Sometimes I hear a record that’s urgent, that simply needs to be shared, and the latest, most potent example is Tripi’s Close to Fire: Roman’s Anthology Release Part I.
By Graeme Smith
Roman, Tony Tripi’s grandson, passed away one day after his birth. It’s a devastating story, so devastating that it almost feels taboo to talk about it. Yet infant mortality, both before and after birth, is sadly common, and there have been great efforts of late to remove the taboo, so that those affected can be open in their grief.
Tripi processes his difficult journey through a combination of poignant original tracks and choice covers, each sitting within the rock and soul genres. It’s a classic sound, bringing together Springsteen, honky-tonk, gospel and the blues.
Close to Fire opens heartbreakingly with Charlie’s Song, an exploration of love and loss delivered through folksy rock. Passionate vocals meet ecclesiastical instrumentals in a powerful start.
“Charlie’s Song was inspired by a conversation I witnessed between my daughter and our friend Liz while staying at Saleh Carefarm,” says Tripi. “People often think that those who have lost someone don’t want it to be brought up, but what most people really want is to be reminded, to talk about their loved ones, and to keep their memory alive. That’s when I decided I wanted to honour Charlie in a song. It took me nine months to be able to write it and even longer to be able to get through playing it. That melody became the beginning of [this album].”
It sets an early energy which You Can’t Keep A Good Man Down carries through before a meaningful cover of Tears In Heaven by Eric Clapton slows things down. Tripi’s version is faithful to the original while bringing plenty of himself and his story to it.
There are more covers, but Tripi’s own work proves the most arresting. Ronan is the album’s most striking moment. Vocalist Emily Grove tells the personal story against a gentle acoustic backdrop. It builds cinematically as the hurt comes in. I Don’t Mind is a raw and honest highlight.
For this collaborative project, Tripi enlisted the talents of nearly twenty musicians to support him, many from the Asbury Park, New Jersey music community, including Jack Daley, James Maddock, Aaron Comess, Rob Clores, Marc Ribler, Tommy Byrnes, Mike DelGuidice, and others.
“I realize I could probably write a novel about this album,” says Tripi. “The moments with the doctors at the hospital, the priest, and the families who have reached out. This has touched so many lives and has grown into something I could never have imagined. There are so many stories to tell. It is my hope that by coming together in a shared musical community, we can lean on each other when the grief is too much to carry on our own.”
Close to Fire: Roman’s Anthology Release Part I is out now, and you can listen to it below.