The Press Speaks!

Vintage Guitar Magazine Article, by Ann Wickstrom

Just Jazz Guitar Magazine Cover Story by Mark Stefani

The Power Of Eight" by Jim LaDiana - Robert Conti at Rocco, Bel Air, CA

"The Power of Eight", by Jim LaDiana Robert Conti at Rocco Bel Air, California Imagine if you will, a musical equivalent of the climactic scene from a Clint Eastwood motion picture. However,when the shootout is over and the smoke begins to clear, there is a lone guitar player holding the neck of an awesome looking eight string guitar. This, while other notorious guitar slingers linger in the shadows. So it was the scenario at the performance of super jazz guitarist Robert Conti at Rocco's, a fine jazz supper club high in the hills of Bel Air on the night of June 12th. Having attended the winter NAMM Show in Los Angeles for nearly twenty five years I am used to much of the same; walls of infinite musical sounds and crowds. However, I strive to find something new, something unique. This year I did both. This year I discovered Robert Conti. Negotiating the crowded convention hall on Saturday morning my ears led me to the EMG exhibit where I found a guitarist brandishing a custom eight string guitar of his own design. I was literally stopped in my footsteps by what I saw and heard, and I became totally mesmerized by his tenacious virtuosity and musical sensibility. My agenda included every Conti performance that weekend. Those who were also fortunate to observe this guitar phenomenon displayed faces of shock, disbelief, and panic. The air was filled with a constant flow of their audible approval and sheer excitement with echoing comments such as, "Ungodly chops", " He's terrifying", "Who is this guy?", and some colorful metaphor unprintable comments as well. I remember thinking, "This guy changes everything!" Since that experience I have listened to many of his CD's and surveyed his comprehensive website that chronicles four decades of his life. At this point in time, Conti has achieved every jazz musicians dream, i.e. he works six and sometimes seven nights - every week! As if that were not enough, this writer is privy to the fact that after playing his early evening jazz gigs, Conti 'hooks up' with a cookin' southern California blues band called "The Blues Authority." In that band, Conti is known only as "The Enforcer!" - a name given to him by fellow guitarist Dan Carlin who says: "Just come and watch the crowd drop everything and come unglued when he plugs that eight string axe into a souped-up Hot Rod Blues Deville amp! To be sure, the man not only does it all - he does it all with class and ruthless precision. Considering the time span of Conti's musical career, his unbelievable command of the eight string guitar, and the buzz that has been going on for so many years, one has to address the question; "How does a talent of this magnitude remain unnoticed for this long?" The answer lies partly in a reading of his biography, which details a series of unusual career twists, including accomplishments on a corporate platform. In addition, not long after relocating to LA in 1988, he began a cushy two week hotel gig in 1989 that lasted nearly ten years. While it was a great gig, Conti nearly removed himself from the music business. John Pisano received high accolades for bringing this major talent to the very forefront of serious jazz guitar on the west coast. In a sense, Robert Conti has finally materialized. During the set Conti took a moment to appropriately describe Pisano as "a national treasure!" Along with Kendall Kay on drums and Conti's long time pal Dave Carpenter on bass, the legendary guitarist John Pisano provided stellar rhythmic work and harmonic support for Conti's continuously mind bending solo work. This outstanding quartet treated the audience to a musical extravaganza they will never forget. Even before the downbeat of the first set, one could hear and feel the vibes circulating in the room in anticipation of what was about to take place. The crowd was immediately drawn to Conti and his guitar, an elegant, yet ominous looking custom made eight string. ( the seventh and eighth strings are Low B and Low F# respectively) Kicking off with "All Blues", Conti spontaneously ignited as his solo blasted off the launch pad to resounding applause. A soulful rendition of "Misty" followed featuring Conti's effortless close-voiced chords peppered with blues lines and octaves, all of which could be described as 'flying soul'. An anxious voice in the crowd called out, "Someone call the fire department!" Pisano's solos, always fluid and wonderful, provided a perfect contrast. "Green Dolphin Street" found Conti setting the groove with a pulsating bass motif. His sweet chordal melody gliding along the fretboard over eight strings is a wonder to behold - a connoisseur's banquet of ear and eye candy. The bass and drums refrained temporarily, allowing