Robert Conti
Encyclopedia
Robert Conti is an American hard bop
jazz
guitarist.
Conti was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
and was an autodidact, first performing locally at age fourteen. In 1966, after four years on the road touring North America
, he settled in Jacksonville, Florida
. In 1970 he left music to pursue a career in the securities industry. In 1976 he began playing jazz again. In 1979, he was signed to LA based Discovery Records label. Conti released Latin Love Affair and a Direct To Disc recording titled Solo Guitar as his debut efforts as a leader in 1979. In 1982 he left music again for the business world. In 1985 he managed to released another album, and in 1986 he headlined the Florida National Jazz Festival, with Jimmy McGriff
and Nick Brignola
as his sidemen. In mid 1988 he was offered a position under filmmaker Dino De Laurentiis
in Beverly Hills, California
. After a lengthy recovery from a back injury in late '88, he was offered a position as resident jazz guitarist at the Irvine Marriott. He held that gig until mid 1998. Many of his most recent endeavors have been didactic in nature; since starting his website in 2000, he has released 27 educational DVDs on jazz guitar, including pro chord melody and improvisation using his trademark No Modes No Scales approach to teaching jazz guitar. On March 7, 2009, Robert Conti was a guest of the Las Vegas Guitar Club where he conducted a master class/clinic to a standing room only crowd at Sam Ash Music Store. http://schoolmusicsource.com/page/1noqg/LV_Guitar_Club.html
Hard bop
Hard bop is a style of jazz that is an extension of bebop music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz which incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
guitarist.
Conti was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and was an autodidact, first performing locally at age fourteen. In 1966, after four years on the road touring North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, he settled in Jacksonville, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. In 1970 he left music to pursue a career in the securities industry. In 1976 he began playing jazz again. In 1979, he was signed to LA based Discovery Records label. Conti released Latin Love Affair and a Direct To Disc recording titled Solo Guitar as his debut efforts as a leader in 1979. In 1982 he left music again for the business world. In 1985 he managed to released another album, and in 1986 he headlined the Florida National Jazz Festival, with Jimmy McGriff
Jimmy McGriff
James Harrell McGriff was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who developed a distinctive style of playing the Hammond B-3 organ.-Early years and influences:...
and Nick Brignola
Nick Brignola
-Biography:He was born on July 17, 1936 in Troy, New York. Nick was born into a musical family in which his father played the tuba and his uncle played the banjo. As a mostly self-taught musician, he developed his facility on all of his instruments using unconventional techniques, which gave his...
as his sidemen. In mid 1988 he was offered a position under filmmaker Dino De Laurentiis
Dino De Laurentiis
Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis was an Italian film producer.-Early life:He was born at Torre Annunziata in the province of Naples, and grew up selling spaghetti produced by his father...
in Beverly Hills, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. After a lengthy recovery from a back injury in late '88, he was offered a position as resident jazz guitarist at the Irvine Marriott. He held that gig until mid 1998. Many of his most recent endeavors have been didactic in nature; since starting his website in 2000, he has released 27 educational DVDs on jazz guitar, including pro chord melody and improvisation using his trademark No Modes No Scales approach to teaching jazz guitar. On March 7, 2009, Robert Conti was a guest of the Las Vegas Guitar Club where he conducted a master class/clinic to a standing room only crowd at Sam Ash Music Store. http://schoolmusicsource.com/page/1noqg/LV_Guitar_Club.html
Discography
- Latin Love Affair (Very Disco Records, 1979)
- Solo Guitar (Trend RecordsTrend RecordsTrend Records was a post-World War II United States jazz record label.Trend's back catalogue was purchased by Albert Marx, the owner of Discovery Records, and much of its material was reissued in the 1980s. Among those who recorded for Trend are Van Alexander, Robert Conti, Shelly Manne, Clare...
, 1979) - Robert Conti Jazz Quintet (Discovery RecordsDiscovery RecordsDiscovery Records was a United States-based record label known for its recordings of jazz music.Discovery was founded in 1948 by jazz fan and promoter Albert Marx...
, 1981) - Lomelin, Orchestra Of The Eighties With Gerald Wilson (Discovery RecordsDiscovery RecordsDiscovery Records was a United States-based record label known for its recordings of jazz music.Discovery was founded in 1948 by jazz fan and promoter Albert Marx...
, 1981) - The Living Legends (contains tracks recorded by Robert Conti and tracks recorded by Joe PassJoe PassJoe Pass was an Italian-American jazz guitarist of Sicilian descent. He is generally considered to be one of the greatest jazz guitarists of the 20th century...
) (1982) - Laura (Trend RecordsTrend RecordsTrend Records was a post-World War II United States jazz record label.Trend's back catalogue was purchased by Albert Marx, the owner of Discovery Records, and much of its material was reissued in the 1980s. Among those who recorded for Trend are Van Alexander, Robert Conti, Shelly Manne, Clare...
, 1984) - You Are the Sunshine of My Life (1985)
- Comin' on Strong (Time IsTime IsTime Is is the final studio album recorded by The Idle Race. It was recorded in 1970 after Jeff Lynne had left the band. He was replaced by vocalist Dave Walker and guitarist Mike Hopkins.-Track listing:#"Dancing Flower" – 2:14...
, 1990) - To the Brink! Featuring Rocco Barbato (Pinnacle Records, 2005)