Frank DiBussolo Preview

By Bob PROTZMAN

Philadelphia area guitarist Frank DiBussolo likes to paraphrase with tongue-in-cheek a quote from a review posted on his website that says he is “certainly one of the best ‘unknown’ jazz guitarists around."

“I’m probably the most famous unknown guitarist you never heard of," chuckles DiBussolo, a professional musician for 42 of his 55 years.

Truth is, as the writer on the website adds, DiBussolo is very well known among other jazz guitarists, and for good reason.

He provides solid proof that a jazz musician doesn’t have to win polls or make the cover of Down Beat magazine to have a successful career.

“For me," said DiBussolo by phone from his suburban Allentown home in Emmaus, “it’s been a matter of being in the right place at the right time."

A Philly native, DiBussolo found himself in an ideal locale—close to Atlantic City and its casinos, and Pennsylvania’s Pocono mountains, where many major jazz players from New York City went at one time--without their regular bands--to relax, gamble and play some jazz.

When they ready to play, they would look around for the best and/or most compatible local guys to join them.

DiBussolo mentions on his website (www.frankdibussolo.com) that he has performed with “numerous personalities," among them:

Jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey, legend beyond legend Frank Sinatra, living legend Tony Bennett, comedy legends Bob Hope and George Burns, could-be legend Diana Ross, oldies crooner legend and fellow Pennsylvanian Bobby Vinton, and longtime (25 years!) “Tonight Show" legendary bandleader Doc Severinson.

In most cases, DiBussolo got the gigs as a sort of staff musician in Atlantic City, and as part of a backing big band or orchestra.

Did he get to meet Ol’ Blue Eyes? “Yeah. He patted me on the cheek once, and said, “I like your playing.’ That was it," says DiBussolo.

DiBussolo gigged, if only briefly, in a quartet with Diz (“A sweetheart of a person"), and spent a couple months on the road with drummer Buddy Rich’s big band (not a sweetheart). “That’s all I could take," he said, adding, “The stories are all true," a reference to Rich’s reputation—to understate --as being hard on band members.

Aside from his brushes with the famous, DiBussolo has led his own groups, recorded seven albums, taught at Lehigh University for 24 years (he still gives private lessons and master classes on the website www.mikesmasterclasses.com), spent a brief time in the big apple, and played all kinds of venues, including Chris’s Jazz Café in Philly, which he says is the only real jazz club left in the city.

Of his recordings (on Naxos, Lost World Music, and DBK Entertainment), someone thought enough of certain ones to submit DiBussolo’s name to the Grammy nominating committee eight times, although DiBussolo never made the final five nominee list.

DiBussolo’s newest venture is producing an annual guitar performance at the nearby Macungie Institute in Macungie, PA., where a week or so ago, he welcomed guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli (father of the popular guitarist/vocalist John) to join him onstage in a duo performance. Last year’s guest was the estimable Jimmy Bruno, with whom DiBussolo attended high school.

Both big name players offer high praise of their host as quoted on DiBussolo’s website. “It would be hard to imagine anyone playing the guitar better than this," says Bruno. Adds Pizzarelli, “Frank is a player of great taste, strength and technique. It is fun to make music with him."

Dr. DiBussolo (he has a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition from Combs College of Music in Philadelphia) connected with the guitar in an unusual way around the age of 7.

“My aunt had a bar in North Philly and she used to let me hang around. We’d watch the TV show ‘Concentration,’ and I’d hear but didn’t see a guitarist playing commercial breaks. Then I saw him on the Perry Como show. It was Tony Mottola. He played a glissando and I was taken by the sound. I never liked rock ‘n’ roll anyway."

In high school, DiBussolo’s teacher gave him a Gibson L5 (“the kind of guitar Wes Montgomery played," says DiBussolo). Next, DiBussolo acquired a custom-made Koontz, and finally a Benedetto, the one he plays today.

An endorser for Benedetto and perhaps a bit biased, DiBussolo calls it “the Stradivarius of guitars."

“Bob (Benedetto), who lives in Savannah, GA, just celebrated his 40th anniversary as a guitar maker. A lot of the world’s greatest players play his guitar, and I’m very fortunate to have one of them." DiBussolo notes that sound is a function not only of the guitar, but also of the amplifier. He uses a Henriksen Jazzamp.

“No fuzztone, distortion, or flangers (phase shifters) here," says DiBussolo (dee-BOOS-alo). “The sound is clear and direct—I refer to it as cello-like. There are a lot of fine instruments out there, but this one is magic, the classic among classics."

Guitarist Frank DiBussolo
With Frank Singer, piano; Tony Stefanelli, fretless bass; Nick Ronzitti, percussion; Joe Dorris, drums
8:30-11:30 Friday
Papermoon Restaurant & Jazz Club
1325 State St. (455-7766)
Donations accepted.

Bob Protzman has written about jazz for five decades and hosts "Everything Jazz," 9 to midnight Sundays on WQLN-FM 91.3. You can reach Bob at protz@verizon.net or jazzhosts@wqln.org.

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