Tom Griesgraber is releasing a new album called The Split. The album is currently available as CD and multi-format download on tomgriesgraber.com, with a wider release planned for March 6 including Bandcamp. The Split is Tom Griesgraber’s soundtrack album from the feature length documentary film Prairie Prophecy. It includes all nineteen tracks from the film, along with two bonus tracks. The music features Tom Griesgraber on Chapman Stick, analog synths and samples. Tom’s California Guitar Trio bandmate Bert Lams also makes a guest appearance on acoustic guitar.
Watch the trailer for The Split:
https://fb.watch/ETuAVHBc7O/
https://youtu.be/skNQfhEP0XQ
While Tom Griesgraber is primarily known in progressive rock circles, The Split leans more towards ambient music than much of his other work.
Says Tom, “I tried in writing it to have recurring themes for the subjects being discussed in the movie. The album tracks are in the same order they appear in the movie, with themes and motifs that develop as the album progresses.”
“I tried to also have something thematic with the instrumentation. Generally, when topics being discussed are more about the problems of industrialization the analog synths become more prominent, and when the discussion is more about natural things or the progress scientists are making, the Chapman Stick and orchestral strings are more prominent.”
The film Prairie Prophecy is an engaging exploration of natural systems agriculture and its potential to address some of today’s most urgent environmental challenges. Anchored in the work of The Land Institute, the film traces how perennial farming systems—modeled after native ecosystems—could help restore soil, conserve water, and build resilience in a changing climate. Both educational and hopeful, the program offers a forward-looking perspective on the future of food and land stewardship.
The movie is currently playing at screenings and festivals across the US and will be available to all Public Television stations starting in April 2026.
For more information about Prairie Prophecy: www.prairieprophecy.com
The Split Track list:
01 – At A Moment
02 – The Split
03 – Paradox
04 – Cassettes
05 – A Species Out Of Context
06 – Prairie Suite
07 – Planting Prairie
08 – A New Worldview
09 – I Just Wanted Kansas
10 – A Big Idea
11 – Land Institute
12 – Perennial Plants
13 – Junkyard
14 – Geologic Time
15 – Perennial Pantry
16 – Seeds
17 – Partners
18 – Love In Action
19 – The Tree Of Life
20 – Asked Of Us
21 – This Land
About Tom Griesgraber:
Tom Griesgraber picked up the Chapman Stick in 1997 after graduating Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music as a guitarist in 1995. In late 1998 he began performing around San Diego County as a Stick player doing both solo shows and performances with his group Agent 22. In 2000, the group won a year-long local battle of the bands at the Belly Up Tavern, beating about 230 other groups. From there venues started having Tom or the group open for nationals. In 2001, he opened for the California Guitar Trio (CGT) at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. The next year Tom attended a Guitar Craft course taught by Robert Fripp with CGT members Bert Lams and Paul Richards assisting. Afterwards, CGT asked him to go on the road as their opener for about 100 shows over the next few years. Bert Lams from the group and Tom started doing duo tours as well and eventually two albums. In 2021, Bert and Paul Richards asked Tom to join CGT as a regular member.
To date, Tom Griesgraber has also released two other solo albums, one with CGT recorded while opening for King Crimson, two with Agent 22, and a duo album with drummer Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel) with whom he also toured internationally for several years. He has performed four times for Grammy events, toured as an opener for The Tony Levin Band, opened multiple times for Carl Palmer, Adrian Belew, Steve Morse and the Dixie Dregs, Al Dimeola and Stick Men and opened shows for Bill Bruford’s Earthworks, Andy Summers, Alan Holdsworth, Stanley Jordan, Steve Hackett, Larry Carlton, Steve Lukather, Paul Stanley, Paula Cole, Tuck and Patti, Asia and dozens of others. Tom has also performed on, produced and/or engineered dozens of albums for other artists including two with RyMo (of Slightly Stoopid), CGT, guitarist Peter Pupping and Dübh.
The Chapman Stick, Tom’s primary instrument is a combination of twelve guitar and bass strings, played in both hands with a technique closer to playing piano than guitar. Multiple outputs allow for simultaneous guitar, bass and keyboard-like sounds but with a unique timbre and unusual musical structures.
For more information:
https://tomgriesgraber.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TomGmusic/
https://www.youtube.com/user/thossounds
https://cgtrio.com/
https://tomgriesgraber.bandcamp.com/
