Handcrafted (CD)

Gene Pino, guitarist, has a unique style. He combines jazz and classical techniques to achieve interpretations of standards from great songwriters like Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Jerome Kern and Cole Porter. Gene has played in New York and metro area swing bands: The New Deal Swing Band, Vince Giordano's Night Hawks, Joe Holmes Swing Band and Johnny Morris Ensemble and is leader of his own jazz ensemble, The G-clef Swing Band. He also performs solo guitar frequently throughout the tri-state area. For the past 21 years he has performed with and lead jazz bands in concerts, clubs and private events. He has lead bands with such top-notch players as drummer Butch Miles, Terry Clarke, Eliot Zigmund and Robbie Scott. He has been a skilled accompanist for many of this areas finest vocalists. He has performed for the Pennsylvania Jazz Society and New Jersey Jazz Society. He has appeared with such notable jazz musicians as Maxine Sullivan, Lou Stein, Don Elliot, Glenn Zottola, Anita O'Day and many of Connecticut and New York's best musicians. From his home studio, Gene teaches guitar and electric bass at many educational levels, from elementary school age to senior citizen. He has developed a method covering reading, technique and theory within varied repertoires. Gene himself studied under guitarist Chuck Wayne and Linc Chamberland and attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and Manhattan School of Music.