»John Pisano

John Pisano John Pisano has been recognized as one of the nation's finest jazz guitarists since first emerging on the jazz scene in the mid-Fifties. Even if his name doesn't immediately ring a bell, odds are that you've heard his guitar work. Although he had occasionally stepped forward to lead his own groups, for years his "comfort zone" was the background, where he'd supported some of music's biggest names, including Herb Albert, Sergio Mendes, Peggy Lee, Burt Bacharach, Frank Sinatra, and Barbra Streisand.

In the last several years, however, Pisano has assumed the leader's role, releasing a series of Pablo dates remarkable for their beauty and musical camaraderie. Among Friends (1995) was the first, featuring him in duet settings with six of the instrument's most talented players: Lee Ritenour, Phil Upchurch, Ron Affif, Dori Caymmi, Ted Greene, and the late Joe Pass, with whom John had worked extensively for three decades. (Pass died on May 23, 1994) Pass was also heard on last year's Duets, which focused on empathic guitar conversations recorded at a 1991 Pisano/Pass session.

The new Pablo release, Conversation Pieces, includes wonderfully varied material from 1994 and '95 recordings with, once again, Lee Ritenour, Phil Upchurch, Ted Greene, and Dori Caymmi, as well as Joe Diorio and Gene Bertoncini. Eric Miller, who was Pass's producer in the guitarist's final years, has also produced all of Pisano's dates for the label.

For nearly 40 years, John Pisano's playing has provided a model for improvisational creativity, technical execellence, and a seamless blend of jazz and latin elements. Today, John plays with his Brazilian group Velas, is a member of Frank Capp's Juggernaut Band, and works with his vocalist wife, Jeanne. He hosts (and performs at) a "Guitar Night" held Tuesdays at the Sherman Oaks, California club Spazio, and has worked several times at the popular Zinc Bar in lower Manhattan. Last year he and Jeanne also completed a series of dates in the Hawaiian Islands.