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.
- Jim
LaDiana