Guitarist Gene Bertoncini loves music. But just as importantly, he loves people, and feels this focus directly influences the way he plays. He also credits his early architecture studies with giving him a sense of form and proportion that contributes to his beautifully crafted arrangements and performances. Gene and I met in NYC in 2006 for the following conversation.

What follows is an excerpt from this conversation that was aired on my Judy Carmichael’s Jazz Inspired radio show in 2006.

How has your background studying architecture affected your music?

When I went to school you had to prepare a set of drawings for a client. You had to have a complete concept of a project. I think I took that whole concept into arranging for an audience. I wanted to present more than say a sketch or a jam session or something that was totally improvised to really present something that was well thought out and conceived. Each type of structure architecturally is sort of like a tune and each one has a character of its own and you can design a well-balanced conception of how to perform that, how to present that to a client, in fact which is your audience.

I think a lot of musicians have lost track of the client.

I do too. They get pretty self-indulgent up there. They lose the idea of telling a story with their design. They just think of flash. I’m not going to criticize, because it’s nice when people are impressed with that, but I prefer a well-balanced piece of music. Read more…

Jimmy Dean, the country singer who had a big hit with Big Bad John, has died at the age of 81.

His wife, Donna Meade Dean, said her husband passed away at their home in Virginia in the US.

“He was amazing. He had a lot of talents,” she said of the singer, who starred in The Jimmy Dean Show in the 1950s.

In 1969, Dean went into the sausage business, starting the successful Jimmy Dean Meat Company.
Muppet Show

The Texan-born singer sold the company in 1984 to Sara Lee Foods but continued to be its chairman and TV spokesperson.

Big Bad John, a song about a coal mining hero, was a crossover hit in 1961, making it to number one in the country and pop charts in the US.

The single won Dean a Grammy award. Read more…

Can we all agree ahead of time to share the love when Marcus Miller comes to town Friday?

I’m just a little concerned that one of his bandmates may steal all the attention from Miller, a prolific bassist and composer whose work helped defined the fusion era and beyond.

That bandmate would be trumpeter Christian Scott, who’s quickly developing a reputation as one of the most gifted and electrifying jazz talents among the 20-something set. The 27-year-old New Orleans native learned from artists such as Clark Terry and Donald Harrison (his uncle) and has held his own playing with artists ranging from jazz purist Wynton Marsalis to the enigmatic Prince. Read more…

Thirty years in is a long career to lead up to a debut album so you would hope that the band are happy with it. They certainly should be because this is a very good bit of electric Blues and you have to ask why no-on has recorded this guy before?

The album kicks off with a raw and powerful piece in ‘Breaking The Stones’ – a bit of slide noodling leading in to some kickass funky Blues with the guitar to the fore – definitely a Gibson sort of sound and ably matched by Grigor Leslie & David Innes on bass & drums and some fine harmonica courtesy of Peter Narojczyk. This ain’t your normal bedroom recording project, these guys can play!

‘Black Rain’ is a moody Texas style Blues and ‘Two Time Lover’ is a jaunty and raunchy piece of bar-room howl featuring a great harmonica lead – the band might have Gerry Jablonski’s name at its head but this is a real band performance. Read more…