Today we’d like to introduce you to Tommaso Cappellato
Hi Tommaso, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Born and raised in the charming city of Padova, Italy, in the mid-70s, I have embarked on a musical odyssey that blends the boundaries of jazz, funk, house, and avant-garde music. Currently calling the city of Los Angeles my home, I have tirelessly pursued my passion for music, crafting a distinctive style that reflects my rich, diverse global influences.
My journey began within a musical family in Northern Italy, leading me to embrace the piano at age 8 and later, the drums at 11. My passion for straight-ahead jazz started at the age of 15, which led me to New York City at the age of 20 on a full-ride scholarship from New School University. During my nine-year stint in New York, spanning from 1996 to 2005, I had the privilege of studying with legendary jazz luminaries such as Jimmy Cobb, Michael Carvin, Billy Hart, Victor Lewis, Reggie Workman, Bob Cranshaw, Chico Hamilton, Junior Mance, Harry Whitaker, and many more. This marked a transformative period in my life, including a two-year residency at the Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center, where I played with my jazz trio six nights a week until it was cut short due to the tragic events of 9/11.
Towards the latter part of my New York tenure, around 2004, I co-founded the hip-hop band Yah Supreme & Brohemian. The band’s independently released album “Post Modern Garden,” which I produced, marked a significant shift in my musical career. By 2010, my focus had shifted from being solely a jazz drummer to becoming a creative band leader and producer. This transformation found its first realization in the album “Cosm’ethic,” a project titled “Astral Travel,” released on the UK label Jazz Re:freshed in 2013, which caught the attention of figures like Gilles Peterson. Inspired by artists like Mark de Clive-Lowe and Shigeto, I embarked on a solo journey, blending drums and electronics, culminating in the release of “Aforemention” in 2016.
My move to Los Angeles in 2021 further propelled my career, solidifying my place in the city’s vibrant music scene. I founded Domanda Music, a label dedicated to elevating artists and sparking deeper questions through music. My projects, including Collettivo Immaginario and Explorare, have graced prestigious festivals and venues worldwide.
My musical inspirations span a wide spectrum, from jazz legends like Jack De Johnette to electronic pioneers like Flying Lotus. My style is a fusion of jazz drumming, global percussion, singer-songwriting, electronic production, and house music, adapting to the unique direction of each project. When it comes to songwriting and creativity, my process is as varied as my musical influences. I started with classical composition techniques, crafting melodies and chord progressions on the piano. However, in recent years, I’ve embraced a more improvisational approach. I enter the studio with a blank canvas, recording hours of improvisation and later molding compositions through post-production. My preference now lies in blending these two methods, resulting in a dynamic and evolving creative process.
Ultimately, my music aims to resonate with as many people as possible. My intention is to infuse my work with an uplifting energy, coupled with a commitment to innovation.
Through my artistic endeavors, I seek to provoke thought and inspire those who listen. As a musician and spiritual seeker, I aim to uplift and inspire through my music, with a slew of exciting projects on the horizon. Beyond the stage and studio, I indulge in philosophy and tennis, enjoy cooking mushroom risotto while having endless deep conversations with friends, and spending time in nature – reflecting a multifaceted artist’s life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have been very blessed during my path filled with magical and meaningful encounters with people that have shown me the way. I think during the stage of learning and becoming an artist, the quality of listening and being humble is crucial, because that’s how we learn and we can learn literally from everything and everybody.
The challenge for musicians is pretty much always the same, how to come up with resources to make up for production, promotion and touring. I’ve always been pretty diligent with reinvesting any asset that would come my way into whatever project I have been working on and now the results are definitely visible.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My artistic path at the beginning was mainly focused on learning the craft of playing drums especially in the style of jazz, but I soon learned that a multi-faceted attitude was required in order to thrive in the music world. Around 2007 I started my activity as a band leader and from that moment on I learned the craft of sound engineering, project managing, art director, graphic designer and so and so forth.
In my perception I feel I’m still mostly known for being an accomplished drummer with lots of experience and collaborations and definitely as a band leader who’s had many incarnations. Since I’ve moved to LA I’ve been very active as a DJ and selector in different venues and it’s something I love to do, because the approach on the curation is exactly the same as that of when I perform live, aiming to set the perfect vibes and musical environment for the audience.
My most important and latest endeavor was founding my labels Domanda Music and Explorare, which serve as stepping stones both for my personal projects and for those by other artists I believe the most important asset for musicians is the strength of the community they create around themselves wherever they go and that’s the intention around these two projects, spreading from California all the way to Italy.
Ultimately my vision of music is to serve as a rebalancing and recalibrating factor for our psyche and spirit, in contrast with the burdens of real life and the constant attack of relentless information. So seeing myself in the perspective of service has helped a lot.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
The saying “to be in the right place at the right time” is as real as it gets. I could see it happen my life several times and both ways. Sometimes there are passing trains that you decide not to jump on, maybe because in that moment you feel you don’t need that, or maybe you’re above whatever gets offered to you. Then you later realize that you totally missed out on something very important for the career path.
So I’d say it’s important to develop an acute sense of observation to recognize opportunities and trust your gut feeling when jumping into something unknown. Luck alone is not enough, I think everyone has to be able to take advantage of luck when it presents itself.
Also, how does it present itself often? By keeping a constant and constructive positive attitude.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tommasocappellato.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tommasocappellato/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tommasocappellatodrums
- Twitter: https://x.com/tommycappellato
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/tommaso+cappellato
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/tommasocappellato
- Other: https://tommasocappellato.bandcamp.com/
Image Credits
Glenjam
Elena Botti
Sharooz Raoofi
Mattia Tono
Carlos Garcia
