Destined - solo piano by Joe Bongiorno

The pieces are quietly passionate and optimistic, making the listening experience a very calming and uplifting one. 'Destined' is a great album for a romantic dinner, for unwinding or reading, or just to sit back and enjoy. It's a real treat!"

JOE'S STORY:

I must give credit where credit is due...

I quit my classical piano training at age eleven, seeking a more glamorous life as a professional athlete. I still hear my father's words ringing clearly in my head "someday you'll thank me" referring to the childhood piano training I so gladly abandoned. An eighth grade football knee injury eventually proved detrimental to my childhood dream. Oh well!

High school brought new experiences, including a couple buddies with rockstar ambitions. I grew my hair, sported parachute pants, bought a synthesizer with my neighborhood lawn mowing cash, & jammed to 80's new wave tunes on LPs. Spending Friday nights at band practice and Saturdays gigging parties & dances, memories were definitely made.

Graduating high school brought an element of retreat from the Chicago "big city" life... venturing out west with my mother & siblings to San Juan Island, Washington. Culture shock took hold, while nature and quiet times prevailed. My composing was born, as was my beautiful daughter Taylor. I endeavored to start my own recording studio & bought all the toys. Mellow Sounds Studio opened on San Juan Island in '93. My buddy Tom taught me how to listen and mix, and the islanders now had a place to record. I released "Ancient Skies" in '94, an eclectic electronic blend of piano, Native American influences (always a fav!) and even cutting edge rock instrumentals... still wandering a bit musically, obviously! Engineering & producing other artists was relatively short lived, but a priceless experience! Realizing that a musical career would be forever limited on the island, I moved to Seattle in '97.

At age 28, a trip back to Chicago to visit Dad lead me to meet his cousin, my Aunt Joann, a classical piano virtuoso whom I had only heard stories about. I sat down at her Baldwin baby grand & something special happened. No, I didn't perfom magically for her (though she was genuinely supportive), but I was enamoured by the power, simplicity, and enchanting sound of the instrument as a solo. From that day forward, my synths began to acquire dust, eventually making their way to Ebay, while a plethora of piano sample modules rotated through my studio rack. I focused in on an album project, rented a grand, crammed it into my basement and spent three weeks dilegently practicing & recording. "At Peace" ~ solo piano was released in February 2001. The support for this CD was surprising, if not stunning. I give great thanks to all who gave to it!

Life got busier, busier and busier. My daughter becoming a young lady, my career developing...life just seemed to get a bit more complicated each day. Retreats to the piano were much harder to come by. Compositions came together, but over periods of months. My ability to visualize and memorize carried me through these times, musically. I managed to abstain from reading or writing music with my sole intent being to improvise and create.

Three years passed, I bought a house and a baby grand! My 17 years in the restaurant business finally brought me a handsome salary with a great company. I've spent the last four summers performing nearly every weekend , but longed deeply for a new CD to hand to my family, friends, and fans. My friend and fellow pianist Joe Yamada put his home and glorious Kawai RX7 concert grand at my disposal and I dove in head first. My second solo piano release "Destined" was just released April 1st, 2004. It currently receives heavy airplay at www.solopianoradio.com and my song "Just For You" (inspired by Aunt Joann ironically) posted #1 in March '04! Rest assured, I am hard at work (& play) recording new music as the compositions are flowing and dreams are stirring!

Oh, and if I haven't said this yet (I do believe I have), thank you Dad!

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