Album is titled "Trippin". Three songs include vocals. Nine of the compositions are instrumentals. All tracks written and produced by Tommy Osuna.
Buddy "Phat Back" Miles on The Skins
John Piscitello on Bass
Tommy Osuna on Guitar, Vocals and Keyboards
Influences
Air, food, overtones, art, poetry, landscapes, people that care about trying as hard as they can. Earthquakes, traveling, proper breathing, taking risks, jam sessions, bad childhood and my first car.
Tommy Osuna works magic in his state-of-the-art recording studio in southern California, far from the fray of L.A.’s churning music business scene. He created a private production retreat, at 6500 feet elevation in the mountains of Los Padres National Forest, where the guitar ace, composer and producer can stretch out and truly call his own shots as an artist. He has chosen to build his varied career in similar fashion, working successfully outside the envelope of the mainstream record business for nearly two decades by following his “inner compass.”
The gifted, Berklee-trained musician has performed with the likes of Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell and Jamaican reggae legend Earl “Chinna” Smith. He has produced over a dozen independent releases for other artists, both at his present-day mountain studio and back in Boston, where his 7 Mystic Studios recording facility offered the finest vintage analog gear -- a place where musicians could achieve the warmth and dimension that is frequently lost in the digital age.
For his new album, "Trippin", he wanted to re-visit classic and blues-based rock idioms, with blistering riffs and rock-solid bottom end – and, for the exact sound he wanted, he enlisted rock/funk/blues legend Buddy Miles (Buddy Miles Express, Electric Flag, Hendrix’sBand of Gypsies). Sadly, their collaboration would be the last recording of the veteran drummer’s storied career. The project brought Osuna, Miles and San Francisco bassist John Piscitello together at L.A.’s Studio City Sound, where Osuna and Miles discovered an instantaneous personal and artistic rapport. “Buddy Miles was like a great piece of earth,” says Osuna, “and I am so honored and grateful for his contribution to this record. Right off the bat, Buddy and I hit it off. We talked about life, and we talked about what we wanted to accomplish with this record. He was excited that the album would be all about the music and nothing else, just playing our asses off.”
The 2007 recording sessions went extremely well. Miles laid down his trademark steady backbone of rhythm, and Tommy’s guitar leads soared with imagination, sensitivity and a kind of free abandon not heard in rock music for many moons. On their final day of recording, Buddy said “I haven’t felt like this since I was playing with Jimi.” Then they wrapped up the track called “Mama” -- and the final recording of the great Buddy Miles’ career was complete. The musicians talked excitedly about touring together in the coming year, but Miles died unexpectedly in February 2008 of congestive heart failure at the age of sixty. Osuna says “He was the coolest of the cool, and really charming in a magical way. He had his own tone, no matter what he played on. He made Jimi sound the best, and he played the best fat back drums known to man.”
Tommy “The Swami” Osuna was born in southern California to a family of Italian, Spanish and Apache heritage, and began playing music when he was 8 years old. He started out with the trumpet, but soon picked up his older brother’s guitar, inspired by an early love of Jimmy Page and Ted Nugent. In a single afternoon, at age eleven, he taught himself Nugent’s “Double Live Gonzo” album, note for note in its entirety – and when his brother came home and heard what he had done, he gave Tommy his guitar on the spot.
Tommy went on to study at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, maturing and exhibiting such virtuosity that he was offered a teaching position. However, he’d been accepted at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music and the prospect of leaving California for training on the east coast offered a world of new opportunity.
While at Berklee, he spent over two years working on his debut recording, Third Stream, freely exploring various stylistic directions and also ethnic world flavors, and determined to learn the art of production and recording. For months of recording on weekends at Prophet Sound studios, he wasn’t getting the sounds he heard clearly in his head, but he stubbornly persevered and finally, over time, the music started pouring out. He had no pre-conceived concept for the album, instead pursuing a path of pure discovery that would allow him to remain open to possibilities.
On his second independent release, "Message from the Tiki Man", Osuna again pushed the boundaries of sound and imagination, exploring open-endedly “until the magic happened.” He incorporated elements of world music (while in Boston,he co-founded Rhythm Music magazine, which later became Global Rhythm, based on his interest in multiculturalism and global sounds) as well as classic funk, and he played with great delicacy as well. Boston Metronome called him “a man with a vision,” and The Boston Globe said “Tommy’s way of portraying music is all his own.” The editor of Jazziz said simply that Osuna “plays like water, a very unique stream.”
