Tom Griesgraber - Whisper in the Thunder (9 tracks) +Album Reviews

Completely unique!

Music Lover | Santa Fe | 11/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'd never heard of the Chapman Stick before I saw Tom Greisgraber play it in concert recently. What I heard was so amazing, I have to wonder - why isn't he famous?!? This is an awesome instrument, played by an awesome musician. And this album is - you guessed it - AWESOME!!!"

Tom Griesgraber OWNS

Brad | New Hampshire | 08/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This guy owns stick playing. I have been familiar with the stick/warr guitar for a while having heard lots of Tony Levin and Trey Gunn. This is no bulk stick playing, though...you know, the kind of album you get suckered into buying when you first hear the stick only to find out there are only two real songs and the rest of the album sounds like some dude practicing or something. I'm really glad(and lucky, since I'm on the east coast) to have caught him live. He and Marotta play tight. The songs are all well composed with a variety of textures and feels. In some areas, it sounds almost as if he's soloing while still sustaining a nice rhythmic foundation underneath. Then there are a few tracks that have flat out incredible grooves with little nuances tucked into every corner(the first track "Ahab" comes to mind).

This isnt a tony levin/trey gunn clone by any means. Tom G. adds his own dimension of playing, the way Levin and Gunn both have their own corners in the touch instrument universe.

I went to see Tom Griesgraber live in Massachusetts with CGT+Tony Levin. I think most people went to see Tony and the CGT but Tom G. is what everyone went away talking about. I had a slight problem when ordering his bands cd from his website and when I contacted the company, Tom himself responded and got everything corrected right away. This guy gets serious street cred and really deserves to be heard.

This guy can only go up, he just needs the exposure. There is no reason he can't be as big as Tony....he's definitely got the skills and a professional attitude, and this being only his first solo album, it's scary to thinkl of what's in store when he settles into a groove."

Rapturous, swirling collages of gorgeous sound

Denise Van Slyke | San Diego, CA United States | 06/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Stick in Tom's hands is a doorway to pure aural bliss.

Layer upon layer of carefully constructed sound folds around itself, creating a tapestry that is by turns euphoric, invigorating, meditative, hypnotic, and always moving. The moods and melodies hint at jazz, "new age," and world music, yet resist easy taxonomy.

I own all of Tom's CDs; this is my current favorite, although I expect he'll eclipse it one day as he continues to explore the full potential of the Stick."

Give it a listen

Healerone | Dallas, tx | 05/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like probably most people I had never heard of the Chapman stick until I saw Tom playing at an art festival in San Diego. I was absolutely enthralled by his skills and the beauty of the sound made by the instrument. I bought all three CDS and my wife and I have played at least one every night for the last two weeks. It is like jazz with a twist. If you like bass it is for you. It is great background music and some of the melodys will stay with you."

An Amazing Discovery!!!

Louie Bourland | Garden Grove CA | 11/03/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tom Griesgraber may not be a household name but he certainly deserves to be. Tom is a master at playing the Chapman Stick - a marvelous instrument that resembles a guitar without a body and utilizes a two-hands-on-fretboard tapping method for playing. The Stick has also been used by Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel), Trey Gunn (also of King Crimson), Nick Beggs (Iona, Kajagoogoo) and several others.

Although Tom enlisted the talents of several well-known musicians for his debut disc "A Whisper in the Thunder" such as Jerry Marotta, Pat Mastelotto and The California Guitar Trio, it is the Stick that is mostly upfront-and-center here which is used for both the bass and leadlines heard throughout the entire album. A diverse range of styles are displayed throughout the disc as well. "Ahab" is a slightly progressive Eastern-influenced piece that sounds almost like a Trey Gunn solo piece. "77 Times" and the beautiful closing piece "Waking The Day" have an uplifting Jazz style to them while the two-part "Jungle" and the lengthy "Victor's Chase" break into the realms of extended composition with many elements being mixed into a seamless whole. These two pieces are the big standouts here as Tom's compositional and arranging talents are on full display here.

Filling out the rest of the album are a superb solo Stick piece "El Prado" and two Ambient style pieces "The Frozen Ocean" and "A Tiny Whispering Sound" which serve as introductions to the respective tracks "Victor's Chase" and "Waking The Day".

"A Whisper In The Thunder" is definitely an amazing discovery. This album is definitely a must for fans of King Crimson, Peter Gabriel and the solo work of Tony Levin. With music of this high of quality, one must wonder why Tom Griesgraber isn't up there with the greats. In time though, he certainly will be.

Recommended!!!

On a personal note: I has never heard of Tom Griesgraber before until he opened for Steve Hackett during a recent (10-28-05) concert in Santa Ana, CA. Tom performed an entire mouthdropping set alone with the Chapman Stick and received a tremendous standing ovation (and probably some brand new fans as well)."

Search - Tom Griesgraber :: Whisper in the Thunder

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