The long-awaited solo piano album from this acclaimed Philadelphia composer and instrumentalist: a virtuosic and delightful neo-classical foray into jazz and new age styles that leaves listeners breathless.
Pianometry is Justin Solonynka's first all-piano recording. "All of my albums up until now have contained vocals and lots of guest musicians," he says. "But when I've performed in concerts, people have often told me they were most moved by my solo piano compositions. I decided to create an entire album of just those pieces."
The title Pianometry is based on Solonynka's love of mathematics, a subject he teaches at a middle school outside Philadelphia. "The suffix –metry literally means 'measure of,'" he explains. "So Pianometry means 'measure of the piano.'"
The centerpiece of Pianometry is five tracks that comprise what Solonynka calls the "Wedding Suite." Four of these pieces were composed for the weddings of friends, and one he composed for his own wedding. "I love composing music for other people," Solonynka says. "It's a great motivator – it gives me a reason to stretch myself musically and try to create something unique for the special people in my life." The album opens with "Binky Patrol," a piece he composed for his one-year-old daughter.
Solonynka got his start in 1997, when Godfrey Daniels founder Dave Fry heard Justin and convinced him to perform a solo show there. "I was scared out of my mind," Solonynka recalls, "but I figured if Dave had faith in me, I could give it a shot." He went on to perform numerous times at Godfrey's, as well as at Bethlehem's Musikfest and at the Folk Factory in Philadelphia.
Solonynka's solo albums include Bull in a China Shop (2001), A Better View (2003), and Live in Concert (2008). He also recorded Jamming at the Portal with a funk-fusion band, The New South Wales Machine, and Crazy Whirled with an alternative-folk quartet, Acoustic Blender.