Mel Bay Bucky Pizzarelli Master Jazz Guitar: Solo Collection [Spiral-bound]

Eddie Decker (Transcriber), Jerry Sims (Author), Richard Maxwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2003

John Bucky Pizzarelli is one of the best known 7-string players alive. For more than half a century, Bucky, as he is affectionately known, has been a part of the fraternity of musicians who have kept mainstream and traditional jazz alive. Bucky is well known for his work in groups as well as his solo outings. This significant collection offers a look at Bucky s famous brand of chordal guitar solos and chord melodies. Its 31 tunes include Darn That Dream, Sweet Lorraine, One Morning In May, and other great standards, some arranged for 6-string guitar but most for 7-string. A must have for any jazz library. Standard notation and tablature.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John "Bucky" Pizzarelli is an internationally renowned man of music. His instrument of choice is the guitar, and his style is jazz. For more than half a century, "Bucky," as he is affectionately known, has been a part of the fraternity of musicians who have kept mainstream and traditional jazz alive. The list of big bands and vocalists with whom Bucky has performed and recorded reads like a veritable Who's Who of Jazz. He joined Vaughn Monroe's band while still in high school and later played with studio bands at the major networks. There he distinguished himself as one of the best rhythm guitarists in the business. Not contented with studio work alone, he jammed with and accompanied the best in the pop and jazz world including George Barnes, Stephane Grappelli, Slam Stewart, Zoot Sims, Flip Phillips, and his songs Martin and John Pizzarelli. Dedicated to swing and American popular song, Bucky is one of the most sought-after guitarists in the business, and continues to enchant audiences worldwide. Playing guitar in a Columbia, South Carolina neighborhood band as a young boy was only the beginning for Jerry Sims. After graduating from high school in 1972 and touring with the Swingin' Medallions, a nationally recognized band of the late '60s and early '70s, Sims' dedication to the guitar led him to pursue a musical education at the Berklee College of Music. Upon graduation from Berklee in 1979, he returned to South Carolina and opened Sims Music Inc., now a leading music retail and education center in the state. Over the years, Sims has taught many students who have gone on to become successful musicians in the industry, including Mark Bryan of Hootie and the Blowfish. In 1982 after several years of studying, teaching, and performing on the six-string guitar, Sims heard Bucky Pizzarelli play a seven-string variant. The encounter inspired a new beginning for Sims, who consequently made several trips to New York to consult with the acknowledged seven-string master. Sims strengthened his seven-string chops by transcribing many of the recorded solos by Pizzarelli and pioneering seven-string jazz guitarist George Van Eps. His hard work paid off in 1997 when he was selected by the Ibanez Guitar Company to represent their new AF207 archtop seven-string jazz guitar. Sims was also a featured artist on Ibanez' promotional video Seventh Heaven, which included Steve Vai and John Petrucci. Ibanez also chose Sims to represent the company at the winter 1998 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) convention in Los Angeles, California. Sims has several projects in the works with Mel Bay Publications, including a seven-string chord book. Guitarist Richard Maxwell performs throughout the southeastern United States. His articles, transcriptions and music engraving work have appeared in Just Jazz Guitar magazine and Mel Bay books. Most recently he transcribed works for the Mel Bay book, Bucky Pizzarelli Master Jazz Guitar. Locally he performs with vocalist Mary Ann Hurst and with the Jazz Guitar Summit, a five guitar jazz orchestra which has been featured in concerts with Bucky Pizzarelli, Jimmy Bruno, Frank Vignola and Rick Stone. Richard plays a custom built Comins 7-string archtop guitar, Yamaha GC-70 Classical guitar, and uses Comins amps.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 144 pages
• Publisher: Mel Bay Publications, Inc (October 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786668075
• ISBN-13: 978-0786668076
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,566,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Gotta love Bucky!, December 11, 2009

By 

Don Callme "Velo Guy" (Durham, NC) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Mel Bay Bucky Pizzarelli Master Jazz Guitar: Solo Collection (Spiral-bound)

This is one of very few books I've found that has some 7-string transcriptions. The tabs are easy to follow and the songs very playable. I recommend it.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good study material for 7-string players!, July 27, 2009

By 

Samuel M. Walker "jazz gtr" (Arlington, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Mel Bay Bucky Pizzarelli Master Jazz Guitar: Solo Collection (Spiral-bound)

I am in the process of trying to get better on the 7-string. In fact, I just traded for a Bucky Pizzarelli model Benedetto which I am "forcing" myself to play exclusively. This book is a great help for getting an idea of how to incorporate it into solo guitar arrangements. The only problem I have is that one of the CDs is wrong; instead of "Bucky Pizzarelli: Master Jazz Guitar Solos (Disc 1)" as it is labelled, I have a CD of autoharp instruction. I would like to hear some of the tunes in the book that I'm not familiar with - original tunes by Bucky and some more obscure stuff that is included in the book. Unfortunately, I'll have to pay for the tracks (if I can find them) or try to learn them without the recording.

Great study material overall!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for seven string jazz student, March 2, 2008

By 

Wizard - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Mel Bay Bucky Pizzarelli Master Jazz Guitar: Solo Collection (Spiral-bound)

Not many books deal with this topic. Clear transcription with joint CD. Not all the songs on the CD, but not mandatory also (every"jazz"body knows All the things you are melody..."). Great