Dom Minasi “It’s all about expression, learning and growth, whether it’s in music or in life, to share what we learn and give back without expectations.” Dom Minasi has been playing guitar for over 50 years. He became a professional musician playing jazz when he was 15 years old. In 1962 he started teaching and working as a full–time musician. In 1974, he was signed to Blue Note Records. After two albums he left the recording business and did not record again as a leader till 1999 for CIMP records. Between those years he made his living composing, authoring three books on harmony and improvisation, teaching and arranging. During the late seventies he did have an opportunity to work and perform with a whole slew of jazz giants including Arnie Lawrence, George Coleman, Frank Foster, Jimmy Heath and Dave Brubeck. After working with and being inspired by Roger Kellaway in ‘74, Dom began seriously composing in all genres’, including songwriting (both music & lyrics) jazz tunes and serious long hair contemporary pieces. He was the major composer for M.I.C.E. (Manhattan Improvisational Chamber Ensemble) which specialized in through-composed music with improvisation. He composes all the music for his many varied groups. Dom also worked for Young Audiences New York, where he was the first teaching artist to use song writing as a learning tool in its’ Literacy Programs throughout the NYC area. Since then he has composed over three hundred children songs. Wanting to have control of all aspects of his music, Dom along with his wife, formed CDM Records. Because of earlier experiences of constantly getting fired for playing ‘too far out’, his wife Carol urged him to finally record Ellington the way he “heard it”. With his new trio, Ken Filiano -bass and Jackson Krall- drums, on April 23rd, 2001 they recorded in one set, “Takin 'The Duke Out” live, at the Knitting Factory in NYC. It was released in October 2001. Dom expected this record to be the last recording CDM Records or he would ever make as a leader. To his astonishment, “Takin' The Duke Out” met with glowing reviews. Of course there were some die-hard Duke fans who absolutely hated it, but that was expected. Since then CDM has released Goin' Out Again-2023, Time Will Tell, 2003. In 2004 Quick Response and Carol Mennie’s I’m Not A Sometime Thing. In March 2006, Dom’s most ambitious project was released. Using his trio as a base and writing for small and large ensembles, The Vampire’s Revenge, is a double disc set of almost two hours of through-composed music with lots of room for improv. Many renowned Jazz Journalists throughout the USA, Canada and Europe selected The Vampire’s Revenge as one of the best recordings of 2006. . Again in September 2007 CDM released The Jon Hemmersam/Dom Minasi Quartet, along with Dom’s five previous recordings, was named as a first draft ballot for a Grammy nomination. In April 2009 Dom recorded Dissonance Makes The Heart Grow Fonder for re: KonstruK Records, which was later release on Konnex Records, featuring Dom on nylon string guitar, Jason Kao Hwang (violin), Tomas Ulrich (cello) and Ken Filiano (contrabass). Dissonance is a totally different sound. This group is a real combination of contemporary 21st century composition coupled with modern improvisation. April 2010 re: KonstruK Records released The Bird The Girl and the Donkey followed by Dom’s first solo recording, Looking Out looking In. In 2011. Nacht Records release Synchronicity with Karl Berger on vibes and piano. Dom ‘s most recent release is The Bird The Girl and The Donkey II that can be found on Unseen Records. Dom is very excited about his upcoming release A Moment In Time (Solyd Records) with Anthony Braxton, a double disc of improvisations. Soon to be released CDs: Angel’s Dance - Nacht Records Michael Jefry Stevens-piano * Dom Minasi-guitar The Sun Don’t Mind My Singing Nacht Records Blaise Siwula-reeds *Dom Minasi-guitar Alluvium - Straw2gold Pictures Dom Minasi-guitar* Hans Tammen-guitar More about Dom can be found on his website: www.domminasi.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hans Tammen's rapid-fire juxtapositions of radically contrastive and fascinating sounds capture the energy and abstract musicality that Coltrane brought to the saxophone. Originally inspired by Sonny Sharrock’s and Pete Cosey's fiery and energetic playing, his music has been described as an alien world of bizarre textures and a journey through the land of unending sonic operations, his playing, as a critic observed, with his ...fingers stuck in a high voltage outlet. Signal To Noise called his works "a killer tour de force of post-everything guitar damage", All Music Guide recommended him: ...clearly one of the best experimental guitarists to come forward during the 1990s. The music for his 15-piece ensemble THIRD EYE ORCHESTRA (string and wind quartets, extended rhythm section, voice and electronics) is inspired by west african roots of Jazz, Miles Davis' *****es Brew, Steve Coleman, and Stravinsky's layering or Steve Reich's phase techniques. All About Jazz called the music "nothing short of breathtaking", and "a masterpiece of musical evocation".