Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Barney Kessel
Date of Birth: October 17, 1923-May 6., 2004
Place of Birth: Muskogee, Oklahoma
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 21
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Yes
A "first call" guitarist at Columbia Pictures, during the 1960s Kessel be-
came one of the most in-demand session guitarists in America, and is con-
sidered a key member of the group of first-call session musicians now
usually known as The Wrecking Crew. In this capacity he played on hun-
dreds of famous pop recordings including albums and singles by Phil
Spector, The Beach Boys, The Monkees and many others. He appeared in
an acting part playing a jazz guitarist named "Barney" in one episode of
the Perry MasonTV show. He also wrote and arranged the source music,
including a jazz version of "Here Comes the Bride", provided by the jazz
combo that figured in the story. In 1961 The Gibson Guitar Corpora-
tion introduced The Barney Kessel model guitar onto the market and con-
tinued to make them until 1973. One custom instrument Kessel played
was essentially a 12-string guitar neck attached to a mandolin body
(similar to Vox's mando guitar), which may have been played on the intro
to The Beach Boys' "Wouldn't It Be Nice." During the 1970s, Kessel pre-
sented his seminar 'The Effective Guitarist' in various locations around the
world. Kessel died of a brain tumor in San Diego, California. He had been
in poor health after suffering a stroke in 1992 .
Page 1
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Bucky Pizzarelli
Date of Birth: January 9, 1926
Place of Birth: Paterson, New Jersey
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 10
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Yes
Page 2
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Frank Vignola
Date of Birth: December 30, 1965
Place of Birth: Long Island, NY
Schools Attended: Culture Arts Center of
Long Island
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 11
Currently Touring? Yes
Youtube: Yes
Vignola began on guitar at age five. While he never listened to jazz exclu-
sively, he has a wide range of influences, such as Les Paul, Eddie Van
Halen and Frank Zappa. He later studied at the Cultural Arts Center of
Long Island. He worked extensively as a sideman in the 1980s, with artists
such as Madonna, Leon Redbone, and Ringo Starr. In 1993 he signed
with Concord Jazz, when he was 27 and has released several albums un-
der his own name since then. He has written 18 instructional guitar books
and has recorded multiple instuctional CD-ROMs for Truefire.com. In
1988 with his famed Hot Club of France tribute which was hailed in the NY
Times as one of the top ten acts in New York City in 1988 and forged the
way for the many Django Hot Club groups that followed. The early 2000's
found Vignola recording a solo guitar CD for Acoustic Disc as well as per-
forming regularly with guitarist, Les Paul.
Page 3
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Page 4
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Grant Green
Date of Birth: June 6, 1935-January 31, 1979
Place of Birth: St. Louis, MO
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 98
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Yes
Grant Green left St. Louis and moved to New York City in 1959. Through
a connection, he met the management of Blue Note records. Blue Note
signed Green in 1960. From 1961 to 1965, Grant made more appearanc-
es on Blue Note LPs, as leader or sideman, than anyone else. Grant's first
issued album as a leader was Grant's First Stand. This was followed in the
same year by Green Street and Grantstand. Grant was named best new
star in the Down Beat critics' poll, 1962, and, as a result, his influence
spread wider than New York. He often provided support to the other im-
portant musicians on Blue Note. In 1966 Grant left Blue Note and record-
ed for several other labels, including Verve. From 1967 to 1969 Grant was,
for the most part, inactive due to personal problems and the effects
of heroin addiction. In 1969 Grant returned with a new funk-influenced
band. His recordings from this period include the commercially success-
ful Green is Beautiful and the soundtrack to the film The Final Comedown.
Grant was also a huge influence on guitarists, from George Benson to Ste-
vie Ray Vaughan. Still to this day guitarists try to get his signature sound,
Idle Moments is consider one of the top 100 jazz albums of all time. Grant
left Blue Note again in 1974 and the subsequent recordings he made with
other labels divide opinion: some consider Green to have been the 'Father
of Acid Jazz'. While in New York to play an engagement at George Ben-
son's Breezin' Lounge, Grant collapsed in his car of a heart attack in New
York City on January 31, 1979. Since Green's demise, his reputation has
grown to legendary status and many compilations of both his earlier (post-
bop/straight ahead and soul jazz) and later (funkier/dancefloor jazz) peri-
ods, exist.
