Gene Bertoncini …”the Segovia of Jazz” – Gene Lees Gene Bertoncini 211 East 60th Street New York, NY 10022 Phone: 212 421-3079 Email: [email protected] Web Site: www.GeneBertoncini.com Meet the Artist Gene Bertoncini is one of the pre-eminent jazz guitarists’ active today. His fluid technique and lyricism have won him international praise and accolades as the "Segovia of jazz." An eloquent and versatile improviser, Mr. Bertoncini has been heard with an extraordinary range of jazz greats, including performances and recordings with Benny Goodman, Buddy Rich, Wayne Shorter, Hubert Laws, Paul Desmond among others, as well as such distinguished singers as Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Nancy Wilson, Vic Damone, and Eydie Gorme. The Washington Post proclaimed his solo appearance in New York City the best jazz concert of the year 1999. Mr. Bertoncini's acclaim is hardly confined to this country. His CD, "Someone to Light Up My Life" which features his own arrangements of the compositions of the great bossa nova composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, won international raves. Brazilian critic's and listener's polls also named him the best acoustic jazz guitarist. Gene Bertoncini has just released a striking new solo CD, "Quiet Now" on the heels of his highly successful "Acoustic Romance," which reached the top ten of the jazz playlists. Jazziz magazine's March 2004 issue ranked it Number 1 in their list of the top 20 acoustic guitar CDs. His newest CD is called “Concerti” and features Gene with a string quartet and bass. A prolific and popular studio musician, Bertoncini honed his professional chops as a member of the Tonight Show band during Johnny Carson's tenure, and he has worked with composers and arrangers such as Lalo Schifrin and Michael Legrand and has performed with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. According to the New Yorker magazine, "Bertoncini is an affecting, highly original guitarist that moves easily back and forth between classical and jazz guitar." Mr. Bertoncini’s teaching credits include William Patterson University, the Eastman School of Music where he regularly performs and conducts summer workshops for jazz guitarists, the New England Conservatory, New York University, and the Banff School of Fine Arts. He has been a highly sought-after guest clinician in colleges and universities throughout the country. Gene was just nominated as the best jazz guitarist of the year (08) by the New York Jazz Press Association. Born: April 6, 1937 Bertoncini’s musical roots go back to his early years in the Bronx where he grew up in a house filled with music. His love affair with the guitar began when he was seven, and by the time he was sixteen, he was appearing on New York television. His career took an unusual turn when he decided to fulfill another long-standing interest, and took a degree in architecture at Notre Dame. He was quickly swept into the musical scene at the university, and the first thing he did after picking up his degree was to work opposite Carmen McRae in Chicago. He returned to New York to work with vibraphonist Mike Manieri, and then with a quintet led by drummer Buddy Rich CD REVIEWS • ACOUSTIC ROMANCE • BODY AND SOUL • THE ART OF SOLO GUITAR • QUIET NOW • CONCERTI • 2008 TOP 10 INSTRUMENTAL CD’S • JAZZ THERAPY SONS OF SOUND FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS Contact: Brian Coleman Braithwaite & Katz Communications 617.547.3377 [email protected] Acoustic Romance GUITAR MASTER GENE BERTONCINI LEADS TRIO WITH AKIRA TANA & RUFUS REID A guitarist who takes “soft, seductive jazz to new levels of grace and adventure…” — Daniel Gewertz, The Boston Herald New York, NY – Sons of Sound proudly announces the September 2, 2003 release of Acoustic Romance (SSPCD017), a quietly beautiful jazz recording featuring the guitar and arrangements of Gene Bertoncini on a program of classic songs that includes “The Shadow of Your Smile,” “Gone With The Wind,” “Stella By Starlight,” “Two For The Road,” “Emily,” and other love themes. In a piece written for The New Yorker, Whitney Balliet described Bertoncini as “an affecting, highly original guitarist who moves easily back and forth between classical and jazz guitar.” Bassist and frequent collaborator Michael Moore describes Bertoncini as “a melodic improvisor. What he’s after is a beautiful melody.” An architect by training, Bertoncini is acutely aware of arrangement and harmonic structure while applying his prodigious technique to express that beauty. Gene Bertoncini is unique in his application of classical, nylon-stringed guitar to jazz, an instrumentation that allows him to explore classical and Brazilian styles in his arrangements and improvisation. A recognized master of the instrument, his improvisational sensitivity is melodic, his approach disciplined and respectful. Audiences are currently being treated to live solo performances of these arrangements. Mr. Bertoncini’s concert performances have been described by Bob Blumenthal in The Boston Globe