Mt. Lebanon guitarist releases first full-length album
From left are Kevin Hindes, Pierce Dipner and Arnold Stagger.
Pierce Dipner plays one of his cigar-box guitars.
Pierce Dipner performs with renowned recording artist Gary Hoey.
Pierce Dipner and the Shades of Blue in concert
Given some of the limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mt. Lebanon guitarist Pierce Dipner’s first full-length album took somewhat longer to complete than expected.
“It took probably around a year to get everything done, with all the breaks we had,” he said. “I actually had to rerecord some vocals because my voice was sounding different by the end of the project.”
Between its start and finish, Dipner reached the age where he’s old enough to vote. A listen to the 10 songs on “Goin’ Back,” though, reveals the skill and substance of a veteran musician.
Twice, at ages 13 and 15, he was selected to represent the Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tenn. He is making the trek again this year after his trio, Pierce Dipner and the Shades of Blue, finished first in the society’s best band category.
On top of that, the society presented him with the Jim Weber Guitarist Award, and he placed in the top 10 of the Samantha Fish International Cigar Box Video Playoffs, named for the star guitar player.
Dipner plays the increasingly popular cigar-box guitar, the name of which pretty much describes its composition, on parts of “Goin’ Back,” which was released in January. He also displays his virtuosity on electric guitar, plus he wrote seven of the album’s tracks.
Backing him is a musically accomplished lineup featuring Arnold Stagger, his bass player in the Shades of Blue, along with members of the Ghost Hounds – they’ve opened for ZZ Top and The Rolling Stones – and the Steeltown Horns.
The producer is Dana Cannone, owner of The Church Recording Studio in Carrick, who also worked with Dipner on his debut recording. The four-song “Get Out of Your Life,” was recorded with his trio, also including drummer Kevin Hindes, and released in early 2020.
On “Goin’ Back,” the horn section of Rick Matt on saxophone, J.D. Chaisson on trumpet and Reggie Watkins on trombone is particularly prominent.
“They added another layer to it that I think really improved the finished product,” Dipner said.
Ghost Hounds Joe Munroe, keyboards, and Blaise Lanzetta, drums, lend their talents, as does guitarist Johnny Babb in pretty much of a mentor capacity. They had the opportunity to hear “Get Out of Your Life” while working with Cannone.
“He played it for them,” Dipner said, “and they enjoyed the music on there and said they wanted to work with me at some point.”
While “Goin’ Back” draws on the blues for its – pardon the expression – blueprint, the songs incorporate elements of a variety of styles. And that’s representative of Dipner’s musical background.
For example, he continues to play cello in the orchestra at Mt. Lebanon High School, where he is a senior.
He also was a cellist with Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, tutoring younger musicians along with performing.
Lately, he’s been listening to the folk-roots genre called Americana – giving the examples of Tyler Childers, Charley Crockett and Colter Wall – plus “a lot of jazz,” including guitarists John Scofield, Larry Carlton and the late Django Reinhardt.
During the summer, Dipner had the opportunity to study at the universally acclaimed Berklee College of Music by taking courses online. At Mt. Lebanon, his schedule features advanced-placement classes, and he especially enjoys AP computer science.
“I was considering going to college for that because it’s a job you can do from home a lot of the time and sort of make your own hours, as long as you can get the work that you’re given done,” he said. “And also it would be relatively well-paying, to help support a music career.”
He does plan to continue his education in the Pittsburgh area, staying close to his bandmates and his parents, Bill and Angela. At the moment, their basement is full of Pierce’s equipment, and of course, they’ve been nothing but supportive of his musical pursuits.
So have other musicians, from the time Dipner was wowing audiences as a preteen to his crossing into adulthood, and standing well over six feet tall, to boot.
“Of course, they’ll tell me, you’re good for your age, and everything,” he said. “But some musicians say they don’t really care about how young someone is. It’s just about how they can play, because in the end, that’s what matters.”
For more information, visit piercedipner.com.