Conti to play bass lines and luxurious chords to support Pisano's solo work. Dave Carpenter is unquestionably one of the most in-demand bassists on the LA scene. His time is as solid as the rock of Gibraltar, and his solos have a smooth lyrical feel that always remain true to the melody. Throughout the evening Conti recognized his fellow players with audible acknowledgments. He ended his Dolphin Street solo with a thunderous figure from the lowest bass notes, then roaring up the entire length of the neck nearly five octaves at warp speed, actually bringing the audience out of their chairs and along for the ride. For those purists who might be quick to vocally criticize, "all chops - no sensitivity", I want to be very clear that it is what he does with those fleeting chops that is so unbelievable. He retains absolute authority as he shifts gears effortlessly from extremely complex yet melodic blow-the-roof-off single note lines to delicate, heartfelt chord melody solo work that simply sustains into memory. The harmonic range of Conti's eight string chord voicings are mammoth. His sound gives one the feeling of being gently wrapped in warm tonal blanket. Every member of the audience appeared spellbound by his exquisite and unique solo renditions of "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", and beautiful variation on the melody of "The Shadow Of Your Smile." I heard someone a few seats away comment jokingly that a guy from Palm Springs called Rocco's to say he heard and felt the bottom end of Conti's pumping bass lines during his solo rendition of "Mr. Lucky". During the performance Pisano commented, "What is it with these guys from Philadelphia? Just great players with great chops!" Amen brother. He went on to mention Jimmy Bruno, Billy Bean, and Conti's childhood pal Pat Martino. Conti was quick to acknowledge Joe Sgro, his teacher during a brief period of his youth and another of Conti's favorite Philly guitarists, Tony Purrone. The set continued with "Samba De Orpheu". The warm interpretation of the classic Luis Bonfa tune made one feel like being on a Caribbean island and feeling the burn of Conti's sizzling hot solo instead of a tropical sun. Kay was given the floor and played a tasty solo and created a myriad of ethnic percussive rhythms. As Conti left the stage after the set, the audience swarmed him like bee's to honey. The man was genuinely enthusiastic about meeting everyone who timidly approached him - definitely no attitude problem here. At the opening of the second set, the eight string powerhouse was found alone playing renditions of "The More I See You", "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", and others. Huge chord voicings fueled by a swinging feel is the name of the game. This is where Conti lives. His eight string harmonic interpretations of these classic melodies can raise you to heavenly heights or place you into the darkest abyss. Either location will suffice as he expertly guides his solo caravan of music. Returning to the stage, the quartet played a fleeting version of "I Remember April" that had the already enthusiastic listeners again at the edge of their seats. As expected, Conti was peeling paint off the walls, Kay was pushing the envelope, Carpenter was burning, and Pisano was melting wax. The two guitarists then began a friendly exchange of fours. This writer can only describe those events as intense musical flames being ignited between the senior guitarists. At that very moment you'd think his flawless abilities had peaked, Conti propelled into hyper speed, while clearly articulating every nuance of every note - an amazing feat to witness. Repeatedly, more heads shook in disbelief. The group returned to earth with Conti's own soulful version of "What A Wonderful World". The audience was than transported to the islands via Pisano's intro groove for "One Note Samba" and once again the solos were beyond belief. Unpredictably, Conti somehow seamlessly segued the song into a wonderful take on "Angel Eyes". The set ended with "Secret Love". During the opening chorus, Conti laid down a cooking bass/chord accompaniment with Pisano stating the melody. When the bass and drums fell in, it was absolutely swinging - pure joy. The audience responded with such enthusiasm, it was as if they couldn't wait to express their thanks for this very special and memorable night of music. Conti's performance at Rocco's was a momentous event, as it marks the turning point for a fresh new voice, and a new dimension in the art of jazz guitar. This monumentally talented guitarist will continue to leave his unmistakable imprint on everyone who will allow themselves to accept and appreciate the man and his music. Now that the smoke has cleared, it is plain to see that there's a new sheriff in town, his name is Conti, and as the title of one of CD's affirms, he's Comin' On Strong! ....Very Strong.

