James Michael Bruno (born July 22, 1953) is an American
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
guitarist from Philadelphia.
Biography
Born in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Bruno started playing guitar at the age of 7. He began his professional career at the age of 19, touring with
Buddy Rich. He played for many years in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
before returning to Philadelphia.
He counts as influences
Johnny Smith,
Hank Garland
Walter Louis Garland (November 11, 1930 – December 27, 2004), known professionally as Hank Garland, was an American guitarist and songwriter. He started as a country musician, played rock and roll as it became popular in the 1950s, and release ...
,
Joe Pass,
Tal Farlow,
Wes Montgomery
John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for his unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and for his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a ...
,
Howard Roberts
Howard Mancel Roberts (October 2, 1929 – June 28, 1992) was an American jazz guitarist, educator, and session musician.
Early life
Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona to Damon and Vesta Roberts, and began playing guitar at the age of 8 — a ...
,
Jim Hall, and
Pat Martino.
In March 2011, he opened Jimmy Bruno's Guitar Workshop,
Jimmy Bruno's Guitar Workshop
/ref> a web site that allows students to learn from him through video lessons. A student can watch videos of Bruno teaching, record a video, and then send it to him for his review.
Discography
As leader
* ''Sleight of Hand'' (Concord Jazz, 1992)
* ''Burnin' '' (Concord Jazz, 1994)
* ''Concord Jazz Guitar Collective'' with Howard Alden & Frank Vignola (Concord Jazz, 1995)
* ''Like That'' with Joey DeFrancesco (Concord Jazz, 1996)
* ''Live at Birdland'' (Concord Jazz, 1997)
* ''Full Circle'' with Howard Alden (Concord Jazz, 1998)
* ''Live at Birdland II'' (Concord Jazz, 1999)
* ''Polarity'' with Joe Beck
Joe Beck (July 29, 1945 – July 22, 2008) was an American jazz guitarist who was active for over 40 years.
Biography
Born in Philadelphia, Beck moved to Manhattan in his teens, playing six nights a week in a trio setting, which gave him an opp ...
(Concord Jazz, 2000)
* ''Two For the Road'' with Jennifer Leitham (CD Baby, 2000; re-release: Azica, 2005)
* ''Midnight Blue'' (Concord Jazz, 2001)
* ''Solo'' (Mel Bay, 2004)
* ''Maplewood Avenue'' with Tony Miceli & Jeff Pedras (Affiliated Artists, 2007)
As sideman
* Pixanne, ''Bloop or Blink'' (Pixanne, 1975)
* Tommy Tedesco, ''Carnival Time'' (Trend, 1985)
* Tommy Tedesco, ''Fine Fretted Friend'' (Discovery, 1992)
* Jack Wilkins, ''Heading North'' (String Jazz, 2001)
Selected bibliography
* ''Art of Picking'', Mel Bay
* ''Six Essential Fingerings for the Jazz Guitarist''
* ''No Nonsense Jazz Guitar'' (Hot Licks Video, DVD)
* ''Inside Outside Jazz Guitar'' (Hot Licks Video, DVD)
References
External links
Official site
*
Jimmy Bruno Interview
at NAMM Oral History Collection (2019)
1953 births
Living people
American jazz guitarists
American male guitarists
Guitarists from Philadelphia
American seven-string guitarists
20th-century American guitarists
Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania
St. Joseph's Preparatory School alumni
20th-century American male musicians
American male jazz musicians
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