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Charlie Apicella

Guitarist who founded IRON CITY. The band performs his compositions.

About Me

”Apicella is a lithe, swinging guitarist with an affinity for the contrasting styles of both Grant Green and Wes Montgomery...An all-around impressive debut by a guitarist of substance.” MARK GARDNER, Jazz Journal Composer and guitarist Charlie Apicella counts Grant Green, Sonny Stitt, Charlie Parker, and Wes Montgomery as his primary influences. He has been studying improvisation and composition with his mentor Dave Stryker for ten years, and with organ legend Dr. Lonnie Smith since 2008.

IRON CITY has headlined NYC jazz clubs The Iridium, Fat Cat, Trumpet's, Cecil's, and Northeast venues The Iron Horse, Bishop's Lounge, The Basement, and Revolution Hall.

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CHARLIE APICELLA and IRON CITY are keeping the flame alive in the legacy of the funky organ trio. With their soulful retro sound, their mission is to keep the people's feet tappin', heads bobbin', and groove. Powered by the compelling original tunes of guitarist Apicella, IRON CITY strives to break new ground while also drawing inspiration from the masters.

My Jazz Story

Charlie Apicella was voted onto the 84th and 86th DownBeat Readers Poll for Guitar. He studied composition and improvisation with musical titans Yusef Lateef and Pat Martino and was trained as a historian by Archie Shepp and Dr. Billy Taylor. As a young guitarist he met his idol BB King, who offered him advice and shared some stories. He has performed concerts and recorded with jazz legends Dave Holland, Sonny Fortune, John Blake, Jr., and Avery Sharpe as well as contemporary masters Joe Magnarelli, Vic Juris, Dave Stryker, Don Braden, and Jon Herington of Steely Dan. In 2022 he formed The Griots Speak with bassist William Parker, saxophonist Daniel Carter, and percussionist Juma Sultan who is known for his work with Jimi Hendrix. ** * Charlie Apicella is the founder and Director of Blues Alive: the living tradition of the blues He is an Eastman Guitars Featured Artist a Guild Guitars Sponsored Artist and a ZT Amplifiers Official Artist. ** * “A deeply melodic guitarist along the lines of Grant Green. Apicella faithfully has sought to channel an era of American music when hard-bop and r&b reigned...But the guitarist still manages to keep things fresh.” MATTHEW KASSEL, DownBeat "As a player, Apicella immediately brings to mind Grant Green. He’s funky, he’s bluesy, and he’s not afraid to get dirty at times." JOHN HEIDT, Vintage Guitar Magazine "Apicella's playing shines...[he] is aware of the straight-ahead tradition, showcasing his Wes Montgomery influence...Apicella's guitar sound is bright and clean, and easily cuts through the huge sound of the organ." TIM FISCHER, Just Jazz Guitar Magazine "I think you will find that "SPARKS" will light the artistic fires of the soul and intellect." Heartfully, Yusef Lateef