Jazz Articles about Gene Bertoncini

Gene Bertoncini: Concerti

by Dan McClenaghan
May 30, 2008

Concerti is twenty-six strings vibrating: A string quartet--two violins, a viola and a cello--with a bass added on the bottom end, fronted by the nylon-string acoustic guitar of Gene Bertoncini.A top notch guitarist who has taught for forty years at the Eastman School of Music, Bertoncini enlisted some of his colleagues from the school to arrange for the string section. The results are a buoyant and sweet mix of jazz sidling up to the classical side of sound.

Gene Bertoncini: Architect of the Guitar

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
April 7, 2008

Whenever people write about Gene Bertoncini's music, the same words tend to appear: elegant, graceful, versatile. Lyrical. Master. Virtuoso. Writer Gene Lees called him “the Segovia of jazz," the perfect term for one who creates such poetry with the acoustic, nylon-stringed guitar. Still a busy performer, teacher, and clinician, Bertoncini has played in many styles and settings in his five-decade career, and swings in all of them. Following the 2004 release of Quiet Now (Ambient), he has become increasingly admired ...

Gene Bertoncini: Acoustic Electricity

by Jason Crane
July 21, 2007

Jason Crane interviews guitarist Gene Bertoncini. Raised in the Bronx, Bertoncini began his musical education at an early age, encouraged by his parents. He studied architecture at Notre Dame before deciding on a life of music. That decision was a smart one -- Bertoncini has since performed with the Metropolitan Opera orchestra, the Benny Goodman Sextet, Tony Bennett, Buddy Rich, Wayne Shorter, Burt Bacharach, Michel LeGrand and many others. He's also on the faculty at the Tritone Jazz Camp (tritonejazz.com). ...

Gene Bertoncini: Art of Solo Jazz Guitar

by Karen Hogg
December 1, 2006

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 ...

Gene Bertoncini: Quiet Now

by Donald Elfman
September 17, 2005

This disc and the one that prececeded it (Body and Soul, also on Ambient) are the most stunning solo guitar records ever recorded. Not only are Bertoncini's little arrangements spare and gorgeous, the sound space that producer/engineer Mark Conese has created for his artist makes everything the guitarist plays come to you with quiet, personal clarity. Sure, you've heard most of these tunes before, but Bertoncini and his producer have managed to make each and every one of them an ...

Gene Bertoncini: Quiet Now

by Jerry D'Souza
August 7, 2005

Playing solo jazz requires skill and dexterity--not just as a player, but also in selecting the tunes and keeping the listener's attention locked in. Gene Bertoncini balances his program on Quiet Now with standards, classical tunes, and a Brazilian piece. He keeps the going tight; the CD clocks in under 42 minutes, time enough to make a statement and leave behind a sense of fulfillment. This stems not only from the selections, which suit his gentle, laid back approach and ...

Gene Bertoncini: Quiet Now

by John Kelman
August 5, 2005

Precious few guitarists In the history of recorded jazz have concentrated exclusively on the nylon-string acoustic guitar. Players like Ralph Towner and Lenny Breau--two more disparate artists one would be hard-pressed to find--have certainly made the instrument one of their primary focuses, but they've also used others to broaden their sonic palette. Still, there are precedents, most notably the late Charlie Byrd and relative newcomer Ken Hatfield, who have devoted themselves solely to the rich potential of the classical guitar. ...