"Unclassifiable and extraordinarily equipped, a travel through disparate musics.
Thollem McDonas redefines the concept of performance in solo pianoforte".
- AllAboutJazz, Italia
"McDonas is a pianist with highly developed technical skills at the piano. His flourishes and runs up and down the keyboard are executed with crystal clarity...giant sweeping chords and clusters spanning the range of the piano. His music is filled with new and changing ideas to keep our attention, and make us think, or question!"
- William Bedford, JazzImprovMagazine
It's my intention to make music that's intellectual and sexy and meditative and ferocious and poetic and athletic and revolutionary and spiritual and political and humorous and loving and that shakes people awake, starting with me first.
SHORT BIO
Thollem McDonas (pianist, composer, improviser) was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He began his musical explorations as a child rigorously studying the keyboard musics from the Rennaissance through the 20th century. He has toured across much of North America and Europe and released many albums on several labels. His music is very diverse, each album exploring wildly different paths. He has played in gamelan ensembles, African drumming troupes, punk bands, improv ensembles, in abandoned warehouses, jazz clubs, rock clubs and concert halls.
To check out some of his more experimental musics:
ThollemMcdonas
To check out his song oriented project:
ThollemCanción
PRESS
"...the result is the natural consequence of being intrinsically eclectic at
heart. His inventiveness is facilitated by his highly developed virtuosity."
- Eduardo Chagas, TomaJazz, Portugal
*SoMuchHeaven SoMuchHell (Live solo recording in Nantes, France)
*Lubuaku Quartet (With Jacopo Andreini, Matteo Bennici, and Scott Rosenberg - Recorded in Forli, Italy)
*Cosi/Franchini/McDonas Trio (Recorded in Rimini, Italy- Will be released by Palustre)
*Waristerror Terroriswar (Anti-terror, Anti-war Album with Matteo Bennici, and Andrea Caprara)
*Don'tBuyThis, LoveSongsForPeopleWhoDon'tBuyWhatThey'reSupposedTo (A collage album of recorded but unreleased material from the age of 7 to 29)
*Sono Contento Di Stare Qua After The War (A second album of improvisations with Edoardo Ricci)
RECENT PERFORMANCES:
I just finished a 15 week tour (Sept.-Dec.) literally circumnavigating the U.S. playing in over 60 different cities. Also, I am preparing for a 3 month European tour to support several albums that have either just been released or will be by the time I begin this tour at the end of January.
Previously to this last tour I was in Europe. Following are some of the towns and also U.S. locations before that...
France: Cherbourg, Lille, Lyon, Claremont-Ferrand, Nantes, Paris - Portugal: Lisbon, Porto - Italy: Bologna, Florence, Milan, Schio, Livorno, San Marino, Pisa, Savona, Meldola, Rimini, Ravenna, San Sepulcro, Pitigliano, Pistoia - Ireland: Dublin - Greece: Thessaloniki - Slovenia: Ljubljana - Mexico: Queretaro - USA: Kuumbwa Jazz Center (Santa Cruz), CenterForTheArts(LA), Bohemian National Home (Detroit), CalArts(LA), Iron Post (Urbana), The Tap Room (St. Louis), A/V Space (Rochester), BottomOfTheHill(SF), Zeitgeist Gallery (Boston), Holocene (Portland), Wombat Studios (NY), OldIronsides(Sacramento), Cafe Metropol (LA), C.O.M.A. @ ABC no Rio (NY), Berkeley Art Center, AVA Gallery (Astoria) KAOS radio(Olympia), Musicians' Union Hall(SF), KFJC radio(CA), KDHX (St. Louis), Gallery 1412 (Seattle), Santa Clara University(CA), Zebulons Lounge(SF), University Of Illinois, The Rickshawstop(SF), Big Sur Experimental Music Festival HenryMillerLibrary(CA), Olympia festival of Experimental Musics(WA), Berkeley Jazz House(CA), Luggage Store Gallery(SF), Day Musics' Auditorium, (Portland), 1510 8th St. Performance Space (Oakland), Dunes(Portland). Cryptonight Series(L.A.), Voz Alta(S.D.), EdgetoneSummit(Oakland), and many more...
Hey Thollem! Here's the link to the little video souvenir from your radio show in switzerland: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4j9hz_thollem-on-air_music ... and sorry I didn't make it to st claude, I started working today so this weekend I chose to take some rest instead of the road... Take care!
Hi Thollem...just passing through for a listen and to say Hi...Hope your tour is going well. If you have time i have a few new tracks up. Take Care, Linda
Quand le bien fait mal alors c'est un mal pour un bien !!! Le sang coule dans nos veines comme le rouge velours des passions destructrices, dévoreuses des chemins parsemés de pétales, où la rose se fane pour revivre le jour quand on n'y crois plus, laissant le goût des baisers vibrer au rythme des battements du cœur pour une valse de Vienne...
Une pensée d’une plume pour déposer mon empreinte… Amitiés
Hola amigo Thollem!!! pase a visitar su casa musical siempre hermosa!!! y desde ya eres muy bienvenido a Argentina alún dia,todo el cariño para ti y tu familia Claudia María de Bs.As
Dear Thollem, thanks a lot for your add and your very kind comment! It is so fine to be invitated at your website and to become an impression of your interesting music and your exceptional personality! Your philosophies of performance and travelling are interesting. I believe to hear, that there is in your music also a big part of humour... Thats great! When you are in Northern Germany please tell me.... All my best from Hamburg U.
"a friend is a loved one who awakens your life in order to free the wild possibilities within you". John O'Donohue
and so it is...we are all here helping each other awaken those wild crazy beautiful passionate longings and crazy dreams. I was saddened when I learned a few days back that the poet and philosopher John O'Donohue passed away at the age of 53 year old. Makes me burn to get into studio this month and start producing my songs which I have put on hold for the last months.
it's feel good to be back and catching up and connecting. How are you...still flowing like that river?
