A Thru-Composed Life
Artist: Tom Giampietro Trio +1
Release Date: December 4, 2020
Catalog Number: EUR0435
TRACKLIST:
01) A FIRST STABLE THEME (6:13)
02) SELF-SATISFIED FIRST ENDING (7:44)
03) A DECEPTIVE EASE (5:17)
04) UNCONSCIOUS CHOICE OF TWO (7:04)
05) A TROUBLED TURN DOWN A DISSONANT PATH (7:10)
06) HYMN OF HOPE (6:51)
07) IN SEARCH OF… (4:11)
08) …A LOST NOTE_FOUND! (7:58)
PERSONNEL:
Tom Giampietro - Drums
Jonathan Kreisberg - Guitar
Gary Versace - Organ
Special Guest: Ingrid Jensen - Trumpet
RECORDING INFO:
All songs composed by Tom Giampietro
Recorded January 14th & 15th by Danny Bernini at Spirithouse Studios, Northampton, Massachusetts
Tracks 1, 2, 3, & 5 arranged by Tom Giampietro & Jonathan Kreisberg
Mixed and mastered by Danny Bernini at Spirithouse Studios, Northampton, Massachusetts
Package Design: Robert Hakalski & Edmar Salles
Cover/back illustrations: Morgan Slone
Tom Giampietro endorses Sabian Cymbals, Remo Drumheads, & Vic Firth Drumsticks
Produced by Tom Giampietro
FROM TOM:
Thanks, as always, to God, my parents and more friends than a person should be allowed to have!
Very special thanks to Ingrid, Jonathan, and Gary for agreeing to be a part of the project. Other than Jonathan (Go Canes!). I had not met any of them prior to the recording. So it means more to me than I can express in words that they were willing to be be a part of this recording. Their musicianship, professionalism, and joyous attitudes combined to make the one of the most enjoyable musical experience I have to date.
And much thanks to Jonathan Kreisberg for spending quite a few Holiday Season Skype hours with me brainstorming various arrangement ideas for the tunes.
Thanks to Jeff Coffin for believing enough in the project to place it on his Ear Up record label. And thanks to Jeff for many other things too numerous to mention here.
Thanks to Danny Bernini and Spirithouse Studio for a great environment and a lot of patience.
I would like to thank the following Umass-Amhert Jazz students for various helps along the way: Ben Falkoff, Sean Elligers, Lucas Apostoleris, Caleb Davis, Ryan McNiece, Chritian Tremblay and Stephen Kerr.
Thanks to the Umass-Amherst College of Humanities Fine Arts Project Funds and Research Support Funds.
And thanks to the many teachers and colleagues who have inspired me along the way!
ALBUM NOTES:
The Right and Wrong Notes of a Thru-Composed Life
This album is conceived to be a musical autobiography of my life up to the point of time that it was recorded. The individual songs are not meant to represent any particular incident or person in my life, rather the album as a whole represents a broad picture timeline of my life as I see it now. Each composition marks a particular epoch within that overall timeline. It bears repeating that this is how I see my life now - not necessarily as I perceived it while immersed in the struggles and joys of each individual period of time. Nor does it guarantee that I will continue to see the trajectory of my life thru the same emotional lense. The magnitude of our successes, failures, joys, sorrows, challenges and triumphs invariably change as we gain perspective - sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.
A STABLE THEME
The beginning. Childhood. Stable although wavering due to some uncontrollable circumstances. Whatever challenges that did occur (usually due to health concerns and hospital visits) were rendered moot and beatable through the steady and loving guidance of my parents.
SELF-SATISFIED FIRST ENDING
The end of childhood. Venturing into college and life as a young adult. Confident that I could overcome any challenges based on my childhood outcomes. In other words I began to turn a blind eye to problems, over confident in my ability to take them in stride.
A DECEPTIVE EASE
A short but peaceful time when things still seemed under control. Still unaware that the problems I had been ignoring were about to demand my attention.
CHOICE OF TWO
Sometimes a small but innocuous choice can have the largest effect on our lives. It can be the difference between dark and light. I chose wrong......
A TROUBLED TURN DOWN A DISSONANT PATH
The choice made. The path was set. A long time of conflict, uncertainty, and seemingly endless searching. And yet even then I was given one more chance to make the correct choice.
HYMN OF HOPE
At a time when future events seemed unclear and the correct path out of conflict was not yet apparent, I was given a brief but powerful glimpse of what could still be (and of what might have been)
IN SEARCH OF…
Faith and hope are funny things. Once you find them do not be fooled into believing the struggle and hard times are over. Far from it! In many ways finding faith and hope is just the first step along one's true path. Struggle is an inevitable consequence of striving. Only now armed with faith and hope and the courage that they supply, was I truly ready and able to undertake the path that was always mine to take.
…A LOST NOTE_FOUND!
This always was my one true path. That is why it is the lost note and not a new note! I was just unaware of it or, truth be told, maybe a little afraid of it! And, if I am being really honest, the note wasn't lost, I was. Hindsight IS 20/20 but when I look back the signs were plainly there. I just ignored them. And I paid the price. But that is the beautiful thing about life-Now that I am on the correct path, the past doesn't matter anymore
QUOTES:
“The Tom Giampietro Trio +1 has delivered a stellar, standout recording with some of the finest improvisors on today’s scene. ‘A Thru-Composed Life’ sounds to me like a warm blanket on a cold day.”
“Tom composed an interesting and challenging body of work. He also brought together a very cool band for the date. In the end however, it was his great spirit behind the kit (and as a person) that made it a killer! I think that will be evident to all that hear this disc.”
“It was a joyful session driven by the inspiring and effervescent playing and writing of Tom Giampietro. I can’t wait to hear and see the final CD as well as play once more with this beautifully balanced group of spirited virtuosos.”
“What a fun recording to be involved with! I had never actually played with Tom before, only heard about him, but assumed we would form a nice musical bond when I learned he had also signed on two of my oldest musical friends and band leaders - Ingrid Jensen and Jonathan Kreisberg. Luckily, my assumptions were correct! Tom is an amazing drummer and composer, and we all fit together very easily musically and personally. It was a blast - so glad to have finally played with Tom and to have made this recording! I look forward to the next time!”
