The guitar of Lou Volpe, a mainstay of the New York music scene for the past two decades, has graced the recordings and performances of many of the finest and most successful musical artists. A deep knowledge of classic American guitar styles combined with writing, arranging and production skills has led Lou through a variety of recordings & performances with Peggy Lee, Gil Evans, Chaka Khan, Larry Coryell, Bo Diddley, Jon Lucien, Tania Maria, Hank Crawford, David “Fathead” Newman, Chet Baker, Freddie Hubbard, Liza Minelli, Lionel Hampton, Roberta Flack, Phoebe Snow, The Manhattan Transfer and Herbie Hancock.
Not too shabby!
Enjoy his song Sweet Miss T while you read his insightful article he put together for us…
Hi to my fellow guitar players, friends and music enthusiasts. I am a session guitarist in New York working mostly out of my home studio or doing gigs around town or touring the US, Europe, Africa and Asia solo or with my band. I play mostly jazz, contemporary, and rock with some R & B music.
I started playing the guitar when I was 12 years old. I took lessons from a guy who used to stick the point of his pencil into my left hand fingers when I hit a wrong note…..which was all too often. Then I studied with Sal Salvador who taught me scales and basic chords. He had a big band at the time and would bring me trumpet and saxophone parts to work on, so I learned how to read pretty well. Those sax players can read anything! When I was in high school, Sal would ask me to stay after the lessons til late at night and we would jam at his studio with another student, and Les Paul would come over and join us. Les was jazz and rock at the same time. I was in heaven! We would play standards and a lot of blues. The later it got, the more blues we would play.
My influences come partly from the different artists that I have worked with like Chaka Khan, Tania Maria, Peggy Lee, Larry Coryell, Herbie Mann, Herbie Hancock, Joey Difrancesco, a great Japanese trumpet player named Terumasa Hino, Bo Diddley, Judy Collins, Bette Midler, Phoebe Snow…..so many different styles to play.
My main guitar influences are from Jeff Beck, Wes Montgomery, Barney Kessel, Santana, Hendrix, and the sounds of the Eagles to Pat Metheny. A pretty wide range of music for sure.
I used to play on a lot of jingles and film and “record” dates through the 80s into the 90s. It seemed like the more different kinds of sessions I would take, the more different kinds of sessions I would get called for.
I once had to play a Yemenite acoustic guitar piece for this one session that I can remember where it was just two unusual percussion instruments and me on my Martin D 35. I was scared, but somehow we pulled it off! You would have to play a roaring rock solo ala Hendrix or Van Halen on one date and then do a Wes Montgomery jazzy or B B King blues style on another and then also bring the nylon string guitar along for the film soundtrack where they want a Segovia type
part to add the right color to a cue. It can make you a bit schizophrenic, but it gave me the opportunity to learn and make different sounds and feels that I use in my music today.
In my seminars, I encourage all guitarists to experiment with a style of music that they may not be really familiar with to broaden their sound and/or approach taken on their own music. Listen to others who play that style so well, try to imitate them and you will hear your playing improve and evolve. You will start to get different tones and sustains out of your sound.
Wonderful moment
I was playing at Lincoln Center once with Jon Lucien (the late and great amazing vocalist) and the piano player was Herbie Hancock. During this particular tune, Herbie nodded to me to play the solo. I took a deep breath and went for it. As I started to play, Herbie would play these amazing, heavenly chords beneath my solo that just pointed my playing in an amazing direction of incredible dynamics and sound and licks that I had never experienced before. He made everything I played
sound so awesome! That experience inspired me to write new compositions
and started me putting together my first album. A great confidence booster!
Writing tunes:
I usually have a riff or a chord cadence or progression in my head first. Then I come up with a melody line to go with it. After I play it on a few different guitars (Les Paul, Strat, Jazz box, Steel and Nylon string) the riff or chord figure evolves into a song. The different guitars seem to help me “hear” the line and help me to add or edit the
phrases. Sometimes I will sing a melody while I play the chords and that would help me to develop the song.
A typical day when I am in town:
Every day has a different schedule, but I generally get up early, go out for a jog to get my brain working a little bit, drink some coffee and then hit the studio. I spend at least an hour or so updating my websites, doing emails, talking to fans who come to see me at my gigs, contact me, or buy my Cds or download my tunes. I also will contact any agents or promoters that I need to speak with about booking me or the
band or my production gigs at that time. You have got to stay in touch and network every day. Don’t wait for the phone to ring. Make at least one call or email or contact each day toward booking yourself and you will see an increase in your work and the quality of gigs you do get. Then I will play the guitar and try to get my fingers moving with scales and transcribed solos that I use to warm up with (I have couple of Pat Metheny and Coltrane solos that I generally start off with). If there is time, I will go over ideas I have for new songs. I may have a student or two and/or a recording session in my studio. I usually have a gig with my own group or a solo gig or backing up someone at night.
