Blues Alley hosts Gene Bertoncini Trio

Jazz musician Gene Bertoncini, who will be performing with his trio tonight at Blues Alley, has a background that would seem at first glance a mass of artistic contradictions. For example, he loves to play straight ahead jazz on his classical guitar, saying it “always has that element of technique [and] I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Then there is his upbringing in a Bronx household filled with music where his love affair with the guitar began at the age of 7, followed by New York television appearances at age 16. Yet, in pursuit of another great interest, he received a degree in architecture from Notre Dame.

After receiving his diploma, he headed back to New York to work in a quintet with Buddy Rich. And where his musical career is concerned, he has only looked forward, convinced that his architectural experience gives his music its finely wrought form and style, even as he continues to work his arrangements around his technical virtuosity.

That style will be present in spades tonight as he is joined by Tommy Cecil on bass and Chuck Redd on drums.

“We’ll be playing some of the great American popular standards — Gershwin, Porter, Ellington and some of the great songs all imaginatively arranged by Gene,” Redd noted. “[He] also plays many of the bossa nova classics [like] ‘How Insensitive’, ‘Chega De Saudade’ and ‘Corcovado.’ He’s one of the great interpreters of that style.”

Redd gives away a few of the evening’s surprises such as Bertoncini’s exciting arrangement of the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby”

“Another highlight is Gene’s ‘Shearing-esque’ version of ‘East of the Sun’,” Redd continued. “And his rendition of ‘The Shadow of Your Smile’ is my favorite.”

Bertoncini, who performs on a six-nylon string, acoustic guitar, affirms that jazz aficionados love the whole musical picture — all types of music. And of the trio, he compliments their awareness and sensitivity, their ability to play all styles of music and their wonderful compatibility.

“There’s instant communication and musical conversations all the time,” he said.