Artist:Gene Bertoncini
Song:Quiet Night of Quiet Stars
Album:Jobim: Someone to Light Up My Life
Jazz guitarist Gene Bertoncini plays jazz on a classical style guitar. It's an acoustic guitar with nylon strings. Most jazz musicians use steel strings but Bertoncini says he's looking for a softer sound. He was born Apr, 6, 1937 in New York City. His father played guitar and harmonica. Bertoncini began to play guitar at age seven and appeared on a kids TV show at age 16. The classical influence is his guitar teacher Chuck Wayne told him to listen to classical guitar legend Julian Bream. That's the sound that Bertoncini is looking for. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering at Notre Dame. But instead he moved to Chicago to get into the jazz scene. He said in a recent interview that his parents were OK with that. He moved back to New York and was in Buddy Rich's band. He also worked as a sideman with Clark Terry, Monty Alexander, Herbie Mann and Duke Pearson. He was in Skitch Henderson's Tonight Show band when the show was in New York. And then when the show moved to Los Angeles, Bertoncini moved too and was in the Tonight Show band for most of the 70s. He also got into session work. That's him playing guitar on the B.J. Thomas hit Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head. Bertoncini made his recording debut as a leader in 1969. He has recorded mostly for small labels. Quiet Night of Quiet Stars is from the 1995 album Someone to Light Up My Life. The album is a tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim with Bertoncini on guitar and John Arruci and Jon Bates on drums and percussion. The album is on Chiaroscuro which is the largest label Bertoncini has ever recorded for. Though he last recorded as a leader in 2009, Bertoncini still turns up as a sideman. And he still plays New York clubs with his longtime bassist Mike Moore. Plus he does guitar tutorials on YouTube. So I don't think Gene Bertoncini is retiring at age 85. Here's Gene Bertoncini with guitarists Roberto Lubambo and Ken Hatfield performing Quiet Night of Quiet Stars July 16, 2012.
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