Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Gene J. Bertoncini, born April 6, 1937 in New York City and grew up in a musical family. His father played guitar and harmonica, his brother played accordion and keyboards. He began playing guitar at age seven and by age sixteen was appearing on television.
After high school he attended the University of Notre Dame, where, in 1959, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering. During his matriculation he played clarinet in the Notre Dame marching band. His first guitar teacher was Johnny Smith.
Gene entered the Marines, then moved to Chicago, Illinois where he became immersed in the jazz scene, working with Carmen McRae. Returning to New York City, Gene played with vibraphonist Mike Mainieri and then in one of Buddy Rich’s ensembles. He was a member of the Tonight Show band.
He has worked with Burt Bacharach, Tony Bennett, Paul Desmond, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne, Hubert Laws, Michel Legrand, Charles McPherson, Wayne Shorter, Clark Terry, Nancy Wilson and bassist Michael Moore.
At the advice of his teacher Chuck Wayne, he began studying classical guitar and using the instrument for jazz, Latin and Brazilian music styles. Back in New York City, from 1990 to 2008, Bertoncini played solo guitar on Sunday and Monday evenings at the Bistro La Madeleine on West 43rd Street. He recorded two albums of solo guitar arrangements, Body and Soul and Quiet Now, and published ten of these arrangements in Gene Bertoncini Plays Jazz Standards.
Bertoncini has been on the faculties of William Paterson University, New York University, Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, the Banff School of Fine Arts in Alberta, Canada and on the staff of the Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camps.
Guitarist, arranger, and educator Gene Bertoncini continues to perform, arrange, record and educate.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Nick Paul was born on April 5, 1939 and raised in London, England. Growing up while playing a host of woodwind instruments his influences were George Lewis and John Handy.
Very active during the 60s, 70s and 80s in the south of England, in Europe he also played New Orleans Jazz. Paul played with many bands including The Barry Martin Ragtime Band, Malc Murphy’s Storyville Stompers, Bill Brunskil, The New Iberia Stompers, The New Revival Jazz Band. He spent time in New Orleans listening to the masters and improving his knowledge of the music.
Leaving England in 1987 for sunnier climes, Nick lived aboard his sailing boat Storyville in Cyprus for ten years playing in hotels and clubs. His musical tastes broadened and for the last twelve years he has been playing mainly small group swing and mainstream jazz of the 50s era.
Woodwind master Nick Paul, who now lives in Thailand, is still playing and has established a small recording studio.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Tony Vella was born on April 4, 1937 in Terrasini, a Sicily commune in the metropolitan city of Palermo, Itlay. In 1957 he gained immense experience working with big and small configurations. In Italyhe was the main arranger, for numerous important record houses.
From 1972 he dedicated his efforts to cultural activities and the formation of young talents holding theory courses, and practical instrumental and ensemble music applied to jazz music. By 1975 Tony participated in the Pescara the Jazz Festival with the New Jazz Society of Palermo, the only Italian group invited to perform along with the Zoot Sims Quartet, Antony Braxton, Elvin Jones Quintet, Red Norvo Trio, Chet Baker Quartet, Charles Mingus Group, Roland Kirk Quintet and Don Cherry Organic Music Theatre.
Three years later he formed and directed L’Orchestra in collaboration with the Reinhardt Center for their concert season. Organized by the Associazione Siciliana Amici della Musica and introduced to Auditorium SS. Salvatore of Palermo.
In the Eighties Vella was a partr of the Messina Jazz Meeting with the Brass Group Big Band, as orchestra director and arranger. With the band he has collaborated with international musicians Archie Shepp, Hernie Wilkins, Mel Lewis, Sam Rivers, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Paolo Lepore, Franco Cerri, and Danilo Terenzi.
The next decade he established The Tony Vella Fusion Jazz Band entirely composed from young Sicialian musicians. A big band, modeled on some of the great American orchestras like Quincy Jones. The Fusion Jazz Band presented remarkable arrangements of a repertoire that includes Brazilian and popular jazz. They accompanied singers Beppe Vella, Gaetano Riccobono, and Tony Piscopo, as well as numerous musicians such asCalderone Ignazio, Aldo Oliveri, Benedetto Modica, Giovanni Mazzarino, Sergio Munafò, Aldo Messina, and Sebastiano Alioto, among others.
Pianist, organist, composer, arranger and orchestra director Tony Vella continues to perform, conduct and record.
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Jazz Poems
CREPUSCULE WITH NELLIE
For Ira
Monk at the Five Spotlate one night.
Ruby my Dear, Epistrophy.
The place nearly empty
Because of the cold spell.
One beautiful black transvestite
alone up front,
Sipping his drink demurely.
The music Pythagorean,
one note at a time
Connecting the heavenly spheres,
While I leaned against the bar
surveying the premises
Through cigarette smoke.
All of a sudden, a clear senseof a memorable occasion…
The joy of it, the delicious melancholy…
This very strange manbent over the piano
shaking his head, humming…
Misterioso.
Then it was all over, thank you!
Chairs being stacked up on tables,
their legs up.
The prospect of the freeze outside,
the long walk home,
Making one procrastinatory.
Who said Americans don’t have history,
only endless nostalgia?
And where the hell was Nellie?
CHARLES (DUŠAN) SIMIĆ
from Jazz Poems ~ Selected and Edited by Kevin Young
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Jazz Poems
FOR ART BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS For the sound we revere we dub you art as continuum as spirit as sound of depth here to stay In my young years I heard you bopping and weaving messages I could only walk to where wood mates with skin I would have dubbed you godhead but your sound rolled and pealed I am the drumhead even though Blue Note don’t care nothing bout nothing but profit How you sound is who you are where your ear leans moaning or bopping from the amen corner of chicken and dumpling memories and places In my young years I would have dubbed you something strange as god of opiate heaven of brutal contact of bible and rifle memories But the drumhead rolled my name: How you sound is who you are like drumsound backing back to root roosting at the meeting place the time that has always been here Even here where wood mates with skin on wax to make memory, to place us even in this hideous place pp-ppounding pp-ppounding the ss-ssounds of who we are even in this place of strange and brutal design KEORAPETSE KGOSITSILE | 1938~2018from Jazz Poems ~ Selected and Edited by Kevin Young
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