Ventano Gig Review by Ed Benson of Just Jazz Guitar Magazine

To The Brink! CD Review by Mike Irish, Director of Jazz Studies, Michigan Tech University

To The Brink! - Robert Conti Pinnacle Records - PR-CD0501 www.robertconti.com Robert Conti - Guitar, Rocco Barbato - Saxophones, Billy Moran - Hammond B3, Aldo Bentivegna - Drums. "To The Brink!" restates everything that folks are finding out about Robert Conti: he is one of the very top modern jazz guitarists. He possesses incredible technical chops that ALWAYS deliver great solo lines. He is an encyclopedia of harmonic invention who effortlessly performs lyrical, satisfying chord solos. But, what is not often publicly stated about Conti is that he is a superb accompanist and "comper." His support of others is sensitive, never obtrusive, yet very inventive and refreshing. The CD is a textbook about how jazz guitar comping is done. And finally, like the great Art Blakey, Conti is a wonderful bandleader who coaxes the absolute best from his fellow musicians. All of these reasons add up to one conclusion: you need to hear this CD! This release is particularly important to all his fans, as it is the first since "Comin' On Strong" in 1990. However, Conti is so completely dedicated to the development of his absolutely first-rate guitar education materials and performances (primarily in Las Vegas and California) that there has been little time left to record. Congratulations to executive producer Paul Getty for his vision and persistence in bringing this project to the public. Amazingly, "To The Brink" was done with all "first takes." The spirit of the recording harkens back to the old Blue Note recordings of the 50's and 60's where groups went into the studio and cut a recording in one or two days between gigs. Conti believes "every straight ahead jazz performance is like a snapshot of a one- time event. It's jazz the first time." This is REALLY refreshing for the listener. Simple, yet high-quality production values capturing spontaneous, impassioned blowing. It is the epitome of great straight-ahead jazz. The programming is excellent. After opening with a tour-de-force burner ("To The Brink") where all of the members of the quartet get to stretch-out, Conti delivers a musical buffet that delights the listener. Beautiful renditions of "Here's That Rainy Day" and "Our Love Is Here To Stay," which feature Conti's exquisite and imaginative chord solo work. His tongue-in-check originals ("Pork Loin," "Pit Stop," "Mister Twister's Fanfare," and "The Hooker") reveal his equally deep roots in bebop and especially in the blues. Of particular interest are the two compositions by guitarist/author/composer, Mark Stefani. "Anticipation" is a lovely and personal bossa nova that has Barbato on soprano sax, and Conti revealing his tender and introspective lyricism on this beautiful composition. Another Stefani original, "So To Speak" is a perfect setting for this classic guitar/organ quartet. Here, Conti shows that he is a master of soulful minor blues playing with a short, yet burning solo that also inspires Barbato to show some Cannonball and Gene Ammons roots. For this CD, Conti has assembled a quartet with himself on guitar, young Rocco Barbato on saxophones, veteran Billy Moran on the B3, and wonderful drumming by Aldo Bentivegna. Conti offers generous solo space to his compatriots, who all rise to the level of their boss's passionate ingenuity. Barbato possesses a modern sound and attitude, yet has done his homework on great mainstream saxophonists. He is a pleasure to listen to, especially on the numerous occasions where he is trading fours with Conti. The "fours" threaten to blow the doors off! Aldo Bentivegna is a perfect "Conti" drummer in that he can adjust to any style and mood that is necessary and he swings like crazy. He can be light and airy, and then turn around and deliver a muscular shuffle like on the ribs joint-style tune, "Mister Twister's Fanfare." The biggest surprise on this recording is Billy Moran, a top-notch B3 player that can successfully go toe-to-toe with Conti. He really knows how to tell a story with his playing and build terrific solos. And like all great B3 players, his bass lines are excellent. I would like to have heard Conti and Moran trading some fours. Two old vets going after each other - maybe on a future CD. A mark of a great jazz performance is that the listener wants to hear more. That is certainly the case with "To The Brink!" Conti has got it all and Getty has put him into a format that really shines. We should all eagerly await the next Conti CD project! Reviewed by Mike Irish, Director of Jazz Studies, Michigan Tech University.

