Gene Bertoncini
Gene Bertoncini | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 6, 1937 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar |
| Years active | 1960s–present |
| Labels | MPS, Stash, Chiaroscuro, Concord, Motéma |
Gene J. Bertoncini (born 6 April 1937) is an American jazz guitarist.
Biography
A native of New York City, Bertoncini grew up in a musical family.
After college he entered the Marines, then moved to Chicago, where he became immersed in the jazz scene, working with Carmen McRae.[1] He returned to New York City and played with vibraphonist Mike Mainieri and then in one of Buddy Rich's ensembles.[1] He was a member the Tonight Show band.[1] He has also worked with Burt Bacharach, Tony Bennett, Paul Desmond, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne, Hubert Laws, Michel Legrand, Charles McPherson, Wayne Shorter, Clark Terry, and Nancy Wilson.[1] He has performed often with bassist Michael Moore.[1]
Bertoncini was notable in the world of jazz guitar for using a nylon-string guitar in performances and recordings, as Charlie Byrd had done in the 1950s and 1960s. After hearing a Julian Bream album at the advice of his teacher Chuck Wayne,[4] Bertoncini began studying classical guitar and using the instrument for jazz and Latin music styles. Bertoncini discussed his use of the instrument in a 2008 interview:
I started practicing classical guitar just about the time when the bossa nova hit. Joao [Gilberto] was borrowing my guitar, I was playing the classical repertoire, and all these things kind of came together. I was doing studio work at the time, and I got a call to play on a big album by Ahmad Jamal; they wanted somebody to play a bossa nova kind of thing.[5]
From 1990 to 2008, Bertoncini played solo guitar on Sunday and Monday evenings at the Bistro La Madeleine on West 43rd Street in New York City.[6] He recorded two albums of solo guitar arrangements (Body and Soul and Quiet Now) and published ten of these arrangements in Gene Bertoncini Plays Jazz Standards.[7]
Bertoncini has been on the faculties of
Discography
As leader
- Evolution (Evolution, 1969)
- Bridges with Michael Moore (GJB Music, 1977)
- The Guitar Session with Jay Berliner, Toots Thielemans, Richard Resnicoff (Philips, 1977)
- Crystal & Velvet with Bobbi Rogers (Focus, 1981)
- O Grande Amor with Michael Moore (Stash, 1986)
- Strollin' with Michael Moore (Stash, 1987)
- Close Ties with Michael Moore (Musical Heritage Society, 1987)
- Two in Time with Michael Moore (Chiaroscuro, 1989)
- Jiggs & Gene with Jiggs Whigham (Azica, 1996)
- Someone to Light Up My Life (Chiaroscuro, 1996)
- Interplay with Fred Haas (JazzToons, 1997)
- Gene Bertoncini with Bill Charlap and Sean Smith (Chiaroscuro, 1999)
- East Meets Midwest with Kenny Poole (J-Curve, 1998)
- Body and Soul (Ambient, 1999)
- Just the Two of Us with Jack Wilkins (Chiaroscuro, 2000)
- Autumn Leaves at Astley's with Frank Vignola (True Track, 2001)
- Meeting of the Grooves with Frank Vignola (Azica, 2002)
- Acoustic Romance with Akira Tana and Rufus Reid (Sons of Sound, 2003)
- Quiet Now (Ambient, 2005)
- Just Above a Whisper (Stellar Sound Productions, 2005)
- Concerti (Ambient, 2008)
- Smile with Roni Ben-Hur (Motéma, 2008)
- 2+2=1 (Blueport Jazz, 2009)
- Reunion (Ambient, 2012)
- Love Like Ours (Ambient, 2022)[8]
As sideman
- Monty Alexander, Spunky (Pacific Jazz, 1965)
- Duke Pearson, Prairie Dog (Atlantic, 1966)
- Meredith D'Ambrosio, Silent Passion (Sunnyside, 1997)
- David Amram, On the Waterfront on Broadway (Varese Sarabande)
- Chet Baker, The Best Thing for You (A&M, 1989)
- Irwin Bazelon, Music of Irwin Bazelon (1992)
- Tony Bennett, A Place Over the Sun (Columbia, 1969)
- Tony Bennett, I've Gotta Be Me (Columbia, 1969)
- Peter Bernstein, Mundell Lowe, Jack Wilkins, We Remember Tal (J-Curve, 1999)
- Phil Bodner, Clarinet Virtuosity: Once More with Feeling! (Arbors, 2006)
- Canadian Brass, Swingtime! (RCA Victor, 1995)