Just the other day I was all set to have a nice calm day of working on my songs and leisurely going to my gig at night when the phone rang and I got an offer that I could not refuse: Compose and record three 60 second spots for a commercial product that would pay very well- But It must be ready by 5 PM.
One spot had to be “whimsical”. Another “soothing but not too calm”. And the last one “rolling”. Of course I had no idea what the producer meant by those terms. Then an artist (I had just produced her CD) called to say that we had to be at the TV station to do a live performance of 3 songs at 3 PM! All I wanted to do was practice, relax
and work on my songs. It can get hectic if not totally insane.
My gear:
My main guitars are a ’61 Strat, ’57 Strat (both stock with a couple of rewound original pickups), a ’68 Les Paul black beauty w/’59 PAF’s!, a 69 Byrdland, a Martin D 35 from about 1971 and a modified old Gretsch jazz box with 2 humbuckers from my ’68 Paul. My amps are also vintage: a ’59 Bassman, a ’58 Super (with 2 10’s- great for various levels of distortion/overdrive), a ’64 Pro with some tonal mods, and a Princeton from the ‘80s that was modified for various clean and dirty tones. I get my tones mostly from the amp and guitar combinations but I use a Boss delay pedal (I don’t have reverb on any of my amps.) and occasionally a Sans Amp stomp box for any additional drive or screaming that is needed. I generally use a Shure 57 mike close to the amp and a U-87 or some other nice condenser mike at a distance for a variety of sounds.
Advice to aspiring guitarists:
Practice, practice, practice. Listen to the great guitarists carefully. Your own ideas will come automatically. Go to jam sessions at clubs and cafes in your area to try your ideas in a performance setting and also to listen and learn from the other musicians playing there. We all have such a great individuality in us that just needs experience with music to bring it out. Keep working on new material or a new technique….play
with a pick and without a pick or a whole different kind of pick. You can get so many different sounds out of your fingers or your nails!
If any one would like to contact me with questions or comments or
anything! Please feel free to do so at my websites (my email and
contact info are there) or at any of my gigs. I’d love to hear from
you. Thanks so much.
And much thanks to my new friend Jeff at GuitarPlayerZen.com for this
opportunity to talk to this wonderful community of guitar players.
I will close with this little GuitarPlayerZen quote: May we all spend
our lives doing what we love and loving what we do with the greatest
passion and good feeling. Rock out!
Thanks so much for having me on the site.
Talk to you soon,
Lou
Popularity: 13% [?]
Featured Artist of the Week: Ron ZabrockiFeatured Guitar Player of the Week: Elvind AarsetFeatured Guitar Player of the Week: Peter KnollFeatured Artist of the Week: Tino FornerisFeatured Guitar Player of the Week: Misa Micevski (Serbian Guitar Prodigy)
25 responses so far ↓
1 Tracy Mothershed // Mar 5, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Lou, you have been a FEATURED ARTIST for longer than a week in my eyes…
Your talent that is now being embraced this week by is only an extension of your heart, soul, and ability to unconditionally give to other musicians that perform with you.
On that basis alone, thank you. But your talent is a true blessing, a true measure of art and passion combined.
I feel in love with your playing before I knew it was you but then to be able to share a moment at Buddy and Melanie’s wedding brought the spirituality of music home. It was brief but lasting.
Your playing “sends me”… (LOL)… really it’s a great joy and continued gift that keeps giving when anyone experiences to your great talent. Merci dear friend…
Tracy
2 Ralph Mellusi // Mar 5, 2008 at 4:04 pm
I have known Lou for too many years to count. He is a guitar players guitar player who excels in so many different styles, i.e. jazz, blues, rock, standards. He is a creative writer and equally at home in the studio or on the stage. The most telling compliment I ever heard paid to him came from George Benson who per chance happened to come into a NJ dinner club where Lou was playing. Before long GB was on the stage and when they finished a set, was heard to say: “You’re up there with the best I’ve ever played with”.
