Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Eight months in the making, Locust Years is an eclectic combination of folk, country and rock music ripe with melodic refrains and catchy lyrics...Evident on Locust Years is the influence of various genres and artists, as well as a... desire to make both acoustic music and songs with a harder rock sound.
- Jennifer Lawinski
This summer's crop of performers in Harvard Square seems richer and more in touch with tradition... For folk-pop sophistication, another Square winner is Blue Horizon, the violin/guitar duo of Elizabeth Stephen and Jason Imbesi. Stephen owns one of the most mellifluous voices to hit Harvard Square in years. - Daniel Gewertz
It's not often that the Daily office receives a CD promo that isn't full of angst-ridden wails and blasting electric guitar. On that note, Blue Horizon's new album, Locust Years, was a pleasure (and a relief) to listen to. Jason Imbesi and Elizabeth Stephen have charming voices that blend like the shades of Kentucky blue grass. The second song, 'Cocoon,' and the fourth, 'Living In Dream,' feature Stephen's deep, honey-smooth undulations as well as the group's catchy musicality. - Daily Arts Department
Discography
Blue Horizon (2001)
Locust Years (2003) - Locust Years has received airplay on over fifty independent radio stations.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Vocalist/guitarist Jason Imbesi and vocalist/violinist Elizabeth Stephen make up Blue Horizon. With infectious and solidly-written original songs, the duo shows its roots in the tradition of acoustic-rock while stretching the boundaries of the genre. Jason and Elizabeth met in high school, but it wasn’t until they coincidentally ended up at the same upstate New York college that they first collaborated musically. Soon after, they headed for Boston and began playing open mics all over the city under the name More. On weekends, they woke up early to stake out a spot in Harvard Square for the opportunity to test out their original material. Eventually, they changed their name to Blue Horizon and began to perform regularly in local and regional clubs including the Kendall Café, the Burren and the Blackthorne Tavern.
In 2001 Blue Horizon recorded their highly-acclaimed, self-titled debut album. "(Jason's) voice is in the classic rock mold, but with a slightly softer, more innocent side." wrote Gregory Cooper of The Patriot Ledger in a review. The album garnered a lot of positive press and expanded Blue Horizon’s fan base. "(Elizabeth) owns one of the most mellifluous voices to hit Harvard Square in years," wrote Daniel Gewertz of the Boston Herald after catching Blue Horizon playing outdoors.
Energized by the positive response from their first album, Blue Horizon headed into the studio to record its follow-up, Locust Years. Released in May of 2003, the album draws on themes of limitation and freedom, of alienation and friendship. It is an album detailing the personal growth and benefit that come from hardship; an album about harvest after famine. "Locust Years is an eclectic combination of folk, country and rock music ripe with melodic refrains and catchy lyrics," wrote Jennifer Lawinski of the Cambridge Chronicle in a feature. "Blue Horizon could be an easy pick for top emerging artist in 2003," added Gregg Saur of WYCE. Locust Years currently is in rotation on over fifty independent radio stations around the United States, and is generating a lot of interest abroad as well.
With their strong melodies and lyrics from the heart, Blue Horizon’s songs are timeless. These are the songs that you don’t mind getting stuck in your head. These songs are the reason you go to the record store. Locust Years promises to delight listeners who loved the first CD, but it also will introduce an entirely new audience to Blue Horizon's music - listeners who will be charmed by the skill and care that Elizabeth and Jason apply to their art as well as their commitment to solid, honest songwriting.
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