Page 5
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Herb Ellis
Date of Birth: August 4, 1921-March 28, 2010
Place of Birth: Farmersville, TX
Schools Attended: North Texas State Univer-
sity
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 37
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Yes
Ellis first heard the electric guitar performed by George Barnes on a radio
program. This experience is said to have inspired him to take up the guitar.
He became proficient on the instrument by the time he entered North Tex-
as State University as a music major. Ellis majored in music, but because
they did not yet have a guitar program at that time, he studied the string
bass. Unfortunately, due to lack of funds, his college days were short lived.
In 1941, Ellis dropped out of college and toured for 6 months with a band
from the University of Kansas. In 1943, he joined Glen Gray and the Casa
Loma Orchestra and it was with Gray's band that he got his first recogni-
tion in the jazz magazines. After Gray's band, Ellis joined the Jimmy
Dorseyband where he played some of his first recorded solos. Ellis re-
mained with Dorsey through 1947, traveling and recording extensively,
and playing in dance halls and movie palaces. Ellis then joined the Oscar
Peterson Trio (replacing Barney Kessel) in 1953, forming one of the most
memorable of all the piano, guitar, and bass trios in jazz history. Ellis be-
came prominent after performing with the Oscar Peterson Trio from 1953
to 1958 along with pianist Peterson and bassist Ray Brown. He was a
somewhat controversial member of the trio, because he was the only
white person in the group in a time when racism was still very much wide-
spread. The years of 1959 through 1960 found Ellis touring with Ella Fitz-
gerald. Ellis died of Alzheimer's disease at his Los Angeles home on the
morning of March 28, 2010, at the age of 88.
Page 6
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Howard Alden
Date of Birth: October 17, 1958
Place of Birth: Newport Beach, CA
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 29
Currently Touring? Yes
Youtube: Yes
Page 7
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Jeffrey Burr
Date of Birth: September 8, 1974
Place of Birth: San Francisco, CA
Schools Attended: William Paterson College
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 2
Currently Touring?
Youtube: yes
The child of two classical bassists, Jeffrey Burr was encouraged to study
music seriously from a young age, but chose the guitar as his instrument.
On the way to Rock Stardom, some Charlie Parker sides got through
somehow, and Jeffrey wound up spending several years studying jazz im-
provisation. At sixteen he performed with bop grandmaster Dizzy Gillespie.
After earning his BA at the renowned William Paterson College, Jeffrey
moved his shed to Brooklyn and generally made a nuisance of himself in
the NYC jazz scene. This one time, he played with Norah Jones, but she
wasn't famous yet. Before returning to the Bay Area from whence he
sprang, Jeffrey recorded Bright Blue
Page 8
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Jim Hall
Date of Birth: December 4, 1930
Place of Birth: Buffalo, New York
Schools Attended: Cleveland Institute of
Music
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 45
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Yes
Hall moved to Los Angeles where he began to attract national, and then
international, attention in the late 1950s. There he studied classic guitar
with Vincente Gmez.[2]He played with Chico Hamilton Quintet, (1955
1956), Jimmy Giuffre Trio (19561959),Ella Fitzgerald (19601961), Ben
Webster, Hampton Hawes, Bob Brookmeyer, John Lewis, Zoot Sims, Paul
Desmond, Lee Konitz and Bill Evans. By 1960 Jim had arrived in New
York to work with Sonny Rollins and Art Farmer, among others. His live
and recorded collaborations there with Bill Evans, Paul Desmond and Ron
Carter have become legendary. Formal recognition as a composer came
in 1997, when Hall won the New York Jazz Critics Circle Award for Best
Jazz Composer/Arranger. His pieces for string, brass, and vocal ensem-
bles can be heard on his Textures and By Arrangement recordings. His
original composition, Quartet Plus Four, a piece for jazz quartet augment-
ed by the Zapolski string quartet, was debuted in Denmark during the con-
cert and ceremony where he was awarded the coveted Jazzpar Prize, and
later released on CD. His most recent large-scale composition was a con-
certo for guitar and orchestra, commissioned by Towson Universi-
ty in Maryland for The First World Guitar Congress, which was debuted in
June 2004 with the Baltimore Symphony. He was awarded an NEA Jazz
Masters Fellowshipaward in January 2004. In November, 2008 the double-
disc album Hemispheres was released through the ArtistShare label.
