up guitar.

Together for about two years, the rest of the band – Matt Gibbons on drums and vocals, and Stu Ford on bass (with Kyle Welfare playing bass at some gigs) – has a rich musical background as well, much of it in the jazz arena. LaJoye wrote all the songs for the 10-track debut CD, co-producing the album with Ten Clay.

LaJoye concedes that his difficult-to-pigeonhole style means he “constantly battles” to determine the sorts of bands to pair up with at performances in the Grand Rapids area. Still, he embraces Michigan’s fertile music scene, pointing to diverse, rootsy acts such as The Ragbirds, Macpodz, The Crane Wives and Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys as artists he follows and admires.

At 9 p.m. Saturday, you can catch LaJoye in a solo performance at Grand Rapids’ Last Chance Tavern, 1132 Burton St. SE. He also plays Champs in Middleville on Nov. 24, with the full Tony LaJoye Trio performing at The Waldorf in Hastings on Dec. 8.

Learn more about the band at its Facebook page and listen to tracks from the album at LaJoye’s ReverbNation site. - Spins On Music

TONY LAJOYE represents a new breed of Song Writers. His soulful guitar riffs and singing ability is guaranteed to make you stand-up. We recommend you support & keep your ear tuned to the music from this rising star. - HipHopStardom101

I recently had the opportunity to check out a live performance by Tony LaJoye, a West Michigan based performer, at the Walldorff Ballroom–a venue in Hastings, MI. He started off the night playing a solo set. Using an acoustic guitar, a loop pedal and several other effects pedals, he lays down intricate grooves; playing everything from his catchy Jazz/Folk/R&B style originals, to a wide range of choice covers. I was particularly impressed with his treatment of Hip Hop tunes, such as Blackstreet’s “No Diggity”, and Outkast’s “So Fresh, So Clean”. He has a unique way of putting a whole new spin on well-known songs to create something fresh.

For his second set, he was joined by a drummer and bass player. Together, they played more of Tony’s fresh original tunes, this time with an even broader landscape of rhythmic grooves and booming bass lines. I was blown away by this performance! Tony LaJoye certainly knows how to hold his audience with an eclectic mix of tunes, technique, and an accessible sound that could best be described as Van Morrison meets The Roots. He puts on a solid show with something that everyone will love, no matter what age, scene or musical preferences. This is a sound to dig!

You can find his music and upcoming shows at http://reverbnation.com/tonylajoye
- Stevie Soul Music & Blog Network