Reviews

“Grasso...is a key figure in the Irish traditional music scene in North America...[his] playing throughout the album is technically excellent, yet musical and subtle...an excellent exemplar of solo piping...” - Eamonn Costello in Ethnomusicology

“This album [Up Against the Flatirons] is an overall amazing achievement. I find Eliot’s playing highly intellectual in this first instance, with an emphasis on subtlety and fine-woven structures.” - An Píobaire

“Grasso achieves a startling depth, consistency and clarity of tone...” - The Irish Times

“...playing is remarkably compact and precise, tastefully embellished with a restrained creativity and inventiveness...includes a number of his own compositions, which fit seamlessly within the more traditional sets...instantly attractive, and is sure to find its way into the wider repertoire.” - Journal of Music in Ireland

“...chanterwork is fleet and fiery...executed with exceptional cleanness and control...” - Irish Echo

“...his all-instrumental solo debut album [Standing Room Only] already marks him as a dazzlingly agile and lyrical piper.” - Baltimore Magazine

“Grasso plays with great maturity and a startling understanding not only of his chosen instrument, butalso of Irish music in general.” - Irish Edition

“ ...displays not only a continuity of style and technique, but a further maturing of musicianship.” - An Focal Review

“...here is a piper...who has applied himself assiduously to the far-from-easy task of mastering the pipes and in the process has found a unique and compelling musical voice.” - Pay the Reckoning

“...the playing is so effortless that it’s purely a sign of youthful enthusiasm.” - Irish Music Magazine

“The overall impression from listening to Standing Room Only is one of superb technical ability, a remarkable display of good taste, and the ease and relaxation of the expert player.” - Green Man Review

“...there’s no real distraction from the brilliant and compelling piping which Eliot exhibits throughout Standing Room Only.” - Living Tradition Review

“With Eliot’s signature sound driven by his squeaky clean technique, there is never a difficult sounding passage, nor wrinkle in the tempo; and Dave Cory is right there with him at every twist and turn.” - Iris na bPíobairí

“In his first solo album release...Eliot Grasso dazzles listeners with masterful technique on par with the best in modern Irish music... As far as technical aspects are concerned, the album once again bears a high standard.” - Goucher College Quindecim

“Eliot Grasso, from a new breed of pipers, with a superb sense of the music and sure to continue the tradition. Great choice of tunes and brilliant playing.” - Irish Ways Radio Programme

“...the final complement to the musical prowess extant in Baltimore these days became evident as the mic was turned over to the next generation...Eliot Grasso on uilleann pipes...it is very clear that with young talent like this on the rise in Baltimore, the flame will burn for a good while yet...” - “Historic Gathering in Baltimore” by Paul Keating

"Grasso’s music seems to activate the space just in front of the canvas, animating the intricate layers and texture within its frame. Just as the music activates the space, the tonal relationships and layered intricacies begin to shift acting more like a symphony elapsing in time rather than canvases set in space."- Cathy Denning, Art Historian, Oregon State University