Phil Giammattei - ProfilesArchive

About Me

From the North Hills of Pittsburgh come the Rooftop Trio, a uniquely adventurous threesome dedicated to the infectious art of the groove. Blending the styles of funk, 12-bar blues and the rock and roll of the 60’s and 70’s, the Trio strive to be what so many musicians on the local scene fail at: a jam band that is expansive and dynamic without getting boring; a rock group that doesn’t rely on anything more than the music to get the audience on their feet; a passion for music and its power to move without either ironic detachment or adolescent melodrama. Never satisfied to be dismissed to the background, the Rooftop Trio is heard best at full volume, and is seen best on your feet with your hands in the air.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 10/5/2005
Band Members: Me: Everything you hear, which usually is Piano, Bass, Mandolin, Guitar, Egg-Shaker and Vocals in various combinations. (If you want some sweet banjo-pickin, best head on over to my buddy Lester's site) I'm a sophomore at Duquesne University, studying music therapy and electric bass. Over the summer I got signed up playing bass for the Alli Gillis Band, meaning I am living the dream of getting paid to play music. It's pretty sweet, if I do say so myself. The following sentance sums up my musical philosophy: I AM A BASS WHORE. If you invite me to jam or join your band, I cannot say no. Projects I am or have been involved with: Alli Gillis, Eightfold, Lumberghost, The Cycle, Everready, The Accidental Triplets, Slim Jim Gravy and the Texas Teabaggers, Captain Johnny James and the League of Good Time Pirates, Gypsy Dave and the Stumpjumpers, Of A Lifetime
Influences: Ben Folds, Bob Dylan, The Avett Brothers, Joe Purdy, Nickel Creek, Cake....the list goes on and on....
Type of Label: None

My Blog

The Pants Challenge

Another semester, another update on the life and times of yours truly for anyone bored enough to read it. This semester was unique, in that it was the first and last semester at Duquesne Univers...
Posted by Phil Giammattei on Mon, 21 May 2007 08:31:00 PST

Paradigm Shift

I figure since another semester has passed, it's time for my semiannual blog. I find that looking back on events as a whole makes them a lot easier to organize, and I'm too lazy to update this p...
Posted by Phil Giammattei on Thu, 28 Dec 2006 11:55:00 PST

Carry On, A Little Higher and other, less important things

The Samples' "The Last Drag" has played an important part in my musical upbringing. My dad got the CD when I was five, and the purple and yellow artwork set it apart. "Carry On" was my fav...
Posted by Phil Giammattei on Fri, 13 Jan 2006 11:43:00 PST

Futility and live songs

Futility is a song that I wrote specifically with Eightfold in mind. Pass Me By will be Lumberghost territory when Annie gets home, so I felt it was time to help ease Steve's songwriting burden....
Posted by Phil Giammattei on Tue, 20 Dec 2005 10:44:00 PST

One More Minute and news

One More Minute is my personal foray into the realm of cheesy love songs. The chords are simple, the lyrics are whimsical, and I didn't do anything fancy. I banged out the chords several m...
Posted by Phil Giammattei on Sat, 12 Nov 2005 11:15:00 PST

Pass Me By

God, where to begin... Pass me by has come a long way since it was written on Monday. (It's amazing how quickly things happen with songwriting) I had an hour of free time on Monday afternoon, so...
Posted by Phil Giammattei on Thu, 03 Nov 2005 07:21:00 PST

Sunset on the Prairie

If you're wondering where this one came from, I can't honestly tell you. I was in a folksy mood, probably from practicing with the Accid Trips, and I was banging out chords in the practice rooms...
Posted by Phil Giammattei on Fri, 28 Oct 2005 08:13:00 PST

The Bell Song

The Bell Song came from a number of different places. After a particularly stimulating open mic night at the campus center, where I put on an hour long set with the Accid Trips, I was walking ba...
Posted by Phil Giammattei on Wed, 26 Oct 2005 02:20:00 PST