Tenor Banjo
Frank Vignola – Rising Jazz Guitar Music Star
Frank Vignola is considered to be among the top rank of guitarists on the jazz guitar music scene today! Born on December 30, 1965 on Long Island, New York, he began playing guitar at the age of five. As his proficiency grew, he spent many hours listening to the music of legendary jazz guitarists Django Reinhardt, Joe Pass, and Johnny Smith. Frank gained a spiritual sort of inspiration from these guitarists’ recordings while also making an intricate study of the complexities of these guitar masters’ styles – slowing down his vinyl records to analyze many a solo. Frank’s first teacher was his father, a semi-professional banjo player. Later, Frank became the star pupil of guitarist Jimmy George, who was one of the original Dion and the Belmonts. At age 12, Frank took up the tenor banjo and swiftly burst upon the music scene in a way that would portend many of the accolades and milestones to come in his career as a jazz guitarist.
Though obviously steeped in the traditional schools of jazz music, especially in the formative years, Frank would ultimately take inspiration from a wide arc of the musical spectrum. Guitarists such as Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery and Lonnie Johnson are obvious influences, but one might be surprised to learn that rocker Jimi Hendrix has also received the close scrutiny of Frank’s ear. Louis Armstrong, Lester Young, Thelonius Monk, Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Thad Jones and Duke Ellington have all had inspirational impact on his guitar music. Frank attended the Cultural Arts Centre on Long Island, New York and graduated from there with honors. While he was there he played in various progressive rock groups and at the age of 15 Frank won a competition sponsored by the McDonalds Corporation to appear in their State Jazz Band.
While still in his teens, Frank experienced the most effective music education possible – right on the bandstand as a working musician! Soon named among the top ranked musicians in New York, Frank performed and toured with such headliners as Max Morath and Leon Redbone. At age 23, he decided to lead his own group and formed his version of the famed Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Their debut at the New York cabaret, Michael’s Pub, was a smash success and launched his career as a guitarist “in the spotlight.” Tours of Europe, recording sessions, and an exclusive recording contract with the Concord Jazz record label would all follow in quick succession in a few short years. Frank would go on to perform and/or record with such varied artists as Chet Atkins, Madonna, Jon Faddis, Woody Allen, Ringo Starr, The Manhattan Transfer, Frank Wess, Elvin Jones, Lionel Hampton and countless other legends from the golden age of jazz.
More recently, Frank Vignola has been the guitarist with the Mark O’Conner Trio’s tribute to Stephane Grappelli and was also performing every Monday night with the Les Paul Trio at the Iridium in New York City until Les Paul passed away. Frank has also been performing with John Lewis’ group Evolution. Fortunately for aspiring guitarists, Frank has gone on to publish numerous instructional guitar tab book/CDs and DVD courses that teach his harmonic and melodic concepts as well as the guitar techniques that he uses when he plays.
About the Author
Peabody Conservatory trained guitarist Steven Herron helps people succeed at becoming better guitar players. His company ChordMelody.com features an enormous, unique selection of
jazz guitar tab
as well as guitar books and instructional DVDs by
Frank Vignola
himself.
Introduction to Tenor Banjo and Tenor Guitar with Dear Old D
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Learning Tenor Banjo [VHS] $29.95 Buddy Wachter teaches essentials of pick technique: proper wrist and hand positions, the tremolo, accents and dynamics, developing speed and control, and ten basic strums. Learn movable chords and left-hand exercises for strength and coordination, plus chord theory and basic positions for major, minor, 7th, augmented and diminished chord formations. Invaluable knowledge to enable you to move on to… |
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Mel Bay’s Tenor Banjo Video Approximately 30 minutes. This great new tenor banjo chord video makes it possible to learn all the essential chords.Learning becomes much more interesting when you can see and hear each chord. Joe Carr teaches the chord shapes and positions that are used by all the leading professionals. Watching Joes hand positions and listening to each note in the chord will improve your ear and enable you to l… |
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Mel Bay Fun with the Tenor Banjo [VHS] $5.00 … |
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Absolute Beginners Irish Tenor Banjo $22.96 For the absolute beginner banjo player, this 75 minute DVD takes you from your first notes to your first solo in an easy, step-by-step manner. It features live stage performances with Gavin Ralston on guitar and Paul McNevin on fiddle. Gerry’s unique style of playing has gained him the reputation of being the world’s greatest Irish tenor banjo player ever…. |
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Learning Tenor Banjo $19.49 LEARNING TENOR BANJO – DVD Movie… |
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50 Solos For Irish Tenor Banjo $33.14 This book is the most comprehensive collection of banjo tunes currently available by two of the finest banjo players in Irish traditional music. Contains 50 tunes, featuring jigs, reels, and hornpipes arranged for E,A,D,G and A,D,G,C tunings. CD included. |
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Absolute Beginners Irish Tenor Banjo $24.03 Absolute Beginners Irish Tenor Banjo |
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Blueridge BR-70T Tenor Guitar $646.35 BR-70T Blueridge Tenor Guitar Blueridge has re-introduced the classic 0-sized tenor guitar and has perfectly reproduced this popular model down to the last detail. Originally coming to prominence in the late 1920s, the tenor guitar was designed as an instrument that would allow the tenor banjoist to double on guitar. As the six-string guitar gradually replaced the banjo in the Big Bands, the four-string tenor guitar found its way into Dixieland, Western Swing and country fiddle bands.Select, solid Sitka spruce top with handcarved parabolic braces in the authentic patterCarved mahogany, Low profile neck with adjustable truss rod, East Indian rosewood fingerboard and bridgeSantos rosewood back & sidesAbalone pearl top border, rosette and fingerboard position marksWhite bound, pearl inlaid peghead |
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Chicago – Choral Highlights $49.99 Kander and Ebb’s splashy 1975 musical is entertaining new audiences thanks to last year’s award-winning cinematic revival. Share in their success with this great feature medley from Ed Lojeski. Songs include: All I Care About, All That Jazz, Funny Honey, Mister Cellophane, Nowadays, Razzle Dazzle, and Roxie.Available separately: SATB, SAB and SSA. Instrumental Pak includes parts for Trumpet 1 & 2, Clarinet/Tenor Sax, Trombone, Tuba, Synthesizer, Guitar/Banjo, Bass, Drums and Percussion 1 & 2. ShowTrax CD also available. Performance Time: Approx. 12:30. |
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Chords for Mandolin, Irish Banjo, Bouzouki, Tenor Mandola, Mandocello $8.95 This is the perfect reference for chords for mandolin, banjo and bouzouki. The book contains easy chords in all keys, with sections on tunings, capos and chord relations. John Loesberg has created another intelligible and intuitive didactic book which will be invaluable for all players of Irish traditional music. |
June 10, 2010 8:52 am 
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