Source Code DVDs Review by Mike Irish, Director of Jazz Studies, Michigan Tech University

The New Source Code DVDs From Robert Conti New DVD Components Added To: The Chord Melody Assembly Line & The Formula! The Pinnacle Production Group, PO Box 31343, Las Vegas, NV 89173 USA Available From: www.RobertConti.com 702-240-8127 One of the supreme joys of playing guitar is being able to sit down and play an entire song all by yourself, just you and your guitar, melody, harmony and bass line all present. It is one of the most satisfying sounds in all of music - solo guitar. However, many guitarists have little or no idea how to develop a solo guitar arrangement, as it often seems like only a handful of guitarists know the secret of how to do this. Robert Conti reveals all in his updated Source Code volumes of The Chord Melody Assembly Line and The Formula! Two volumes of the Robert Conti Source Code Books, The Chord Melody Assembly Line and The Formula! have been updated. Consistent with his teaching philosophy, Robert Conti reveals all with the addition of nearly 10 hours of enhanced, personalized DVD instruction to accompany those best-selling books. Priced at only $34.95 each, these products are probably the best value in guitar education on the market. Since the launch of his educational products in 2000, Conti has become well-known for his clear and focused instruction that PRODUCES RESULTS. His play music first, understand the mechanics second approach remains at the vanguard of successful instruction. I have used these products since 2001 as a player and I continue recommending them to students, because they really work! Robert Conti is that very rare combination of a first-rate player who can also effectively teach students what he plays. He obviously relishes passing on his experience and knowledge. His youthful joy and passion for playing and creating beautiful music is infectious. One becomes inspired by merely watching him teach and play. The Chord Melody Assembly Line is the more rudimentary of the two volumes, and in my opinion, should be purchased first. It teaches the early intermediate level student how to develop his/her own basic functional arrangements that can become the foundation of a solo jazz guitar repertoire. The Formula! is more advanced and instructs the student how to take basic functional harmonizations (like those developed in the Chord Melody Assembly Line) and turn them into highly personal art containing creative and embellished harmonic movement exactly like top pro guitarists and pianists. The core emphasis in both volumes is learning by doing. PREREQUISITE: These great learning resources are not for beginners. The Chord Melody Assembly Line requires an intermediate level of playing skill. The ability to read traditional notation is not required, but would come in handy. For The Formula!, a basic knowledge of diatonic harmony, intervals, and Circle of 4ths/5ths root movement is recommended. The essence of these two excellent Source Code volumes is that one actually learns to arrange music for the guitar. The secret to good/great arranging is making good musical choices in the correct order. Conti's teaching is masterful in this aspect. First, he presents and focuses on a few easily comprehensible concepts. Then, he applies them to a myriad of real-life musical situations that continuously produce very satisfying musical results. In both books, Conti provides very clear, step-by-step instruction. He proceeds from the simple to the "real world" (not needlessly theoretically complex, but instead ALWAYS tempered by what you would play in real world situations). Indeed, these are effective teaching materials. The Chord Melody Assembly Line: Conti's approach for developing solo guitar arrangements is based on an arranging technique called note-for-note harmonization. For every note of a melody, there will be an underlying chord form that supports it. The vast majority of the time, the bass note of the chord voicing is the root of the chord which provides a rich and definitive sound. The key to his approach is learning how to quickly and easily harmonize each melody note that belongs to chords in six basic chord groups, Major, Dominant 7th, Minor 7th, Diminished 7th, Minor 7(b5), and Augmented. After becoming familiar with selected "working" chords in each of those groups, he provides numerous application "References" (his term for examples) in Lead Sheet types of workbook examples that work logically through each Chord Group. Conti's "hands on" approach causes the student to immediately begin to memorize the forms by employing those "working" chord forms to complete each of the workbook type examples. In the latter section of the book, I was especially impressed by the fact that Conti also provides a section of "Solutions" for each of the "References." The "Solutions" allow the student to continuously verify the accuracy of his/her work. It is clearly an enjoyable hands-on approach where the student is making the choices and playing the music. The Chord Reference charts and the addition of the Alternative Chord Voicings charts are worth the price of this volume alone. In the final sector of the DVD, Conti takes the student through a basic functional arrangement of