Results for "guitar, acoustic"

Luiz Bonfa

Born: October 17, 1922

Luiz Bonfa was a Brazilian guitarist and composer who became famous for the soundtracks he wrote to such movies as "Black Orpheus" and "The Gentle Rain." Bonfa was born on October 17, 1922 in Rio de Janeiro. He studied in Rio with Uruguayan classical guitarist Isaias Savio from the age of twelve. Bonfa first gained widespread exposure in Brazil in 1947 when he was featured on Rio's Radio Nacional, then an important showcase for up-and-coming talent. He was a member of the vocal group Quitandinha Serenaders in the late 1940s. Some of his compositions were recorded by Dick Farney in the 1950s

Blind Blake

Born: 1890

Blind Blake - Blues Singer, guitarist (1890 - 1933) Early finger pickin’ guitarist Blind Blake remains a mystery man of the blues. We know he was born Arthur Phelps, in Jacksonville, FL circa 1890-something and died sometime in 1933. He disappeared from the blues scene in Chicago, 1932, where he was considered the undisputed ‘King of the String,’ and had recorded over eighty solo sides for Paramount. Being Blind, Blake earned his living in the early years, most likely playing for change on street corners, or for dances and fish fries. He headed for Chicago in the early 1920s, signing a contract with Paramount in 1926

Scrapper Blackwell

Born: February 21, 1903

Francis ‘Scrapper’ Blackwell was born in 1903 in North Carolina and was still a child when his family moved to Naptown. (Indianapolis) Credited later as being the man responsible for moving the blues from the country to the city, Blackwell was a guitarist of highly impressive skills and a sensitive songwriter. Scrapper Blackwell is an important link to modern Urban Blues. He recorded throughout the late 1920s and '30s, most often with pianist Leroy Carr. The guitar style he developed based around sophisticated single string-soloing, pointed the way for the guitar heroics that became a big part of most Electric Blues in the '40s and '50s, whose major proponent was T-Bone Walker. Leroy Carr was a songwriter with many stories to tell and in teaming with Scrapper Blackwell, a guitarist of enormous stature; the pair managed many hits in their time together

Eric Bibb

Born: August 16, 1951

Eric was born In New York into a musical family. Eric's father, Leon Bibb, is a trained singer who sang in musical theatre and made a name for himself as part of the 1960's New York folk scene. His uncle was the world famous jazz pianist and composer John Lewis, of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Family friends included Pete Seeger, Odetta and actor/singer/activist Paul Robeson, Eric's godfather. Eric was given his first steel-string guitar aged seven. By Junior High School, Eric was consumed by music. "I would cut school and claim I was sick" said Bibb. "When everyone would leave the house I would whip out all the records and do my own personal DJ thing all day long, playing Odetta, Joan Baez, The New Lost City Ramblers, Josh White." At 16 years old, Eric's father invited him to play guitar in the house band for his TV talent show "Someone New"

Etta Baker

Born: March 31, 1913

Etta Baker of Morganton, NC, was born in 1913 and began playing guitar at the age of 3. She was the premier female Piedmont blues guitar instrumentalist, playing the guitar everyday, and constantly working on new arrangements until just a short time before her death in September of 2006. Until her passing at the age of 93, Etta maintained a beautiful yard and garden and was matriarch of the 108 members in her family. Both her parents played several instruments, and she had picked up a guitar at the age of 3. “I was so small, I had to lay the guitar on the bed, stand on the floor and play on the neck,” she later recalled

Elek Bacsik

Born: May 22, 1926

Originating from a gypsy family, 4-year old Bacsik started playing the violin. He later studied at the Academy of Music in Budapest. In 1943, he started to perform mainly as guitarist in folk music bands like the one led by accordion player Mihály Tabanyi. As a sideman, he also recorded some 78 rpm records playing guitar, violin, bass and cello. Following his three year service in the Hungarian army, he left Hungary in 1949 and played for a while with his friend György Cziffra, a pianist, in Austria and Switzerland. After that, he spent more than two years in Lebanon, where he appeared both in dance orchestras and classical orchestras

Philippe Bertaud

Born: April 26, 1967

THE NEW LORD OF THE STRING - Los Angeles Time Philippe Bertaud is referred by Los Angeles Times as “the New Lord of the Strings” gifted by “a percussive brand of guitarist wizardry” according to Jazziz Magazine. Philippe Bertaud's multi-faceted career is a testament to his continual search for new ways to achieve artistic growth and renewal. Carried on by his versatility Philippe always evolves his expression according to his artistic aims and eclectic tastes, which directs him toward international development as an outstanding guitar performer, talented composer, and recognized master guitar teacher

Joseph Frame

Born: May 21, 1951

After many years performing as a solo guitarist, Joseph Frame founded Framework Acoustic Jazz Quartet (initially a drummer-less trio) in the mid 90's; the quartet has subsequently grown to a Quintet on occasion. The rather unusual instrumentation of jazz violinist Michael Robbins, saxophone/flutist Dave Wilson, upright bassist Willy Ryan, and Latin percussionist Juan Melendez combines with Frame's nylon- and steel-string acoustic guitar to result in a unique, but very accessible live sound. It is this group with which he recorded his most recent project, "Carpe Diem" (2008; recorded at Bioya Studios by Lenny Argese), an exciting "live in the studio" performance of tunes by a diverse list of composers: from Jobim to Django; to Luis Bonfa to Charlie Byrd; to Frame himself and colleague Robbins. In 2006 Frame began an acoustic “chamber jazz” collaboration with upright bassist Mike Durek called The Dyad; not a duo of a guitarist with a bass accompaniment, rather a true dyad that approaches their performances more like chamber-musicians

Eliott James

The new electro-jazz CD from Eliott James

Cinematic Life

"Techno Jazz at its very best. The Album is hauntingly innovative and is strong rhythmically." John Reid, Keith Community Radio (Keith, Banffshire, Scotland)

"What makes Cinematic Life special is that beneath it's pulsating rhythms and sound effects, there is melody. And surprisingly, some soul. I found Eliott James' CD to be a refreshing change and quite beautiful." Sal Nunziato, music writer (New York)

"Eliott James crafts a hypnotic synergy of beats and grooves. I played nearly all this CD on my radio show tonight. I generally don't allow an artist more than 10 minutes at a time but James' music was so dynamic, so enrapturing that it demanded the listener's ear on every track

Noel Lorica

Born: January 29, 1968

Jazz guitarist, Noel Lorica exciting new songs stems from his & Treebo band's diverse cultural backgrounds to blend a subtle but wayward style of jazz which transports you from the jazz clubs of America to the sun drenched beaches of Brazil & South Fl. Wayward Latin Jazz artist, Noel Lorica has been critically acclaimed for his skill & artistry garnering 21 Grammy Ballot entries. In addition, his songs have charted well and ClearChannel has him on their New Music Network. Because of his talent he has been chosen to have, not one but, two 1 hour telecasts of Comcast's PBS New Music Showcase to be taped in their Springfield, Mass