3 Sandy Hinden // Mar 5, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Lou Volpe… the man is a gift to humanity… as a guitarist and as a man… always super smooth and cool … with a heart of gold… a real role model for us all… I wish he could teach the young the joy of music… as Satchmo said… “what a wonderful world”… it would be… as all who know him know… he has a very special way… it needs to be shared with the next generation… how can we make that happen? Arts Education programs need to know about him… I’ll do my best… spread the word… e-mail me and let’s make it happen…
4 Bob Gingery // Mar 5, 2008 at 9:56 pm
I’ve had the pleasure of playing bass with Lou on a bunch of gigs. I’m always blown away by the amount of music this guy has in him. Every gig with him is a learning experience for me. Lou is a master of so many styles - one moment playing the horn riff from a 50’s rock tune the next quoting Pat Metheney but always sound like Lou Volpe! This guy is a guitar guru. If you don’t know his music - check him out!
5 Jeff // Mar 5, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Lou truly is a great guitar talent that more people should know about. I have both of his cds, and man, they are smokin!
Great guy and great guitarist.
Proud to feature him on our site!
6 mark brandenburg // Mar 6, 2008 at 12:18 am
its 2am , just got in from a gig. I had the pleasure,once again, to play with Lou Volpe tonight. I always measure a musicians talent by how much they make smile. Lou makes me laugh, he is an absolute joy to share a stage with.
7 Ron Zabrocki // Mar 6, 2008 at 6:06 am
Hey Lou!
Congrats on being featured artist! You have given all of us many inspiring musical moments, and for that, I thankyou! You define the New York Guitar sound!
Ron Zabrocki
8 Gene Epstein // Mar 6, 2008 at 9:07 am
My dear friend Lou…
In the many years we know each other..we’ve played music together, enjoyed that glass of Merlot together, and discussed music, guitars, family and lots of “stuff.” It’s the “stuff” that makes the friendship, and in reality it’s the “stuff” that is the basis of who we are, what we think, and yes, my dear friend…what we play.
Sure the music sound comes out of the mouth or from the tips of the fingers telling the guitar or other instrument what to do. The music however, comes from the heart, the soul, the passion and “the stuff” of the musician. And Lou, my dear friend, the composition of all of those characteristics are who Lou Volpe is to me. Good stuff……
May we all continue to play great music (not just play notes)!
Gene
9 Thomas W. Kelly // Mar 6, 2008 at 3:18 pm
When I think of Lou humility and soul come to my mind first. It is apparent that Lou is truly a masterful guitarist. My interest lies in “what makes Lou stand-out” among other accomplished artists. He speaks with a very personal musical voice that reflects his primary nature: that he has a great respect and admiration for the giants that preceed him and Lou’s integrity as a man and an artist reflects a sense of sacredness in life.
10 Graeme Patterson // Mar 7, 2008 at 9:37 am
I discovered Lou at the Starving Artist on City Island (a great venue - thanks Monica and Elliot) and what a revelation to me to hear a musician that sounds so good but who makes it look so easy! A natural!
For a while I was a student of Lou’s and he is a great teacher too.
More power to your figers Lou and congrats on being featured on this site.
11 Barbara Shroyer // Mar 7, 2008 at 10:29 am
Lou you are an inspiration to all artists - not just guitar players. Bless you.
Barbara
12 Pete Levin // Mar 8, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Hey Lou.
Great article. I enjoyed the read. Of course I relate to the versatility aspect of the studio sideman’s life. You’ve modestly sidestepped mentioning your own unique solo sound - so I’ll do it for you!
Nice anecdote about Herbie Hancock; I agree with you on his comping. Just last night I watched “Round Midnight” for what must be the 10th time, and was again knocked out by Herbie’s comping.
Congrats on the feature. Hope to play together again soon.
Pete
13 Chip Shelton // Mar 8, 2008 at 5:24 pm
I have had the pleasure of recording and being on the road with “gentleman Lou”. What a fun guy. And his music is at once playful, high energy, and seriously on-point. Im a lucky guy he happened by from a nearby gig, one Sunday, and played solo during my band’s intermission. All I could say was, geez, can I have your card?…sure would like to work with you sometime!
14 John Clay // Mar 8, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Hi Lou. Great article.
I have had the pleasure to play with Lou on and off for the past several years (I play drums). What makes Lou unique, besides having his own personal voice on the instrument, is the diverse number of styles that he can play with effortless authenticity. Lou is also in an elite class of guitarists that can play in a trio setting, play a solo and at the same time provide solid, supportive harmonic and rhythmic structure. Not only is Lou a great soloist, but a great “comper”, and can combine the two in a very musical way, fusing musical styles and genres into a unique and cohesive performance.
