Dionisio's Jubilant Rebirth

Steve Leitzinger

Dominic DeCecco, former frontman of bluegrass-folk band Shotgun Jubilee, has returned to performing after a four-year hiatus. His new EP, Born This Morning, reflects his refreshed outlook on music and life.

Saturday, May 5

"I'm on my way to come alive," Dominick DeCecco softly repeats during the introductory track of his new recording. Through ethereal tones and the plucked chimes of mandolin strings, he builds a feeling of knowing, albeit uneasy serenity. With soft, church-like elements at play as well as dark, jaunty tales ("Oh Death"), a balance is achieved, a lullaby that occasionally leaves the listener restless.

Some Erieites will be familiar with DeCecco from his days fronting the bluegrass-folk band Shotgun Jubilee, who disbanded in 2013. With this new recording, DeCecco is ready to get back in the game. "There is a bit of a story behind my little hiatus, which turned out to be four years or so, and I feel so good about getting back to making music here," he admitted.

The new EP is titled Born This Morning. "There's definitely a 'life, death, rebirth' theme going on here, with a focus on the rebirth," DeCecco said, describing the album's concept.

Using the name Dionisio — DeCecco's first name by birth — he's starting to hit the stage again. The project has been spotted live a handful of times over the last few years (notably for two appearances at the Gathering at Chaffee's side stage), but in measured stints.

"I had been doing a whole lot of music for a while, and ended up feeling burnt out and wanting to do something that felt more substantial," he described, adding that he ended up working on an organic farm in Tionesta for a period of years.

"I later realized that I had been sinking into depression and anxiety, then some addiction from coping, and really had just completely lost my spark," DeCecco confessed. "I've been fighting back here, trying to get myself well, and have recently been excited to return to music," saying that he's "found value in it for the first time in a while, especially to have pride in this album and to be excited to share it."

The album will be available at Dionisio's opening show at the Sunset Grill in Edinboro, on Saturday, May 5.

"The first track is a bit of an overture style song for the five others, and they all flow into each other musically; even wraps around from the last track back into the intro if you happen to be listening on repeat," he smiled. Recorded with his friend Jay Garrett, DeCecco played all the instruments on the record, with the exception of Abby Barrett on viola — used to great success on the track "Come Alive Again." Choir-like sections line the tracks with Tonya Camasi (who sang with Shotgun Jubilee) and Colette Bone showing up prominently.

"It's no accident that the rebirth part of the album's theme inspired a lot of this as the music came together," DeCecco reasoned. — Nick Warren

6:30 p.m. // 508 Erie St, Edinboro, PA // facebook.com/elrsunsetgrill