Danny Boy to clearly demonstrate all of the easily applicable principles in the Chord Melody Assembly Line Book/DVD. Upon completion of the Chord Melody Assembly Line, a student will be able to harmonize melodies in a beautiful chord melody style. Conti's approach really works. The Formula!: This volume is much more advanced than the Chord Melody Assembly Line. Here, Conti outlines his techniques for creating innovative and beautiful reharmonizations of tunes for solo guitar (or piano) chord melodies. Again, he gets right to the playing, and then clearly illuminates the easy but very effective techniques behind the chord selections. The chord voicings he utilizes are the same as those in the Chord Melody Assembly Line. Therefore, tackling the material and concepts in the Chord Melody Assembly Line before embarking on The Formula is a good idea, as Conti's methodology allows the student to use the same forms across the spectrum from intermediate to complex playing. In essence, the chord vocabulary developed in The Chord Melody Assembly Line is continued in The Formula. This is an example of his thoughtful planning as it unifies everything and the student does not need to memorize a thousand chord voicings. Conti's philosophy is that you learn the forms by playing the guitar and playing beautiful music. I don't believe learning can be made easier. The ideas and techniques found in The Formula are the same as the great arrangers like Nelson Riddle, Henry Mancini, and Quincy Jones have used to create their signature sounds. The foundation of the Conti approach to reharmonization is to greatly simplify what is perceived by many players as a complex task. Quite amazingly, he teaches the student to utilize a common musical mechanism that he presents as the "Judge" since it is the guiding principle that governs his chord selections. He frequently and correctly states: "there are no accidents in harmony." By employing his easily comprehensible principles and techniques, one can learn to start creating very sophisticated arrangements of standards in a short period of time. To demonstrate the endless applications of The Formula, Conti presents a variety of two and three measure random notes with several groups of reharmonized chords (like his arrangements in Just Jazz Guitar). Then, he explains the nuts and bolts of each group of chord movements. At the end of the book and on the second DVD Disc, there is what I can only describe as another Gourmet Buffet of Harmony. Conti took three simple tunes: Aura Lee, Danny Boy, and The Star Spangled Banner and turned them into absolute gems of chord melody solos to be played, savored and understood. I contacted Robert to ask about his unusual choice of tunes. He stated: "Aura Lee has such a simple melody it would not usually warrant any serious attention from most musicians. My goal was to have the student play, see and hear the results of a what little knowledge could actually do to that simple melody. The melody to the Star Spangled Banner is wellknown and most listeners have a general anticipation of the melody in their mind. Consequently, the restructured and unanticipated harmony will quickly capture the attention of most listeners. I wanted to demonstrate that the concepts in The Formula could be applied to even the most simple tune with great results. I chose to add the Danny Boy arrangement in both volumes for two additional reasons; 1) to demonstrate the operative and easily applicable concepts presented in the Chord Melody Assembly Line 2) to demonstrate that the same palette of chord forms in the Assembly Line were also employed in the professional reharmonizations found in The Formula!" His concern for the student is evident as he walks the student through every step of the way, employing the concepts in The Formula!, loads of performance tips, and commentary that is clear, well-paced and enlightening. The fact that Danny Boy appears in basic form in the Chord Melody Assembly Line and again, as a piece of embellished art in The Formula! is a real learning plus. By examining both volumes, the reader gets a very broad view of the most important aspects of solo jazz guitar performance. And all of the while, the student has the guitar in his/her hands and is playing this beautiful music, which he states, is the first goal of his products. I wanted to add one more observational comment about the new DVD additions to the original Source Code books. Robert Conti's style of on-screen instruction is really non-intimidating. His manner is warm, supportive, friendly, and informative, as he really draws the viewer into the subject matter. It is obvious that he genuinely enjoys sharing his vast experience and love for chord melody playing. Just when you thought the Conti products couldn't get any better, the introduction of DVD components to each of his Source Code series of books really raises the bar - again. Reviewed For Just Jazz Guitar Magazine By: Mike Irish, Director of Jazz Studies Michigan Technological University

Play Pro Chord Melody Today DVD Review by Ed Benson, Publisher of Just Jazz Guitar

"This guy changes everything! The man not only does it all, he does it all with class and ruthless precision, there?s a new sheriff in town. His name is Conti."

