New Tricks

Philly jazz guitar great Jimmy Bruno goes worldwide.

by A.D. Amorosi

PIPED IN: Jimmy Bruno's Guitar Institute lets students work at their own pace, making it superior to in-person lessons, he says. Photo By: Michael G. Stewart (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

After years of teaching his unique technique at his home every Saturday, Jimmy Bruno is expanding his kingdom with his online Guitar Institute. Innovation's no surprise coming from one of Philadelphia's greatest jazz guitarists and improvisationalists. The South Philly-born hard Bop addict fires out notes like a howitzer, swings mightily and saunters through soulful ballads sweetly. His intuition led him to group recordings and duets (Sleight of Hand; Polarity with Joe Beck), through electric blasts (Midnight Blue) and tender traps (Solo). And now there's Maplewood Avenue, an organic home-recorded work more intimately groovy than anything he's made in 53 years.

City Paper: So the new one's called Maple-wood Avenue?

Jimmy Bruno: Maplewood's the street I've lived on [in Abington] since I moved my family out of the city a few years ago. I like it. I have enough space to build a recording/video studio; to have control over my music and my production. It's a different kind of lifestyle in suburbia. I think it did inspire the instrumentation and the choice of tunes on the CD. It fits. To me, Maplewood Avenue evokes wood, trees � almost an acoustic feel.

CP: Between Maplewood, Solo and Polarity, you've got no problem resolving your groove without drums...

JB: The secret to good music is in the way it makes you feel the rhythm inside. To create that drive, without drums, was harder because the feel had to come from all three players. I had Tony [Miceli, producer/vibraphonist] and Jeff [Pedraz, bassist] play more percussively, as did I. When I improvise in this setting I try to make the comp'ing and solos as rhythmic as possible. It's surprising at first listen to hear the slapping of the bass, the vibe pedals � the sort of non-musical percussive sounds. But they complete a tapestry; create a real intimate sound. I always wanted to do a guitar CD like this.

CP: You did Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour back-in-the-day. Remember much about that show? What's your take on American Idol?

JB: I remember being bored and wanting to go back to Philly. [laughs] They filmed in what then was called The Ed Sullivan Theater � where David Letterman's filmed. Look, there's always been pop. I guess there always will be. I'm not a big fan of these shows or the music they promote. Just when you thought the music business couldn't get worse... right? But this is interesting: I'm noticing more young people at my gigs. It could be that we're in a pop-music drought, and to some young people phony music just isn't making it for them. So maybe there's a slight opening of the door for jazz now.

CP: Are you a Luddite turned computer-head?

JB: The traditional music business is fading. Rather than be a victim of all that, I embraced it. And good things are happening. I've more technology in my studio than you could believe, including a video studio to create Internet programs. I can't get enough of it.

CP: Does it feel stiff teaching people via the web? What if they need advice the type of which you can lean over and ask your teacher � though I have to say when I was studying accordion at John Payne Music School, I couldn't ask 'em nuthin'.
JB: I remember that place. I taught there for a short time. [laughs] The focus of JBGI is interactivity. Students work with my video materials and send me videos of themselves playing so I can see and help them. It works. We post some student videos so they can see me commenting on other students. There are forums � a community of guitarists � and questions get answers immediately. In some ways, JBGI online works better than in-person. The students can watch the lessons over and over. In person, I think it's just hard for the student to absorb information fast enough.

CP: So: Your Jimmy Bruno model Sadowsky versus your first ever Gibson f-hole?

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)

Jimmy Bruno's Maplewood Avenue CD release party, Sat., June 30, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., Chris' Jazz Café, 1421 Sansom St., 215-568-3131, www.chrisjazzcafe.com, www.jimmybruno.com.