With business partner Kyle Russell, Osuna went on to found OSBC Entertainment, a full-service booking agency for artists in the Boston area, as well as his analog 7 Mystic Studios. He met his future wife, singer/guitarist Brenda Layne, at Berklee where she was also studying -- and in 2001 the two native Californians made their way back to the west coast, eventually setting up household – and recording studio – in the mountains where they now live and work. Tommy has taught composition and improvisation regionally for many years, working with youth and using music as a medium for lessons on life. By helping kids focus their minds and hone their skills, he pushes them to work hard and achieve their very best, fostering not only positive relationships with parents, teachers and peers, but helping them grow into a generation of creative and highly motivated individuals.
Osuna’s own stylings range from understated elegance and his distinctive vibrato, to the anthemic, tear-your-head-off rock solos of which he is consummately capable. For Trippin’, he envisioned a work of “neo-classic rock,” keeping the style focused and utilizing more technological tools than in the past. Having the rock-solid backing of Buddy Miles really freed him to exercise his solo chops, and the result is an album of songs that rock like familiar classics yet sound contemporary and fresh, exploring new ground while still preserving a retro flavor. Some of his songs evoke great guitar moments in rock history, from talents as diverse as Jeff Beck, Jerry Garcia, and Jimmy Page -- but Osuna’s playing is referential and not derivative, and blazes new and original ground in an utterly masterful way. He is a highly evolved guitarist, a player to be contended with, who’s finally coming down from the mountain to share his considerable gifts.
Hey Tommy ,,,,Things might start to get crazy before the holidays,,,so I wanted to
get to you early and say have a Happy Holiday and a Merry Christmas,,Stay cool my friend
Thanks TOMMY!---and Lookin Forward to Gettin Together Someday! If Ya, want send me an Mp3 of New Tunes, Ideas You want to Collaborate on! PEACE Brotha! Your Friend, bobby b
Hey Tommy, thanks for stopping by, good to hear from you and have and "excuse" to come back and check out a few of your great tunes again. I hope you get to hook up for some jams with Bobby Berge, he's a gas to play with and I'm bummed I only get to play live with him a couple times a year. I hope your holiday month kicks the booty in the booty. rock ON, john.
Hows it been goin Tommy,,,,hope you had a good Thanksgiving,,things here a good,,,getting cold though,,,,expecting snow by the end of the week,,,o joy,,,,stay cool my friend,,,Hal
Hey TOMMY! Well, Let me see what I can come up with----Might take a little while but I think it can be done! Shared Your CD with Johnnie Bolin and a couple other Pals in Sioux City---They All Dug it! I'll let You know ASAP when I find a Gig for us! Take Care Brotha! PEACE! bobby b
HEY ,,HOW YA BEEN TOMMY,,,,,BEEN LISTENING TO YOUR CD,,,,,THE WHOLE CD IS GREAT ,,,,,IT TOOK A WHILE TO PICK OUT THE TUNE I LIKE BEST,,,WELL, HERE IT IS,,, ' BREATHE ',,,, I ALSO ENJOY 'MAMA' ,BUT ,,I STILL LIKE THE WHOLE CD,,,,,GREAT JOB,,,,STAY COOL TOMMY,,,,,,,HAL
Hey Tommy, what it is? Thanks for the add. Your stuff sounds great man, a breath of fresh rocking air, I'll be back for more listens. Sorry about Buddy Miles. He was a fabulous musician and a great guy to talk with. Stay in touch with my friend Bobby Berge, he is drumming super strong right now and hungry for adventure. Have a great weekend and a super inspiring winter. rock ON, john.
JUST GOT THE NEW CD OF YOURS,,,,FOR THOSE THAT DONT HAVE IT SHOULD GET IT,,,ITS REALLY GOOD,,,,GREAT GUITAR WORK,,,AND THOSE DRUMS OF BUDDY MILES ARE OUTSTANDING,,,,,,,GREAT CD TOMMY,,,,,KEEP IT UP MY FRIEND,,,HAL
I hope your weekend has started out great, Tommy !
As soon as it's possible, I'll be mailing a check. I can't wait to hear the new material. I wish I had the cash to go ahead and buy them all, but that'll take a little time.
Hey, Thanx for putting together an album with Buddy. He combined and crossed through genres like they were bead curtains. Good music is good, whether you are a shaved-headed peckerwood or you have a 4 foot wide afro like Buddy did on the cover of his "Them Changes" album. I love that guy!! I am putting you in my top friends list ~!!BTW-You sound ..well,, "triptastic". Sincerely, Phil R
Hi Tommy thank you for your virtual friendship here on myspace.Its my pleasure to meet you on there.Sounds great here,keep up the good work.Have a GREAT week.Cheers EG
HEY TOMMY,,,,MUSIC SOUNDS FANTASTIC,,,,,I KNOW A FEW OTHER GUYS THAT WOULD LOVE A CD,,,,,,,LET ME KNOW AND I'LL SEND YOU MY ADDRESS,,,,,LISTENING TO TRIBAL,,,,,AMAZING,,,,,LOVE IT,,,,,STAY COOL TOMMY,,,,,
