This week we feature Los Angeles Guitarist John Pisano.

I have seen John Pisano play many, many times at the Guitar Night that he sponsors at Spazios here in Los Angeles. Over the years he has shared the stage with some of the greatest guitarists of our age and always manages to hold his own...

John is tireless in his dedication at organizing and performing at these Guitar Nights. The first ever one I attended was 4 or 5 years ago where I was fortunate enough to catch George Van Epps shortly before he passed away. What a rare treat! In the intervening years John has performed with a variable cavalcade of wonderful guitarists, some well known, other not so well known, but all great players in their own rights.

John Pisano has a very lyrical soloing style, mostly in the traditional straight ahead vein and he never fails to pull clever melodic phrases out of his guitar. He also plays Brazilian and Latin styles par excellence. His comping talent is no less than brilliant, as evidenced by the fact that so many major artists have hired him to back them up.

If you ever planning a trip to Los Angeles, make sure you stop in to Spazios on Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks (Tuesday nights) and check out John Pisano and friends.

>From John Pisano's online bio:

John Pisano has been recognized as one of the nation's finest jazz guitarists since first emerging on the jazz scene in the mid-Fifties. Even if his name doesn't immediately ring a bell, odds are that you've heard his guitar work. Although he had occasionally stepped forward to lead his own groups, for years his "comfort zone" was the background, where he'd supported some of music's biggest names, including Herb Albert, Sergio Mendes, Peggy Lee, Burt Bacharach, Frank Sinatra, and Barbra Streisand.

In the last several years, however, Pisano has assumed the leader's role, releasing a series of Pablo dates remarkable for their beauty and musical camaraderie. Among Friends (1995) was the first, featuring him in duet settings with six of the instrument's most talented players: Lee Ritenour, Phil Upchurch, Ron Affif, Dori Caymmi, Ted Greene, and the late Joe Pass, with whom John had worked extensively for three decades. (Pass died on May 23, 1994) Pass was also heard on last year's Duets, which focused on empathic guitar conversations recorded at a 1991 Pisano/Pass session.

The new Pablo release, Conversation Pieces, includes wonderfully varied material from 1994 and '95 recordings with, once again, Lee Ritenour, Phil Upchurch, Ted Greene, and Dori Caymmi, as well as Joe Diorio and Gene Bertoncini. Eric Miller, who was Pass's producer in the guitarist's final years, has also produced all of Pisano's dates for the label.

For nearly 40 years, John Pisano's playing has provided a model for improvisational creativity, technical execellence, and a seamless blend of jazz and latin elements. Today, John plays with his Brazilian group Velas, is a member of Frank Capp's Juggernaut Band, and works with his vocalist wife, Jeanne. He hosts (and performs at) a "Guitar Night" held Tuesdays at the Sherman Oaks, California club Spazio, and has worked several times at the popular Zinc Bar in lower Manhattan. Last year he and Jeanne also completed a series of dates in the Hawaiian islands.

John Pisano's website: The Flying Pisanos

Listen to John Pisano: Sound Clips

Doc Dosco is a jazz guitarist, composer and audio consultant living in Los Angeles, CA. His website is located at http://www.docdosco.com, where you can find more information on the 'What's Hot in Jazz Guitar' columns, audio clips of Doc's playing, and many additional features. Doc plays Heritage guitars and endorses the new Pignose Valve Tube Amps -- great for jazz (and anything else!)