One night I was playing a gig with Lou when George Benson came into the club, pulled up a chair and sat right in front of Lou, grooving on his every note, and then sat in with the band for about an hour at the end of the night. Lou is a guitarist’s guitarist. His chops are extraordinary. Every aspiring guitarist should spend some time listing to Lou, no matter what style or genre they are interested in.
15 Thad MacGregor // Mar 9, 2008 at 9:07 am
I saw and heard Lou for the first time about a year ago playing with a swing big band. Even in that setting his wonderful style and originality were so apparent and enjoyable. I, too, had to ask for a card!
I hope to work with you one day.
Congrats on the feature, and all the best!
16 THOMAS MEADE // Mar 9, 2008 at 7:33 pm
LOU VOLPE IS NOT ONLY A GREAT MUSICIAN/GUITARIST
17 THOMAS MEADE // Mar 9, 2008 at 7:40 pm
BUT HE IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND GENTLEMAN. I HAD NO IDEA PRIOR TO READING THIS ARTICLE WHAT A BACKGROUND THIS MAN HAS EXPERIENCED. THE NEXT TIME MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE AND I GO TO SEE HIM PLAY I AM GOING TO IMMEDIATELY PURCHASE HIS CD, KISS HIM FOR OLDTIME SAKE AND ASK HIM IF I CAN ACCOMPANY HIM ON A SONG!
18 PHYLLIS LASKER // Mar 10, 2008 at 10:06 am
NOT A MUSICAN,A DANCER, BUT A LOVER OF ALL MUSIC & A GOOD FRIEND.
I GO TO AS MANY PLACES AS I CAN,AND BRING MANY FOLLOWERS TO LISTEN TO
A MAN WITH ALL HEART……..MY FRIEND
LOU VOLPE.
19 Doug // Mar 11, 2008 at 6:48 am
Hi Lou my brother.
I have always been amazed by your God given ability to move my heart through your playing.
You can watch Jimi Hendrix work his magic in films but to have a brother twist tones out of wood and strings live is unexplainable.
See ya at moms.
Doug
20 Robert Weiss // Mar 11, 2008 at 11:43 am
It is great to read about your many accomplishment’s as well as your thoughts and practices regarding being a musician. Very inspiring. I’m grateful to have been able to work with you and hope there are more opportunities in the future. Continued Best Wishes.
21 Bob Gerardi // Mar 12, 2008 at 9:33 am
hey lou,
great article, but no surprise. you you always made great music both in the studio and at live performances. hope to see you soon, on a gig, or just hangin’ out.
good luck and best wishes,
bob gerardi
22 arnold wu // Mar 14, 2008 at 6:55 am
March 14, 2008
The first time I heard mr Lou, was at Franks Waterside in Edgewater, NJ. Linda and I applauded his play. Lou, the huge star and performer that he is, actually stopped by and said hello ! His fine play and taking the time to meet-and-greet impressed me.
We’re a fan of his now, and in the future.
23 JOE GARRAMBONE-TENOR SAX // Mar 17, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Men like Lou Volpicella are born with a depth and capacity that transcends the norm. When he closes his eyes, get ready to leave the mundane and ascend into an audiophonic cloud. His unique magic defines tone, heart and true soul. He is a manifestation of how: ” LESS IS MORE “. His understated presence touches you so softly, you only realize you’ve been to a different place after he stops playing. He inspires any accompanist to let go and take the chance to reach nirvana with him. He makes even me sound good because: HE’S SO GOOD!!. I owe him more than I could ever give back. He is the ZEN we should all strive for. God bless this special man.
24 Chris Remediani // Mar 20, 2008 at 7:30 am
As a former student of Lou’s, I can honestly say that he is not only a brilliant teacher and musician, but also a wonderful person. I try to catch a performance whenever I can, and I would strongly recommend that if you haven’t experienced Lou’s playing live, you need to do it soon!
25 johnnymichael // Apr 2, 2009 at 8:08 am
What can i say that hasent been said.Even though i havent been in contactwith him in 14years or so,I always thought he was cool .A real mellow cat il never forget when he played at my wedding it was a real honor these things i dont forget.And the band players he gathered up it was just super.Ive hung out in quite a few jazz clubs in the last few years so my ears just have that pitch today.Not bad for a die hard rocker.I still believe in my head I owe some of my success in my bussiness today from talks we shared in the past.Im proud to call him uncle lou.
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