The Charlie Apicella Trio
Classic Guitar
Special Guest Stephen Riley
Roy Cumming
Alan Korzin

Release Date: January 15, 2021
Availability: Worldwide

Songs:
1. Four 5:27
(Eddie Vinson)
2. Some Other Spring 4:14
(Arthur Herzog Jr., Irene Kitchings)
3. Beautiful Love 4:26
(Wayne King, Arthur Young, Egbert Van Alstyne, Haven Gillespie)
4. Shiny Stockings 3:25
(Frank Foster)  
Side B
5. Tenderly 3:49
(Jack Lawrence, Walter Gross)
6. Funky Mama 3:10
(John Patton)
7. Eclypso 4:09
(Tommy Flanigan)
8. All The Way 2:09
(Sammy Cahn, James Van Heusen)

Available CD and 180g vinyl formats

Selection #: ZM 202101 CD
UPC Code: 880956210124

Selection #: ZM 202102 Vinyl
UPC Code: 880956210223

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Musicians:

Charlie Apicella - guitar

Stephen Riley - tenor saxophone (1, 2, 5)

Roy Cumming - bass (1, 3, 5, 7)

Alan Korzin - drums (1, 3, 5, 7)
Classic Guitar is NYC based guitarist Charlie Apicella's second ZOHO album, available on 180 gram audiophile vinyl and CD. It celebrates 1950s guitarists Johnny Smith, Freddie Green, and Barney Kessel, in solo guitar, duo, and trio settings. On his first record of standards, Charlie, inspired by his love of collecting jazz LPs, plays Delia, his 1963 Guild Artist Award guitar.

Four
This is what swinging hard-bop is all about. I incorporated some ideas in my arrangement of the head. First, notice how the time signature changes to 3/4. My mentor and occasional Iron City bandmate, Sonny Fortune, would perform in a duo with drummer Rashid Ali. He loved talking about how they would always play the tune “Four” in three! The tag I learned from the original recording of the tune which Miles Davis did in 1954. His records from this era with Horace Silver are my favorites.

Some Other Spring
I love Billie Holiday’s 1950s Verve records featuring guitarists Barney Kessel and Kenny Burrell. I can’t think of better musician to help me interpret her work than Stephen Riley. This duo arrangement is based on the way I play the tune solo. It was great collaborating with Riley on this one and talking about our approach to the tune. This recording date was the first time we had seen each other in almost 5 years.

Beautiful Love
This is my nod to Vic Juris. His passing during the making of this record had an effect on me. This tune is one of my favorite Bill Evans Trio recordings. He and Jim Hall made a couple of wonderful duo albums together.

Shiny Stockings
Everyone’s favorite Count Basie tune. No matter what gig I play it on, solo or with the band, it kills. Freddie Green ’s son, Alfred, recently mailed me a photo from his personal collection of his dad with Basie, circa 1941.

Tenderly
Here is another swinging staple of the Charlie Apicella Trio’s live gigs.

Funky Mama
I recently came by several records on vinyl by the greatest blues pianist of all, Otis Spann. On some records he plays solo piano and sings, some are duo with guitarists Lonnie Johnson and Robert Lockwood Jr This Big John Patton tune is our set opener in Iron City and its down-home feel works great as a solo guitar arrangement.

Eclipso
The first jazz record I owned was Kenny Burrell, John Coltrane, and Tommy Flanagan. The pianist wrote two tunes I have now recorded.

 All The Way
My love of Frank Sinatra is how I became a fan of Tony Mattola  Last year his son, Tony Jr. shared with me a rare record from the early 1980s called All The Way. This solo arrangement is my tribute to his playing on that.

Charlie Apicella
January 2021