Page 9
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Jimmy Bruno
Date of Birth: July 22, 1953
Place of Birth: Philadelphia, PA
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 15
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Yes
Page 10
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Jimmy Raney
Date of Birth: August 29, 1927-May 10, 1995
Place of Birth: Louisville, Kentuck
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 58
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Yes
Page 11
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Joe Diorio
Date of Birth: August 6, 1936
Place of Birth: Waterbury, Connecticut
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching: USC
How Many Recordings?: 10
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Many (who hums when he plays
due to a stroke)
Guitarist and composer Joe Diorio was born in Waterbury, CT, August 6,
1936. Joe has 50 years experience playing the guitar and over 40 years
experience as a performer and recording artist. He has worked with such
jazz luminaries as Sonny Stitt, Eddie Harris, Ira Sullivan, Stan Getz, Hor-
ace Silver, and Freddie Hubbard. He has recently toured Italy with Riccar-
do Del Fra (bass player with Chet Baker, Johnny Griffin, Toots Thieleman).
His most recent releases on CD with the new Italian jazz label RAM Rec-
ords include: I Remember Wes, a tribute to Wes Montgomery; A solo gui-
tar album We Will Meet Again; Double Take with live recordings of the per-
formances with Riccardo Del Fra; and Rare Birds, a duo album with Mick
Goodrick.
Highly respected as an educator, Joe has many books and an educational
video to his name. Joe currently teaches at the University of Southern Cal-
ifornia, Los Angeles and has conducted jazz guitar seminars throughout
the United States, Europe, and Brazil. Additionally, Joe was one of the
three founding instructors for the Guitar Institute of Technology (G. I. T.) in
Hollywood California.
Page 12
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Joe Pass
Real Name
Date of Birth: January 13, 1929
Died if applicable: May 23, 1994
Place of Birth: New Brunswick, NJ
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 96
Currently Touring?
Youtube: many
As early as 14, Pass started getting gigs and was playing with bands fronted by Tony
Pastor and Charlie Barnet, honing his guitar skills and learning the music business.
He began traveling with small jazz groups and eventually moved from Pennsylvania
to New York City. In a few years, he fell victim to drug abuse, and spent much of the
1950s in relative obscurity. Pass managed to emerge from it through a two-and-a-
half-year stay at Synanon, drug rehabilitation program. During that time he played
guitar non stop and further honed his skills. In 1962 he recorded The Sounds of
Synanon. He was a sideman with Louis Bellson, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Joe
Williams, Della Reese, Johnny Mathis, and worked on TV shows including The To-
night Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Merv Griffin Show, The Steve Allen Show,
and others. In the early 1970s, Pass and guitarist Herb Ellis were performing together
regularly at Donte's jazz club in Los Angeles. This collaboration led to Pass and Ellis
recording the very first album on the new Concord Jazz label, entitled simply Jazz/
Concord (#CJS-1), along with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jake Hanna. In the
early 1970s, Pass also collaborated on a series of music books, and his Joe Pass
Guitar Style (written with Bill Thrasher) is considered a leading improvisation textbook
for students of jazz. In 1994, Joe Pass died from liver cancer in Los Angeles, Califor-
nia at the age of 65 . Pass's early style (influenced by guitarist Django Reinhardt and
saxophonist Charlie Parker), was marked by fast single-note lines and a flowing me-
lodic sense. Pass had the unusual lifelong habit of breaking his guitar picks and play-
ing only with the smaller part. As Pass made the transition from ensemble to solo gui-
tar performance, he preferred to abandon the pick altogether, and play fingerstyle. He
found this enabled him to execute his harmonic concepts more effectively. His series
of solo albums, Virtuoso (volumes 1 through 4) are a demonstration of Pass's refined
technique.