- Earl Coleman, Love Songs (Atlantic, 1968)
- Dolly Dawn, Memories of You (Dawn, 1981)
- Paul Desmond, Bridge Over Troubled Water (A&M, 1970)
- Paul Desmond, Skylark (CTI, 1974)
- Trudy Desmond, Tailor Made (Jazz Alliance, 1992)
- Linda Eder, It's Time (Atlantic, 1997)
- Ronnie Foster, Two-Headed Freap (Blue Note, 1972)
- Nnenna Freelon, Nnenna Freelon (Columbia, 1992)
- Johnny Frigo, Debut of a Legend (Chesky, 1994)
- Astrud Gilberto, Gilberto with Turrentine (CTI, 1971)
- Astrud Gilberto, That Girl from Ipanema (Image, 1977)
- Bob Hammer, Beatlejazz (ABC-Paramount, 1967)
- Jane Harvey, Jane Harvey (RCA 1974)
- Bobbi Humphrey, Flute-in (Blue Note, 1971)
- Bobby Hutcherson, Natural Illusions (Blue Note, 1972)
- Rufus Jones, Five On Eight (Cameo, 1964)
- Roger Kellaway, Meets the Duo Gene Bertoncini and Michael Moore (Chiaroscuro, 1992)
- Rebecca Kilgore, Rebecca Kilgore with the Keith Ingham Sextet (Jump, 2001)
- Morgana King, Miss Morgana King (Mainstream, 1965)
- Morgana King, A Taste of Honey (Mainstream, 1991)
- Peggy King, Oh What a Memory We Made...Tonight (Stash, 1984)
- Peggy King, Peggy King Sings Jerome Kern (Stash, 1985)
- Michel Legrand, After the Rain (Pablo, 1983)
- Michel Legrand, Twenty Songs of the Century (Bell, 1974)
- Jay Leonhart, Great Duets (Chiaroscuro, 1999)
- Herbie Mann, The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd (Atlantic, 1965)
- Susannah McCorkle, How Do You Keep the Music Playing? (1986)
- Susannah McCorkle, Dream (Pausa, 1987)
- Charles McPherson, Charles McPherson (Mainstream, 1971)
- Bette Midler, Some People's Lives (Atlantic, 1990)
- Tony Mottola, A Latin Love-in (Project 3, 1967)
- Mark Murphy, Satisfaction Guaranteed (Muse, 1980)
- Mark Murphy, The Artistry of Mark Murphy (Muse, 1982)
- Gerry Niewood, Facets (Native Language, 2004)
- Duke Pearson, Prairie Dog (Atlantic, 1966)
- Doc Severinsen, The Great Arrival! (Command, 1969)
- Marlena Shaw, From the Depths of My Soul (Blue Note, 1973)
- Wayne Shorter, Odyssey of Iska (Blue Note, 1971)
- Lonnie Liston Smith, Renaissance (RCA Victor, 1976)
- Lonnie Liston Smith, Watercolors (BMG/Novus/RCA 1991)
- Sonny Stitt, When Sonny Blows (Blue Jamal 1970)
- Harvie Swartz, In a Different Light (Bluemoon, 1990)
- Sylvia Syms, She Loves to Hear the Music (A&M, 1978)
- Clark Terry, Clark Terry Sextet (Cameo, 1962)
- Clark Terry, Tread Ye Lightly (Cameo, 1964)
- Toots Thielemans, Toots (Command, ABC 1968)
- Toku, Chemistry of Love (Sony, 2002)
- Michal Urbaniak, Jam at Sandy's (Jam, 1981)
- Michal Urbaniak, My One and Only Love (SteepleChase, 1982)
- Grover Washington Jr., All the King's Horses (Kudu, 1972)
- Harold Wheeler, Black Cream (RCA Victor, 1975)
- Nancy Wilson, But Beautiful (Capitol, 1989)
- Paul Winter Consort, The Winter Consort (A&M, 1968)
- Paul Winter, Something in the Wind (A&M, 1969)
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-87930-825-4.
- ^ Wynn, Ron. "Gene Bertoncini Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
- ^ Summerfield, Maurice. 1998. The Jazz Guitar: Its Evolution, Players and Personalities Since 1900. United Kingdom: Ashley Mark Publishing
- ^ a b c Koenig, Kate (1 October 2021). "Guitar Talk: Gene Bertoncini and His Unique Nylon-String Approach to Jazz". Acoustic Guitar. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
- ^ Schlesinger, Dr. Judith. "The Architect of the Guitar (interview)". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
- ^ Ratliff, Ben (March 5, 2008). "More Than Just Background". The New York Times. New York, NY: New York Times. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
- ISBN 9781458418425.
- ^ "Gene Bertoncini: Love Like Ours". Ambient Records. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
External links
- Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camps
- Audio interview with Gene Bertoncini
- New York Times review of Gene Bertoncini
- WPUNJ.edu
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
