CDOTD 2/27/2023

 Thomas Dimuzio: Balance disc one (Gench)

Given to me by Thomas at his December Pittsburgh performance

I am a chronically disorganized person. Hopelessly sometimes. I have trouble keeping things in order, even picking up after myself sometimes. I've always been this way.

I have a studio, a so-called man cave in our house. I really do need the space to work and practice. It's a struggle to keep it in anything resembling presentable shape. I'm also a terrible procrastinator, so I'm constantly putting off jobs such as putting things back in there place in my area. I decided this would be the soundtrack to me picking up after myself.

I've been meaning to put on this triple CD. Nowhere better to start than disc one, a series of duets captured live at various times and locations, with various people. Ten tracks on disc one, ten different duets. There's no instrumentation listed on this or any of the discs, though disc one is entirely electronic in nature (or nearly so, unsure about track ten with David Molina). Each name is given and as well as the band or project they're associated with. The only name I recognized (not having staying on top of this particular scene) is David Lee Myers AKA Arcane Device. I opened for David in or around 1991 at CMU. 

I recognize more names on discs two and three, and I've played with two: Gino Robair and the recently passed Tom Nunn. Good guys and great musicians, both.

I've met Thomas twice in person. More recently was in December show at The Government Center. Thomas is from Bethel Park originally, and he had family on hand. His mother said hello to me, asked me if I knew "Tommy." I've only ever seen his name listed at Thomas, and that's what I'll continue to call him.

The first time I met Thomas was at Radio Valencia in San Francisco around 1995 +/-. I was there with Water Shed 5tet, in what I called our BART Tour: consecutive dates in Oakland, San Fran, and Berkeley. It was also the night, Thomas has told me, that he met Gino Robair. Our mutual connection was my bass player Jeff Stringer.

It's not easy for me to discuss Jeff. Let's just say he is missed. This doesn't seem like the appropriate forum to write further.

The disc, the disc...if I wrote that it leans on the ambient side, that might give you the impression that music is blander than it is. I was trying to describe the word "soundscape" to students this morning, and that's as good a word as any to describe the contents. The "pieces" are no doubt edited from longer performances. It's well edited, picking out prime moments. 

A good indicator of the variety is found in the first two tracks. The first, with Larry Thrasher, is a softer-edged, more (here it comes) ambient work, swelling slowly. That is followed by the far glitchier performance with Bevin Kelley. He's clearly finding contrasts from track to track. Some tracks drone, some pulse, all are steeped in atmosphere. And all improvised, Thomas is a dedicated master improvisor. 

I would love to work with Thomas sometime. Who knows, maybe, I don't get away from Pittsburgh often to play, but I should find ways to do so.