A L G E B R A

Algebra formed in Benevento, Italy, in early 80's, when keyboard player Rino Pastore and drummer Salvatore Silvestri met. They were soon reached by bassist Carmine Ielardi, and began to compose their own songs.

In January 1983 the line-up was completed by guitarist-singer Mario Giammetti. Two months later they were recording their first demo in a studio when met the boss of a small local radio, who asked them to release a single. Ielardi had to leave the band, so Rino, Salvatore and Mario (on bass too, since then) recorded another song, A Prayer, which became the A side of a single released on May 30^th 1983 on the Radio Sannio Productions label.

Unfortunately the single didn't get great attention around, so Algebra split up in June 1984 after a handful of concerts.

In a few months time, Mario, Rino and Salvatore joined another band, called Taxirum, including guitarist Cris Pascale as fourth member. This band used to play a modern pop rock and was selected from the label Dischi Noi for an international project which unfortunately didn't happen anymore. In March 1988 Taxirum played their last gig, after which they split up.

After this separation Mario became a well known journalist for influential magazines as Ciao 2001, Rockstar and Jam, also writing various musical books and founding Dusk - The Italian Genesis Magazine.

By the way, at the end of 1993 Algebra's reunion happened, with all three original main members (Mario, Rino and Salvatore) plus some guests, including Maria Giammetti, Mario's sister, on sax. They recorded between January and April 1994 about one hour of new music, and the album, called Storia di un iceberg, was released in October 1994 on the Mellow Records label. The album, which also contains the two old songs previously released on single, includes tracks close to new age (Prologue, Epilogue) as well as more proper songs (Verso il nulla, Claudia), but the best is in the progressive tunes, from the acoustic delicacy of the title track to the long instrumental Russian Suite.

In May 1995 Mellow released The River Of Constant Change - A Tribute To Genesis, double CD produced by Mario Giammetti which was immediately well received (it went sold out in a few months and needed a reissue). Algebra opened the tribute with their own version of Dusk, considered from various critics as one of the best songs. In January 1996 the Genesis tribute album became a small tour in the North of Italy; Algebra were part of this tour, along with other bands, and their performances of Dusk and Open Door were enclosed in the video Each Day Will Seem So Long. At this stage, two new full members were in the band: Maria Giammetti on saxes and Roberto Polcino on keyboards and accordion. With this new line up, Algebra recorded songs for further various tribute albums, although a new drummer, Francesco Ciani, replaced Salvatore from 1998.

They contributed to tribute albums dedicated to Camel, Gentle Giant, Italian prog of the Seventies, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, the Canterbury movement and Jethro Tull.

Algebra recorded their second album inspired to Richard Bach’s legendary book Jonathan Livingston Seagull, featuring a few very special guest vocalists: Italian 70’s prog legends Aldo Tagliapietra (Le Orme) and Lino Vairetti (Osanna), the songwriter Goran Kuzminac and the rocker Graziano Romani.

In the meantime, the band continued to record songs for tribute albums. The first one, published in March 2006, is dedicated to the Moody Blues, followed by a cover of a Luis Miguel song, in the band wish to continuously explore new inspirations, while the rendition of Fairport Convention's The Lobster is still unreleased. In 2009, the band also recorded a song for a Marillion tribute which would have been released during 2010 along with a Genesis solo projects tribute album.

The latter part of 2008 and the first months of 2009, however, were particularly spent to finish Algebra second album, for which the band was lucky enough to secure two international special guests: flutist John Hackett and even his brother Steve Hackett, legendary former Genesis guitarist. The album was released on the AMS label on October 23rd with the title "JL".

In the meantime, the band continued to record songs for tribute albums. The first one, published in March 2006, is dedicated to the Moody Blues, followed by a cover of a Luis Miguel song, in the band wish to continuously explore new inspirations, while the rendition of Fairport Convention's The Lobster is still unreleased. Later on, the band also recorded songs for Marillion and Steve Hackett tribute albums.

The 2-cd set Deconstructing Classics, third Algebra’s album, is out on September 9th 2019.