Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Jimmy Bruno was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 22, 1953 to a father who played guitar and a mother who was a gifted singer. He began playing guitar at the age of 7, playing eight to ten hours a day. He studied jazz improvisation with Philly bassist Al Stauffer and to develop technique, taught himself to play the rigorous and exacting classical violin etudes of Wohlfahrt and Paganini. Although he briefly considered leveraging his perfect SAT scores into medical school, a summer guitar gig in Wildwood, New Jersey changed the direction of his life. He began his professional career at the age of 19, touring with Buddy Rich.

Jimmy went on to play guitar in orchestras for Anthony Newley, Doc Severinsen, Lena Horne, and many more music icons. A move to Los Angeles, California saw him as a session musician for many years working with Tommy Tedesco. By his mid-thirties he was ready to pursue jazz and he moved back East. Back in his hometown he played small clubs and venues during the 1980s, met Concord Records founder Carl Jefferson and landed a multi-CD deal that has elicited 13 critically acclaimed sessions.

Bruno has shared the stage with Joe Beck, Bobby Watson, Jack Wilkins, Tal Farlow, Howard Alden, Christian McBride, Kurt Elling and many more. Among his many credits, Bruno is the only guitarist to have ever led Fank Sinatra’s band. He counts Johnny Smith, Hank Garland, Joe Pass, Tal Farlow, Wes Montgomery, Howard Roberts, Jim Hall and Pat Martino among his influences.

As an educator, in 2007, Jimmy and Affiliated Artists opened the Jimmy Bruno Guitar Institute (JBGI) bringing his method and approach to jazz improvisation to eager guitar students around the world. In 2011 Jimmy opened up Jimmy Bruno’s Guitar Workshop, a website that allows students to learn directly from him through video lessons. He continues to perform and record as well.

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