Page 13
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
John Pizzarelli
Date of Birth: April 6, 1960
Place of Birth: Paterson, New Jersey
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 40
Currently Touring? Yes
Youtube: Yes
John Pizzarelli, the world-renowned jazz guitarist and singer, was called
Hip with a wink by Town & Country, madly creative by the Los Angeles
Times and the genial genius of the guitar by The Toronto Star. When he
performs with his wife, singer/actress Jessica Molaskey, and his father,
guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli, they were labeled the First Family of Cool
by the San Francisco Chronicle and the von Trapps on Martinis by The
New Yorker. According to The New York Times, the Pizzarelli-Molaskey
duo are as good as it gets in any entertainment medium. After his recent
smash success with the Boston Pops, he was hailed by the Boston Globe
for reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing jazz.
And the Seattle Times called him a tour de force and a rare entertainer
of the old school. Before a recent show in the northwest, the local paper
quipped John Pizzarelli is so impossibly cool, he shouldnt be legally al-
lowed to enter Oregon. In 1997, Pizzarelli made his Broadway debut in
the musical Dream, a revue of Johnny Mercer songs. Particularly lauded
for his swinging interpretations of jazz standards, Pizzarelli also composes
his own songs, some of which have achieved a sort of modern "standard"
status in their own right. He is also a fan of bossa nova and released an
album entirely composed of that type of music. Perhaps his most famous
and highly-regarded album, though, is Dear Mr. Cole, an album featuring
Pizzarelli's versions of some of Nat "King" Cole's most famous songs.
Page 14
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
John Stowell
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 25
Currently Touring? Yes
Youtube: yes
Stowell, who plays electric and acoustic guitar, raised in Connecticut had
private studies with Linc Chamberland and John Mehegan. Several years
later he met bassist David Friesen in New York City, and they formed a
duo in 1976 that recorded and toured prolifically for seven years, with per-
formances in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. The duo
continues to perform thirty years after their first meeting. In 1983, Stowell
and David Friesen joined flutist Paul Horn and Pauls son Robin Horn (on
drums) for a tour of the Soviet Union. In 1977 Stowell recorded his debut
album Golden Delicious; his sidemen were Jim McNeely, Mike Richmond,
and Billy Hart[1]Stowell teaches internationally. He has been an Artist-In-
Residence at schools in Germany,Indonesia, Argentina, the United States
and Canada. He served as assistant director and performer at Oregon
Public Broadcastings PDX Jazz Summit in 1991, and since 1995 has
been a contributing columnist for a number of magazines, including Down
Beat, Guitar Player, Canadian Musician, Soundcheck (Germany),
and Guitar Club (Italy). In Germany, he teaches at Jazz & Rock Schulen
Freiburg with Frank Haunschild, with whom he playes regularly in a duo.
He has also worked with Uwe Kropinski, Dave Liebman, Hiram Mutsch-
ler, Grard Pansanel, Kelley Shannon, and Nicolao Valiensi. In 2005 Stow-
ell published Jazz Guitar Mastery (book and DVD). Stowell currently lives
in Portland, Oregon. Stowell plays holds the guitar in a vertical position,
not unlike a cello player.
