Pantelas releases first solo album

A CD release party will be held Friday at Alberini's Restaurant in Niles.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
For working musicians, solo albums often get lost in the mix.
After all, a paying gig is a paying gig but at some point opportunity intersects with necessity and the time seems just right.
This is what happened to Youngstown-based jazz guitarist Teddy Pantelas, who has performed on dozens of other artists' albums (including Glass Harp and Phil Keaggy) but only recently released his own solo effort "It Makes me Glad."
"I knew that I had a wide library of music to choose from and everything kind of worked out," said Warren native Pantelas. "I had the time to record it and the right musicians I wanted to do it."
Joining Pantelas on the eight-song album are peers and longtime friends Jeff Grubbs (bass), Darryl Pellegrini (drums) and Sean Jones (trumpet). As far as material, the tracks range from newly written tunes to songs that have been hanging around Pantelas' closet since the late '80s, including "Split Second." That track was originally conceived for a Youngstown Playhouse production.
Harding High grad
The 1977 Harding High School graduate said the title track epitomizes not only the album but his career.
"'It Makes me Glad' is why I do what I do and the way I feel about music and the way I feel about playing," Pantelas said.
"Also, bringing all of these people back again to play together, I'd say that right there epitomizes the whole reason behind the whole album, the love of music we all have when playing together."
Based out of Youngstown, Pantelas said his market is between Pittsburgh and Cleveland; however, he's hoping a nationwide distribution deal for "It Makes me Glad" will find new fans across the country.
For now, he's focused on performing with the latest lineup of the Teddy Pantelas Trio, which features organist Clifford Barnes of Spyro Gyra and drummer Nathan Douds. The threesome is celebrating Pantelas' new album with a free CD release party Friday at Alberini's Restaurant in Niles.
"It's a very exciting trio," Pantelas said. "Audiences are in for a surprise."