MySpace 

Born on March 6, 1943 (sharing a birthday with legendary guitarist Wes Montgomery), Dom is a 50-year veteran of the music scene, with a history and scope of activities as varied and jam-packed as his native New York City. Backing up top singing groups at rock 'n’ roll shows, church dances and the like while still in his early teens, Dom has maintained a jazz trio with bass and drums since he was 15 years old. But education has also played a major role in his overall musical activities. "By the time I was 20, I had more than 100 students, but I cut it down to 95 so I could play six nights a week." A lot of those nights were spent backing up, and providing musical direction for vocalists, something that Dom has continued to do since 1964 and almost exclusively until 1973, when his own trio began to really take shape, coming to the attention of George Butler who had taken the reins at Blue Note from the label's visionary founder and producer, Alfred Lion. Unfortunately, a lack of direction at the immortal label caught Dom between the proverbial rock and hard place and after two records in much less than ideal circumstances, Dom forced his way out. "I walked away. I didn’t want to be bothered."

From 1976-1993, Dom involved himself in a variety of pursuits, freelancing and occasionally performing with the late, great pianist Dennis Moorman and his organ quartet featuring Dr. Lonnie Smith. Providing the music for a variety of off-Broadway shows, authoring three books for Sunrise Artistries, two books on jazz theory and chord substitution and one on improvising. At 48, Dom returned to school where he studied with Academy Award-winning (The Red Violin) composer John Corigliano at Lehman College, receiving his degree in composition in 1990. He also composed over 300 vocal and instrumental compositions during those years, as well as creating Literacy Through Songwriting Workshops for grades one through six for the New York City Board of Ed.

Fellow musicians kept trying to get Dom more involved with the regular scene but he continued to resist. "I’m happy. I do my workshops with the kids. I’m doing great. Why do I need the aggravation?" was his general response. But finally in 1993 he began to take an interest again, becoming principal composer for the Manhattan Improvisational Chamber Ensemble (MICE) and began to work on various projects of his own. By1996, he was in the thick of it, but entirely on his own terms. "For the past 12 years, I've only done what I want to do," he says contentedly. That includes his own critically acclaimed album Finishing Touches and Dialing Privileges, co-led with Blaise Siwula & John Bollinger both for CIMP; continuing his compositional efforts and arranging for singers and composing 21st century music for orchestra and small ensembles

Deciding to keep total control over his career and what he musically produces, Dom and his wife, vocalist Carol Mennie formed CDM Records and CDM, Inc. (Can Do More, Inc.) a not-for profit organization where Dom is president and Artistic Director and Carol is Vice President and Assistant Artistic Director. CDM, Inc.’s mission statement is to promote music & theatre activities within the educational systems of public schools and colleges throughout the United States.

Over his long career, Dom has worked with countless heavyweights, crossing all styles of Jazz. He’s performed in venues ranging from top jazz clubs to Carnegie Hall, The Montreal Jazz Festival to the White House for President Bill Clinton, but it’s musical expansion and personal growth that are his principal motivations. “ It’s all about expression, learning and growth, whether it be in music or in life and to share what we learn without expectations.”

And in true keeping with the most fundamental aspect of the great jazz tradition, Dom Minasi continues to explore and discover new ideas in pursuit of his true and most personal musical vision.

The Dom Minasi Trio

The Dom Minasi Trio came into existence when Dom along with his wife Carol Mennie, decided to form their own record company. With Jim Eigo of Jazz Promo Services, Kate Smith-radio Promos, Lawyer Len Easter, web genius Bret Primack along with Consultant Marty Khan of Outward Visions and Jack Frisch- web designs, the CDM family forged head first into the recording business.

Upon Carol’s suggestion, Dom decided to give birth to the first CDM recording with all Duke Ellington songs, but the way the way he always wanted play them, because when Dom worked with some of the Ellington band members some 30 years ago, to their dismay, Dom would take lots of liberties with his solos. They always frowned and said to Dom, “you can’t do that do the Duke!” After writing one arrangement of Satin Doll, Dom called bassist Ken Filiano and drummer Jackson Krall, and asked them to have one rehearsal in which they would approach jazz from a different angle. At that rehearsal Dom explained he wanted the group to sound as if they weren’t playing in time, but in fact they would. Minasi would re-harmonize all the songs but he wanted sections of free-form playing to be involved, but most of all he didn’t want it to sound like a typical guitar trio with bass and drums backing the guitarist up. Dom wanted lots of interplay and communication. Ken and Jackson understood exactly what Dom wanted and with that rehearsal, The new Dom Minasi Trio was born

In 2001, the trio armed with new arrangements, in front of a standing-room-only audience at the Knitting Factory in NYC, in one set, Dom and his trio performed and recorded the most over recorded and played Duke Ellington songs. With its release in October 2001, Takin The Duke Out met with rave reviews. The Dom Minasi Trio have been together ever since.

Besides Takin’ The Duke Out, the trio has recorded Goin’ Out Again and was the base and building block for Dom’s biggest project, The Vampire’s Revenge, which had up to fifteen musicians with a conductor. With an incredible repertoire of original songs and standards, wherever they play, they are enthusiastically received.

At the 2008 Ottawa Jazz Festival, Dom was asked to play all Ellington. Realizing the trio only had the eight Ellington songs form the CD; Dom arranged and performed new renditions of four more Ellington songs. The trio got a standing ovation.

As Don Williamson of Jazz Review has said: ...Minasi extends the harmonic implication of some of jazz’s most original performers...he reassures his fast-growing base of enthusiasts that this is a guitar trio like no other recording today.”

Ron Sweetman of Coda Magazine has said about Dom: To describe him (Dom Minasi) adequately, one would need a new vocabulary...(just as) he is creating a new vocabulary on the guitar".

While Jim Hall said. New York’s best-kept secret if finally getting out!

After 8 years Takin’ The Duke Out is the 7th top avant-garde selling CD on CD Baby and The Jon Hemmersam * Dom Minasi Quartet was named as one of the best CD’s for 2008 by Downbeat Magazine.

What Critics Have Said About Dom & His Trio