Page 15
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Joyce Cooling
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 7
Currently Touring? Yes
Youtube: Yes
Joyce Cooling, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, is best known for her ec-
lectic style and colorful body-moving sound. Funky, soulful, and always
original, Joyce Cooling is recognized as one of the most dynamic and
popular contemporary jazz guitarists in the world. Joyce has recorded sev-
en albums - five of which charted on Billboard. She has to her credit two
#1 radio singles, six top 10 and thirteen charting singles in all, and has
garnered multiple music awards including the Gibson Best Jazz Guitarist
of the Year and Best New Talent in the Jazziz Readers Poll. She was a
nominee for the California Music Awards, the Oasis Awards and the Gavin
Contemporary Jazz Artist of the Year. Cooling has performed with such
jazz giants as Joe Henderson, Stan Getz, and Charlie Byrd. Her top-10
single, Mm Mm Good, featuring Al Jarreau; and Christmas holiday
tracks, The Christmas Song, with Lee Ritenour and her original single,
Its Feeling Like Christmas, have pushed Cooling to new heights of popu-
larity while showcasing her musical versatility. Joyce Cooling is an interna-
tional attraction at major jazz festivals around the world. Global Cooling,
released in April 2009, is their seventh studio CD and is receiving world-
wide critical acclaim and raving reviews. Global Cooling was #2 on Ama-
zon and hit #1 on the smoothjazz Indie charts and stayed there for over
three months. The CD also remained in the top 10 on the TOP 50 Radio
Charts for weeks, and the single, Dolores in Pink, won the #2 spot on
Canadas 2009 Caf Jazz Review. Global Cooling was also chosen as the
2009 Album of the Year in the U.K. by PhoenixFM. Cooling has also re-
ceived international accolades for Revolving Door (2006 Narada/ Blue
Note),
Page 16
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Kenny Burrell
Date of Birth: July 31, 1931
Place of Birth: Detroit, Michigan
Schools Attended: Wayne State University
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 106
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Yes
From the start of his career Kenny Burrell was described as a bop and
hard bop player. Some of his early recordings supported this description,
but like all the great players, Kenny Burrell brought his own unique style
and sound to his playing. The bop elements were there, along with blues
and a great blend of the two styles. And Burrell proved himself to be an ex-
ceptional soloist. But, Kenny Burrell also preferred a much gentler, more
melodic and expressive style of play. This style was reflected in two early
recordings that pointed the way to a style and format that Burrell would
use throughout his career. Between 1963 and 1970 Kenny Burrell contin-
ued to work the New York studios. In the early 1970s Kenny Burrell moved
to California and began recording on the Fantasy and CTI labels and later
with Concord Records. It was during this time that Burrell began teaching a
course on Duke Ellington at UCLA. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s and
1980s Kenny Burrell released recordings at a regular rate. Burrell released
more than 90 recordings as leader and appeared on hundreds of recordings
as sideman from bop to blues to pop. Today, Kenny Burrell continues to in-
fluence the jazz guitar community and further the value of jazz guitar. He
performs and records on a regular basis and he continues to teach. He
holds a BA in Music from Wayne State University, an honorary doctorate
from William Paterson College and he isProfessor of Guitar, Jazz Pro-
gram Director at UCLA.
Page 17
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Lenny Breau
Date of Birth: August 5, 1941-August 12, 1984
Place of Birth: Auburn, Maine
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 23
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Yes
Page 18
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Martin Taylor
Date of Birth: October 20, 1956
Place of Birth: Harlow, England
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 23
Currently Touring? yes
Youtube: yes
At the age of 4 Taylor received his first guitar from his father, bassist Wil-
liam Buck Taylor. His father frequently played the music of the Quintette
du Hot Club de France and Taylor became inspired by their legendary gui-
tarist Django Reinhardt. At age 8 he was playing regularly in his fathers
band and at 15 he quit school intent on becoming a professional musician.
Over the next few years Taylor played in numerous bands, in holiday
camps, various radio dates and on cruise ships. Performing dates in and
around London soon brought him into contact with fellow jazz guitarist Ike
Isaacs who took the younger man under his wing. In addition to performing
with Taylor as a duet, Isaacs helped develop his sense of jazz harmony
and started him on the road to developing his unique fingerstyle tech-
nique. Taylor puts his musical talent down to beginning to learn guitar at
an early age, playing frequently and also having many musicians on his
father's side of the family. Keen to avoid having to rely on other musicians
for income, Taylor took a gamble and started to perform as a solo act. His
individual style and engaging stage personality paid off and the gigs
proved successful. After a few years he stopped touring with Grappelli
and, aided by a recording contract with Scottish label Linn Records, he
concentrated on his solo career. The relative success of these albums,
and his concert dates, raised his profile in the guitar community as his
peers became interested in his unique style. Taylor is an eleven-time win-
ner of Best guitarist at the British Jazz awards, Freeman of the City of Lon-
don, honorary doctorate awarded by Paisley University, Scotland, and in
2002 he was appointed a Member of the British Empire (knighted).
