Available on CD and LP, Classic Guitar is NYC-based guitarist Charlie Apicella’s second Zoho album. It celebrates 1950s guitarists Johnny Smith, Freddie Green, and Barney Kessel, in solo guitar, duo, and trio settings.
Featuring Roy Cumming on double bass and Alan Korzin on drums with a special guest appearance from Stephen Riley on sax, Classic Guitar follows his Zoho debut, 2014’s Big Boss, and there is no doubting that the album is perfectly titled... it truly is a tribute to the “classical” jazz guitar, with impeccable performances throughout.
Apicella, who began his music training by studying composition and improvisation with Yusef Lateef and music history with Archie Shepp, talks us through the record:
“First recorded in 1954 by Miles Davis, Four is what swinging hard-bop is all about.
“Some Other Spring is a duo arrangement based on the way I play the tune solo. It was great collaborating with Riley on this one.
“Beautiful Love is my nod to Vic Juris. His passing during the making of this record had an effect on me. This tune is one of my favourite Bill Evans Trio recordings. He and Jim Hall made a couple of wonderful duo albums together.
“Shiny Stockings is everyone’s favourite Count Basie tune. No matter what gig I play it on, solo or with the band, it kills.
“Tenderly is a swinging staple of our live gigs.
“Funky Mama is a Big John Patton tune and our set opener in Iron City. Its down-home feel works great as a solo guitar arrangement.
“The first jazz record I owned was Kenny Burrell, John Coltrane, and Tommy Flanagan. Flanagan’s Eclipso is the pianist’s second tune I have recorded.
“My love of Frank Sinatra is how I became a fan of Tony Mattola. Last year his son, Tony Jr. shared with me a rare record from the early 1980s called All The Way. This solo arrangement is my tribute to his playing on that.”

TRACKS

Four
Some Other Spring
Beautiful Love
Shiny Stockings
Tenderly
Funky Mama
Eclypso
All The Way