as “the most beautiful jazz to be heard.” Now these arrangements can be enjoyed for the fi rst time in a trio context, supported by a rhythm section of comparable stature. Drummer Akira Tana is an active performer and clinician whose credits span 22 years and include Kenny Burrell, Sonny Rollins, Zoot Sims, Sonny Stitt, Cedar Walton, and Dizzy Gillespie. Bassist Rufus Reid has played among legends such as Gene Ammons, Kenny Dorham, Eddie Harris, Sonny Stitt, Don Byas, Philly Joe Jones, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Dexter – 1 – Gordon, Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, and Art Farmer. Sons of Sound is an independent jazz label founded in 1997 to support musicians who support music education. Among many educational endeavors, Mr. Bertoncini was the musical director of the fi rst annual Swing ‘N Jazz eventevent in Rochester,Rochester, NY,NY, a three-three- day celebration of music education with workshops, concerts, and a fund-raising golf tournament for the benefi t of The Commission Project, a music education nonprofi t. Messrs. Tana and Reid are dedicated music educators in their own right. Through commerce as well as education, the label strives to bring artistic jazz and classical music to a broader popular audience, under the marketing tag “Popular Culture.” With Acoustic Romance, the label is making a conscious attempt to bridge a love of jazz artistry with an appreciation for contemporary graphics and popular music. The Acoustic Romance recording has much to offer traditional jazz audiences as well as contemporary listeners drawn to the vibe of ‘60s Bacharach or ‘00s lounge or chill-out. Indeed it was Mr. Bertoncini who originally provided the guitar work many of Mr. Bacharach’s resurgently popular hits. Akira Tana and Rufus Reid are set to return in 2004 with another trio project for Sons of Sound, Moon Over The World with pianist TedTed Lo. Until then, theythey maymay be heardheard on Mr.Mr. Tana’s Secret Agent Men (Sons of Sound SSPCD012). Mr. Tana also provides the groove for Girl Talk by Jodi Stevens (Sons of Sound SSPCD011). For additional information see the label’s web site at http://sonsofsound.com/. For more about The Commission Project, see http://tcp-music.org/. # – 2 – Gene Bertoncini: Art of Solo Jazz Guitar Gene Bertoncini - Published: December 1, 2006 By Karen Hogg Gene Bertoncini Art of Solo Jazz Guitar Melbay 2006 The DVD Gene Bertoncini: The Art of Solo Jazz Guitar documents a Master Class with guitarist Bertoncini. A nylon-string guitarist who has worked with the likes of Buddy Rich and Wayne Shorter, Bertoncini answers questions from a small group of off-screen students, while explaining the concepts behind his graceful technique. Bertoncini discusses how many guitarists tend to memorize chord fingerings without really being aware of what’s inside these chords. Switching from electric guitar to the nylon string forces him to slow down to develop the technique for this instrument while also allowing him sufficient time to explain how he started playing scales on the nylon string— not across the neck but up and down each string. Moreover, he analyzes each note in relationship to its complementary chord. Besides a master's knowledge and insight, Bertoncini demonstrates his consummate mastery of the instrument itself, applying the aforementioned concepts to several jazz standards, including frequently- played albeit challenging tunes like All the Things You Are," Lush Life," and It Had to Be You." The guitarist also stresses the importance of melody, reminding the assembled students that jazz guitar is not about playing hot licks." Rather, the role of the musician, he emphasizes, is to communicate and tell a story. The DVD closes with Bertoncini offering up some practical exercises for students to work on, such as keeping the top note the same throughout a tune, demonstrating the application of the technique to various chord tones and their extensions. Finally, he encourages students to expand their ears, advice that might be well heeded by all musicians, regardless of instrument. For the student guitarist who is a beginner to intermediate, the material covered here would be over their head. For the advanced guitarist, there is a treasure trove of ideas in this DVD, a sufficient number, in fact, to lead the extra-motivated student to virtually total knowledge and freedom on the fret board. Tracks: Introduction: Half Diminished Scale and Applications; All the Things You Are (Improv); Invitation; Girl Talk; Alone Together; Medley: Sophisticated Lady/ Mood Indigo; Lush Life; Round Midnight; Creating a Melody; The Shadow of Your Smile; Exercises; Medley of Tunes; Here's a Rainy Day. Personnel: Gene Bertoncini: guitar. Gene Bertoncini at All About Jazz. Visit Gene Bertoncini on the web. May 2000 Gene Bertoncini Body and Soul Chase Music Group By Jim Ferguson Gene Bertoncini-who plays the nylon-string acoustic guitar with his fingers, a situation ideally suited for solo work-creates sounds that are refined, elegant, and complex.