Page 19
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Mundell Lowe
Date of Birth: March 21, 1922
Place of Birth:
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 19
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Yes
Page 20
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Pat Martino
Date of Birth: August 25, 1944
Place of Birth: Philadelphia, PA
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 33
Currently Touring? Yes
Youtube: Yes
Martino began playing professionally at age 15. Martino played and rec-
orded early in his career. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Martino made
many recordings as a sideman and also under his own name.
In 1980, Martino underwent surgery as the result of a nearly fatal
brain aneurysm. The surgery left him with amnesia, leaving him, among
other things, without any memory of the guitar and his musical career.
With the help of friends, computers, and his old recordings, Martino made
a recovery , and learned to play the guitar again.His improvisation method,
"Conversion to Minor", is often mistakenly thought to be based upon using
exclusively minor systems for soloing. In fact, the system involves concep-
tualising chord progressions in terms of the relative minor chord/scale, but
in practice this seems to be more a way for organizing the fretboard, rather
than justifying playing certain tones in terms of whether they are "correct"
or not. Martino's lines contain chromatic notes outside any particular IIm7
chord that might be conceptualized over a chord progression; even in the
examples he provides in his books and instructional videos. Indeed, on his
bulletin board he has stated that he formulated the system more as a way
to explain his playing, rather than as something to use to create music. In
his own words, "although the analysis of some of my recorded solos have
been referred to as modal, personally Ive never operated in that way. Ive
always depended upon my own melodic instinct, instead of scale like for-
mulas". Martino's return to music started once again with the 1987 record-
ing The Return.
Page 21
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Peter White
Date of Birth: September 20, 1954
Place of Birth: Luton, England
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 12
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Yes
White first gained fame with his distinctive guitar style as accompanist to
Al Stewart. During a 20-year tenure with Stewart, he co-wrote many
songs, including Stewart's 1978 top-ten hit "Time Passages". In the late
1980s, White accompanied Basia on a series of acclaimed albums. In
1996, Basia was featured on White's album Caravan of Dreams, with vo-
cals on the single "Just Another Day". White began recording his own al-
bums in 1990. His songs "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)", rec-
orded by Jr. Walker & The All Stars (2006), "Mister Magic", recorded
by Grover Washington, Jr. (2007), and "Bright" (2009) have each
reached number one on the BillboardJazz Songs chart. Peter White per-
formed regularly on many Windows albums appearing as a more or less
'permanent guest', In 2001 and 2002, White worked with Creed Bratton in
the release of Bratton's first three solo albums. White produced, mixed
and also played guitar on many of the tracks. Peter White won the award
for best Smooth Jazz Musician in the 2007 Canadian Smooth Jazz
Awards. He was named the Best Guitarist at the National Smooth Jazz
Awards for four consecutive years from 2000-2003.
In 2000, White won three Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards:
Page 22
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Robert Conti
Date of Birth: November 21, 1945
Place of Birth: Philadelphia, PA
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 9
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Yes
Conti first began performing locally at age fourteen. In 1966, after four
years on the road touring North America, he settledin Jacksonville, Florida. In
1970, he left music to pursue a career in the securities industry. In 1976 he
began playing jazz again. In 1979, he was signed to LA based Discovery
Records label. Conti released Latin Love Affair and a Direct To Disc re-
cording titled Solo Guitar as his debut efforts as a leader in 1979. In 1982,
he left music again for the business world. In 1985, he released another
album. In mid 1988, he was offered a position under filmmaker Dino De
Laurentiis in Beverly Hills, California. After a lengthy recovery from a back
injury in late '88, Conti was offered a position as resident jazz guitarist at
the Irvine Marriott. He held that gig until mid 1998. Many of his most recent
endeavors have been educational in nature; since starting his website in
2000, he has released 27 educational DVDs on jazz guitar, including pro
chord melody and improvisation using his trademark No Modes, No
Scales approach to teaching jazz guitar. As a performing jazz guitarist for
nearly five decades, Robert Conti is ranked in the top handful of the
world's greatest players by knowledgeable musicians and fans. His skill
and a vast repertoire keeps him in demand to perform at numerous ven-
ues from Jazz Clubs and festivals to First Class Hotels including and on-
going Corporate Events in California and Las Vegas. In 2009, Conti intro-
duced the Conti Archtop Jazz Guitars - a high quality instrument with em-
phasis on affordability for the majority of guitarists. This model has be-
come wildly popular with jazz enthusiasts around the world.