-Jim LaDiana,
Just Jazz Guitar Magazine

"A world-class guitarist.. It's as if he's his own trio."

-Bill Kohlhaase,
LA Times Music Columnist

"Conti is a superior guitarist. A refreshing musical purity."

-Billboard Magazine

Top Ten Jazz Concerts, 1992
"Conti shows plenty of heart as well as technique? Go see him!"

-Bill Kohlhaase,
LA Times Music Columnist

"Conti, who possesses enough technique for two men was dazzling."

-Zan Stewart,
LA Times Music Columnist

"Conti is an extroverted and powerful improviser."

-Scott Yanow,
The Jazz Link, San Diego, California

"A guitaristic TOUR-DE-FORCE, unerring technical command... We simply haven't heard guitar playing this good in years. Make no mistake, Conti is a monster musician who's got it all covered, a rediscovered genius."

-Pete Welding,
Guitar World Magazine

"A player of great virtuosity... and an imaginative composer as well."

-David Franklin,
The Jazz Times

"Robert Conti has impressive technique which produces fluent effective improvisations using the whole range of his instrument, Conti is in complete control."

-Ray Spencer,
International Jazz Journal London

"The man redefines world class with unbelievable skill that simply defies belief and human capacity - one of the very best the world has to offer! Your eyes will believe your ears only when you see this extraordinarily gifted musician in a live performance - a spectacular listening experience you?ll never forget!"

-Michael Costantini,
Pinnacle Records

"Robert Conti is well on his way to become a legend in his own lifetime. . .a consummate master."

-Albert Marx,
60 Year Veteran Record Producer Discovery Records

"Ingenious harmonic conception."

-Harvey Siders,
Major Los Angeles Music Critic

"Conti is one of the great musicians of our time."

-Gerald Wilson,
Composer, Arranger,
Lecturer, Musician Extraordinaire

"Robert Conti makes his mark by being dazzlingly clean-lined and lyrical."

-Bob Young,
Jazziz Magazine

"Mix the enthusiasm of a city kid with equal parts of Wes Montgomery, Johnny Smith, and Howard Roberts, then season heavily with equal parts of Oscar Peterson and Charlie Parker. Stir vigorously for twenty years, and you?ve created the sound of Robert Conti!"

-Otto Gust,
President and Executive Producer,
Time Is Records

"Brilliant, Stunning!"

-Dudley Moore,
Actor & Musician

"Musicians of Conti's caliber are a precious commodity. The chance to see such talent in an intimate setting is almost as rare as the number of people who possess that kind of talent in the first place."

-Dan McDonald,
Florida Times Union

"Robert Conti's technical facility is awesome."

-Pete Mandell,
Downbeat Columnist & TV Jazz Host,
Atlanta, Georgia

"Effortless sounding."

-Guitar Player Magazine

"Throughout, his quartet is superb. Conti's touch is fantastic!"

-Ralph Berton,
The Music Box Magazine

"A fluid guitarist with a lush approach to melody."

-High Fidelity Magazine

"Warm assured playing . . . refreshingly innovative . . . luxurious chordal voicings."

-Paul Hodgins,
Music Columnist, The Register

"This (Conti) is more than a lounge act, it is a cultural experience."

-Fifi Chao,
Premier Dining Columnist, O.C.Business Journal

"Robert Conti is a consummate musician who moves with ease from beautiful solo readings to straight-ahead jazz."

-Jay Roebuck,
Music Columnist, The Register

"Conti could be the greatest guitarist alive."

-Duncan Blaine,
MNH/CD Review

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