Jim Dragoni-Concerts-Guitarist-Composer

Click here to buy the latest DVD video release by Jim Dragoni--over 50 minutes of high fidelity sound and video recorded at a Comcast affiliate TV studio on the ex-cloosive Main Line of Philadelphia. Joining Jim are Rich Curtis and Webb Thomas. Rich was wearing his new stone washed jeans with special rips. Listen to Fusion to the Third Power as Jim, Webb and Rich tackle Dragoni's incendiary originals and standard examples like Ellington's Nothing But the Blues. Watch the drum stick tips fly as Thomas flies off the handle. We spent a whole day prior to the shoot testing top quality microphones and fooling around with the placement. TV studios are famous for poor sound, but not this time! We got it right. When the director wasn't looking, Jim turned up his Mesa amplifier and the distortion seared the walls and melted the curtains. This was a hot performance, guaranteed to make your pot boil. Check it out.

Jim Dragoni
Gargantua
(jim@dragoni.com ***)

This salty disc from guitarist Jim Dragoni is kind of a rough recording, but the playing startles the synapses.

The Philly guitarist, who studied with jazz sage Dennis Sandole (teacher to John Coltrane and other jazzerati), is a questing soul who can venture inside or outside the chord changes with the grace of a cat burglar.

Working with a series of venerable axes, from a Kubicki Stratocaster to a '43 Epiphone Emperor, Dragoni makes the antiques sound nubile again.

The solo "Night of the Firefly" lives up to its name, giving a kind of Celtic cascade to some fierce playing. The session of mostly originals features a challenging improvised piece, "Circles of Infallibility" with another regional treasure, tenor saxophonist Odean Pope.

Dragoni, who likes occasionally to flex his chops caveman-style, cooks to a driving froth on "Cloud Dance." The bugaboo feel with tenor saxophonist Elliott Levin, drummer Ed Watkins, and bassist Stephen Rossmeisl recalls some old glory. (actual bassist: Dylan Taylor, Rossmeisl played on other cuts)

Jim Dragoni is a composer, guitarist and teacher. His performance areas include blues, jazz and his own fiery original brand of hyrbidized cross genre art-music. His music has received airplay in Europe as well as in the United States. He has been recognized for years on the East Coast as an artist, teacher and performer.

Call 866-450-0826 for info on the Music Studio in Chestnut Hill where Jim practices his art.

Lincoln Center, Mellon Jazz Festival, Cape May Jazz Festival, Odette's, Havana, Academy of Music, Painted Bride Art Center, The Art Alliance, River Blues Festival, West Chester University, WHYY.FM, WRTI.FM, Widener University, Odettes...to name a few.

"Exciting performance...it was a gas!" Jenneth Webster, Program Director, Lincoln Center; reference to performance on 8-20-93

"...his playing is simply brilliant..." Dr. Herb Wong, international jazz critic and record company executive

"One of Philly's finest"....Karl Stark, Philadelphia Inquirer

"Sometimes it rocks, sometimes it swings, sometimes it is pure sweet poetry" Steve Lopez of the Philadelphia Inquirer

"Jim's ensemble playing and original compositions are superb..." Gerry Givnish, the Painted Bride Arts Center

"Music flows from Dragoni's instrument as smoothly as maple syrup...his compositional skills far surpass many of his peers" Ed Wismer, Cape May Star and Wave

"...soulful rhythm with strong guitar riffs and an intense solo from Jim Dragoni" Steve Randazzo, Germantown Courier, reference to recording "Worlds" on Gazelle Records

"Check out his technique, the effortless speed...has thoroughly mastered his instrument...it would seem there's not much more for him learn about his craft" Jack Lloyd, in feature article, the Philadelphia Inquirer.