Page 23
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Roni Ben-Hur
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 8
Currently Touring? Yes
Youtube: Yes
Page 24
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Russell Malone
Date of Birth: November 8, 1963
Place of Birth: Albany, Georgia
Schools Attended: self taught
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 13
Currently Touring? Yes
Youtube: yes
Malone began playing at the age of four in his home of Albany, Georgia,
with a toy guitar his mother had bought him, influenced by musicians such
as B.B. King and The Dixie Hummingbirds.However, he cites that the most
influential musical experience he had as a youth was "[At the age of
twelve] seeing George Benson perform on televisionwith Benny Good-
man."[1]He learned technique from listening to recordings of Benson, Wes
Montgomery, and Charlie Christian, among others. Malone played with
jazz organist Jimmy Smith from 19881990.[1] He then joined the Harry
Connick Jr. Big Band from 1989-1994. In 1995, Malone became part of
the Diana Krall trio, participating in three Grammy-nominated albums, the
final one in 1999, "When I Look In Your Eyes," winning Best Vocal Jazz
Performance. Malone was part of jazz pianist Benny Green's recordings in
the late 1990s and 2000: "Kaleidoscope" (1997), "These Are Soulful
Days" (1999), and "Naturally" (2000). The two formed a duo partnership,
releasing the live recording, "Jazz At The Bistro" in 2003, and the studio
recording "Bluebird" in 2004. The duo toured until 2007. Malone tours reg-
ularly as leader of The Russell Malone Quartet, and more recently in sup-
port of "Triple Play" (2010) of the Russell Malone Trio. When touring the
US, Canada, Japan, and Europe, South America, and Australia, he can be
seen in appearances with Dianne Reeves and Romero Lubambo and
tours frequently with legendary bassist Ron Carter.
Page 25
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Tal Farlow
Date of Birth: June 7, 1921-July 25, 1998
Place of Birth: Greensboro, NC
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 35
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Yes
Nicknamed the "Octopus", Farlow's extremely large hands spread over the
fretboard as if they were tentacles. He is considered one of the all-time
great jazz guitarists. In 1956 he was named by Down Beat magazine crit-
ics as the very best jazz guitarist in the world, and for all the right reasons.
Where other similar players of his day combined rhythmic chords with line-
ar melodies. Farlow preferred placing single notes together in clusters,
varying between harmonically richened tones based on a startling new
technique. His spider-like fingers handled the guitar in a way no other
player could match, and this physical approach set Farlow apart from all
others. A supreme technician, renowned for his articulation, and smooth
relaxed phrasing even at the most daunting tempos. Nearly as famous for
his reluctance to perform publicly as for his outstanding abilities, he did not
take up the instrument until he was 21, but within a year was playing pro-
fessionally. From 19491953, Farlow became famous in the jazz world.
His huge hands and ability to play rapid yet light lines, made him one of
the top guitarists of the era. In 1958, Farlow retired from full-time perform-
ing, returning to a career as a sign painter. He continued to play occasion-
al dates in local clubs. In 1962 the Gibson Guitar Corporation, with Far-
low's participation, produced the "Tal Farlow" model in their prestigious
Artist Model line. Farlow only made one record as a leader during 1960
1975, but emerged a bit more often during 19761984, recording for Con-
cord fairly regularly before largely disappearing again.
Page 26
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Ted Greene
Date of Birth: September 26, 19462005
Place of Birth:
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 2
Currently Touring?
