Daniel Zongrone

Daniel A Zongrone
Origin	Utica, New York, United States
Genres	Jazz Electronic music Experimental rock Art rock Progressive rock Ambient music Blues
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	drums Piano percussion Vibraphone
Years active	1970-present
Labels	Moontower Records Sky Records
Associated acts	Tipping Point Earthstar Dennis Rea
Website	MySpace: Tipping Point

Daniel Zongrone is an American musician currently living in Greenville, South Carolina. Zongrone is best known for his work as a member of the electronic music group Earthstar in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He is currently a solo jazz musician working with various local musicians.^[1]

In 1986 Zongrone received a "Meet the Composer" grant for New York City dance composition. Some of the compositions and recordings which resulted were used in the soundtrack for the 1998 independent horror film The Glasshead. In 1987, Zongrone recorded his only solo album to date, Absolute Zero.^[1]

Early years

Zongrone was born and raised in Utica, New York. He received his first drum at the age of six and made his first public appearance in a street parade. Before the parade ended another young boy took his drum and broke it over his head. Young enough to realize this was not a problem, Zongrone continued to bang the drum. He received his first drum set at the age of 12 while window shopping with Grandma in a local pawn shop on Stueben street in Cornhill. He began playing with school friends and enjoyed the girls it attracted. In 1972 Zongrone met another school chum, creative guitarist Dennis Rea and inventive bassist Norm Peach. The three young musicians formed an "eccentric progressive rock band," Zuir,^[2] Together they decided to pursue their musical careers and make a serious effort at performing original compositions. In 1975 the trio moved to Seattle but found no more interest in their music than they had found in upstate New York.^[3] Rea recalls that Zuir was "perhaps the first out-of-state rock band to seek its fortune in Seattle - only 20 years too early."^[2]

Musical career

1977 - 1982: Earthstar

Earthstar was the brainchild of keyboardist/synthesist Craig Wuest. In the early 1970s Wuest was among the first musicians in Utica who owned a synthesizer.^[2] Wuest was heavily influenced by the German electronic music scene of the 1970s, including Klaus Schulze, Popol Vuh, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, and Harmonia. Earthstar was born out of the partnership of Wuest and the members of Zuir, plus other Utica-area musicians. In 1977 Earthstar was signed by Nashville-based Moontower Records, who released the group's first album, Salterbarty Tales, the following year. Zongrone served as the percussionist on the debut release. Guitarist Dennis Rea recalls concerts during the period when Earthstar was in Utica: "The group performed live only a handful of times, mostly at inappropriate venues like roadhouse bars and college beer halls, with predictable results."^[2]

Craig Wuest was an admirer of electronic music pioneer Klaus Schulze, with whom he struck up a correspondence. Schulze encouraged Wuest and Earthstar to come to Germany. Wuest sold his grand piano, which had played a prominent part on Salterbarty Tales, to finance the move.^[2] Most of the Earthstar musicians joined Wuest in Germany to work on the group's second album French Skyline, released in 1979 by Hamburg-based Sky Records. Zongrone did not appear on that album but did travel to Germany later that year in time for the recording sessions for the third album Atomkraft? Nein, Danke!,^[1] which was released by Sky in 1981. Zongrone played piano, bells, and vibraphone on the album and also composed the opening piece, "Golden Rendezvous," with Wuest.^[4]

Zongrone also participated in recording sessions for a fourth album, Sleeper, the Nightlifer, which was never released.^[5] Zongrone left Earthstar after the Sleeper, the Nightlifer sessions. Some music recorded during the 1979-1980 recording sessions was included on the final Earthstar release, Humans Only (1982).

Earthstar is notable as the only American band who participated in Germany's Kosmische Musik/electronic music scene while still at its height.^[2] The association with Klaus Schulze guaranteed Earthstar recognition and respectable record sales by German electronic music standards.

1983 - 1987: New York

Zongrone once again worked with ex-Zuir and Earthstar member Dennis Rea composing music for an exhibition of painter (and former Earthstar violinist) Daryl Trivieri's work at the Semaphore East Gallery in the East Village in 1985.^[6] In 1986 Zongrone received a "Meet the Composer" grant for New York City dance composition. The following year he composed, performed, recorded, and produced a collection of ideas in a CD titled, Absolute Zero. A hiatus from professional music followed during which time Zongrone produced and raised up, together with wife Audrey Medina, four wonderfully creative children.^[1]

Recent works

Zongrone composed the soundtrack for the 1998 independent horror film The Glasshead, incorporating compositions and recordings from his earlier grant. He is currently working with various musicians in the US & Berlin playing drums and vibraphone.^[1][7]

Discography

In Earthstar 1978 : Salterbarty Tales (studio album) 1981 : Atomkraft? Nein, Danke! (studio album) 1982 : Humans Only (studio album)

Solo Albums 1999 : Absolute Zero (studio album)

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Discogs: Dan Zongrone". http://www.discogs.com/artist/Dan+Zongrone. Retrieved 2008-06-30. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Rea, Dennis; Melton, Jeff (2001-12). "Exposé Magazine interview". Exposé Magazine. http://www.dennisrea.com/expose.html. Retrieved 2007-10-24. 
3. ^ Rea, Dennis (2006). Live at the Forbidden City. New York: iUniverse. pp. 17–18. ISBN 0-595-39048-X. 
4. ^ "Discogs: Earth Star - Atomkraft? Nein, Danke!". http://www.discogs.com/release/335536. Retrieved 2008-06-30. 
5. ^ Rea, Dennis. "Dennis Rea: Compositions". Archived from the original on 2007-10-08. http://web.archive.org/web/20071008123006/http://www.dennisrea.com/compositions.html. Retrieved 2007-10-29. 
6. ^ Rea, Dennis. "Biography". Dennis Rea (website). Archived from the original on 2007-07-23. http://web.archive.org/web/20070723234925/http://www.dennisrea.com/bio.html. Retrieved 2007-10-29. 
7. ^ "MySpace: Tipping Point". http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=282660157. Retrieved 2008-06-30. 

Persondata
Name	Zongrone, Daniel
Alternative names
Short description	American musician
Date of birth	1957
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death