Frank DiBussolo is an eight-time Grammy nominee who has been a featured soloist in the bands of Buddy Rich, Dizzy Gillespie, and Art Blakey. He has also accompanied Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross, Diane Caroll, and many of the finest entertainers in show business. Currently active as a performer and teacher in southeastern Pennsylvania, the jazz master recently sat for a talk with VG.
You’ve backed some of the biggest names in music. What is one of your favorite memories?
I was playing with Tony Bennett; it was a large band with a string section, and he recognized a good friend and his wife in the audience. He stopped the show and acknowledged his friend and remembers that the wife’s favorite song is George Gershwin’s “Embraceable You.” He turns and asks if I could play it in F major. I say, “Sure…” and proceed to play a four-measure intro for him. He begins to sing and it was magical! His voice and my guitar, we didn’t need anything else.
You play a couple of custom archtop guitars. What do they offer that you don’t find in production instruments?
Those are designed and built by Frank Finocchio and Anthony DiDomenico with my physiology and playing style in mind, and they respond to my every need. They feel like they are an extension of me and allow me to express myself.
You produced the Great Guitars concert series of duets with Bucky Pizzarelli, Jack Wilkins, Jimmy Bruno, Howard Alden, and some of the world’s other finest jazz guitarists. What do you like about a duo-guitar setting?
Playing guitar in duo is a joy because of the interaction and sound of the two players, and each player brings something different to the game, whether it’s a voicing, substitute chord, or phrasing. It makes you listen more intensely and adjust accordingly. Bucky always thought two guitars were magic.
What do you specify in your string set?
I’m endorsing Mapes strings because they sound and feel right, and produce a balanced sound, even on the seven-string guitar that Anthony built for me. I use a nickel roundwound set, which is different from the flatwounds I played for many years; I like that they sound brighter, and I can compensate with the EQ to get that dark, woody sound I prefer.
The gauges are fairly heavy – .014 through .070 on the seven-string set – and they remain true for a long time.
What is your present live-gear setup?
My workhorse is my 2009 Via Strada built by Frank. My archtops are fitted with Kent Armstrong pickups and are all 15.5″ wide with pressed tops and are virtually feedback-free. I am so blessed to have these artisans hand-craft these instruments for me. I play them through Henriksen Bud 6 amps. This is the absolute best pairing of amp and guitar for a rich, woody traditional jazz guitar sound that I have found. I use no pedals, just a bit of reverb. I also use an Acoustic Image Clarus II head with Redstone or Henriksen cabinets for bigger venues.
What are your current activities and ensembles?
After playing and teaching for 59 years, I want to perform with people I like and admire. My dear friends for 50 years, bassist Bruce Kaminsky, drummer Bruce Klauber, and pianist James Del’Orifice, have been making music together for a long time! I love playing in my organ trio with Gary Staples and drummer Lorenzo Branca, and playing in trios and duos with drummer George Torello. A trio with bassist Martin Pizzarelli and guitarist Walt Bibinger is a joy, as is accompanying singers like Dr. Rick Boulay, the wonderful Jacqueline Ballarin, and the beautiful Sonia Weinman. Teaching, both in classes and private lessons, is still rewarding, and I plan to continue.
What advice would you give a guitarist learning to play jazz?
To new players, or even seasoned players, my advice for playing jazz is to learn melodies and know the lyrics (laughs)! Recognize the chord progression and how it supports the melody. Too many think playing on the changes of a song is jazz. It is not! The changes or progression can be found in many songs. The melody is the thematic material that makes a song unique. Improvisation, by definition, is a variation on a theme. Therefore melody should be the basis of the improvisation. Lyrics tell the player the mood of the song and how it should be phrased to achieve that mood. And always trust your ear!
This article originally appeared in VG’s May 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