Youtube: yes
Page 27
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Tony Mottola
Date of Birth: Aparil 18, 1918-August 9, 2004
Place of Birth: Denville, New Jersey
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 18
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Yes
Like many of his contemporaries he started out learning to play the banjo
and then took up the guitar. He had his first guitar lessons from his father
and by the late 1930s he was playing in George Hall's orchestra. Mottola
was one of the most sought after and respected studio musicians in the
recording and music industry. He worked extensively with Frank Sina-
tra and Perry Como, and orchestrated albums for Burl Ives. He appeared
on the DuMont Television Network program Melody Street. Mottola also
played with Doc Severinsen's Orchestra on The Tonight Show and com-
posed music for the films Running on Empty and Violated(1953) as well as
the 1950s television series Danger, which starred Yul Brynner. Several of
his songs were heavily sampled by The Avalanches for their album Since I
Left You. Mottola's only charted single under his own name was "This
Guy's In Love With You" which reached #22 on Billboard's "Easy Listening
Top 40" in the summer of 1968. Throughout the 1970's and 1980's Tony
Mottola produced a large number of recordings that don't fit into the jazz
genre, but were successful guitar recordings. The many recordings he
made with Enoch Light probably fit better in the popular music area and
did much to enhance the popularity of the guitar. He was one of the most
sought after and respected studio musicians in the recording and general
music industries. He was certainly one of the most respected guitar play-
ers to ever play the instrument.
Page 28
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
For nearly three decades, this unique vocal/guitar jazz duo has cast its
passionate musical spell worldwide, capturing the hearts of lovers, the re-
spect of jazz buffs, and the jaw-dropping awe of guitarists.With 29 years of
performing together, and 26 years of marriage, the devotion forged by this
extraordinary couple shows no sign of dimming from the pressure of famili-
arity. For them, this pressure creates more diamond than dust. Their in-
stinct for refining their music, their technique and their careertheir home
studio makeovertheir house and garden renovationnever wavers from
their credo: It's not done if it's not from the heart. And what comes from the
heart demands excellence. Onstage and off, guitarist Tuck Andress and
vocalist/arranger Patti Cathcart might, at first impression, strike you as an
odd couple. The obvious difference in skin color is quickly overshadowed
by the contrast of their personalities. Patti exudes the soft, centered yet
powerful graciousness of a gospel singer; Tuck almost wears his brain on
his skin, anticipating the thousands of musical decisions he'll have to send
to his ten fingers during the course of a performance. Seeing the virtuosity
and complexity of Tuck's guitar work, most are surprised to learn that Patti
is the actual writer, arranger, and producer. Without even blinking, Tuck-
the-problem-solver brags, "Patti writes and arranges; I am just the orches-
tra."
Page 29
Who's Who Jazz Guitarists Year 4
Wes Montgomery
Date of Birth: March 6, 1923-June 15, 1968
Place of Birth: Indianapolis, Indiana
Schools Attended:
Teachers:
University Currently Teaching:
How Many Recordings?: 33
Currently Touring?
Youtube: Yes
Wes Montgomery came from a musical family; his brothers, Monk (string
bass and electric bass) and Buddy (vibraphone and piano), were jazz per-
formers. The brothers released a number of albums together as
the Montgomery Brothers. Although he was not skilled at reading music,
he could learn complex melodies and riffs by ear. Montgomery started
learning guitar at the relatively late age of 19, by listening to and learning
the recordings of his idol, guitarist Charlie Christian. He was known for his
ability to play Christian's solos note for note. Many fellow jazz guitarists
consider Montgomery the greatest influence among modern jazz guitar-
ists. Following the early work of swing/pre-bop guitarist Charlie Christian
and gypsy-jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, Wes joined Tal Farlow, Johnny
Smith, Jimmy Raney, and Barney Kessell to put guitar on the map as a be-
bop / post-bop instrument. While these men generally curtailed their own
output in the 1960s, Montgomery recorded prolifically during this period,
lending guitar to the same tunes contemporaries like John Coltrane and
Miles Davis were recording. While many Jazz players are regarded as vir-
tuosos, Montgomery had a very wide influence on other virtuosos who fol-
lowed him, and in the respect he earned from his contemporaries. To
many, Montgomery's playing defines jazz guitar and the sound that learn-
ers try to emulate. Wes Montgomery was certainly one of the most influ-
ential and most musical guitarists to ever pick up the instrument....He took
the use of octaves and chord melodies to a greater level than any other
guitarist, before or since....Montgomery is undoubtedly one of the most im-
portant voices in Jazz guitar that has ever lived-or most likely ever will live.
Page 30