Jazz Articles about Ron Affif

About Ron Affif

Album Review

Tania Grubbs: The Sound of Love

Read "The Sound of Love" reviewed by John Chacona

by John Chacona
January 16, 2025

Meet a person from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and you are likely to get a Chamber of Commerce-worthy commendation of their city's greatness. When it comes to jazz, the civic pride is more than warranted; the Steel City was home to immortals such as Earl Hines, Mary Lou Williams, Art Blakey and Kenny Clarke. Vocalist Tania Grubbs grew up just over the state line in Ohio, but she has lived and worked in The 'Burgh, as natives affectionately call it, for some ...

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Album Review

Ron Affif: Solotude

by Douglas Payne
November 1, 1999

Solo jazz attempts to make too much of either a good thing or not enough of something else. In solo guitar jazz, Joe Pass set the standard in 1973 with his series of Virtuoso recordings. But, for allthe Pass acolytes currently plying their trade, guitarist Ron Affif stands out. And not just because he records for Pass's former producer (Eric Miller) or for the guitarist's celebrated label (Pablo). Affif's fifth disc under his own name, Solotude, strikes enough of a ...

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Album Review

Ron Affif: Ringside

by Douglas Payne
July 1, 1997

Ron Affif, like George Benson, Jimmy Ponder and Joe Negri, is a guitarist from Pittsburgh. Like Benson and Ponder, Affif owes something of his sound and swing to Wes Montgomery. But he's also clearly influenced by the technical virtuosity and warmth produced by Joe Pass. Ringside, Affif's fourth record on Pablo, is dedicated to his father, middleweight champion Charlie Affif, and the eight tunes here suggest a sort of boxing theme. The guitarist, though, assisted in his trio by Essiet ...

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Album Review

Ron Affif: Vierd Blues

Read "Vierd Blues" reviewed by Bob Patterson

by Bob Patterson
March 1, 1997

This CD sneaks up on you. At first, you expect a traditional bebop guitar performance. There are many out there right now in the Alden/Bruno vein, and to be compared to such masters is no small feat. But this recording has something unique to itself: serious attitude. Affif combines chops and a sense of beauty with a “no B.S." state of mind, producing an engaging musical experience. It is made all the more satisfying due to the musicianship of Affif's ...