Bertoncini will be accompanied by bassist Tom Knific.
A 1959 graduate of Notre Dame, Bertoncini is one of the pre-eminent acoustic jazz guitarists. His fluid technique and lyricism have won him international praise and accolades as the “Segovia of Jazz.” Bertoncini has performed and recorded with an extraordinary range of jazz greats, including Benny Goodman, Buddy Rich, Wayne Shorter, Hubert Laws, and Paul Desmond, as well as with vocalists Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Nancy Wilson, Vic Damone, and Edye Gorme.
The Washington Post proclaimed his 1999 solo appearance in New York City the best jazz concert of the year. The New Yorker said, “Bertoncini is an affecting, highly original guitarist who moves easily back and forth between classical and jazz guitar.” The New York Times described his playing, saying “He brings out the melodies as much as possible but enfolds them in capacious six-string chords and contrary-motion harmony, using the whole range of the guitar. So long as you listened, you heard a great musician trying to be better.”
Bertoncini’s recent CDs include Body and Soul (2000), Acoustic Romance (2003), Quiet Now (2005), and Concerti (2008). He is featured performing with Tom Knific on the bassist’s CD Siena (2004).
Tom Knific teaches double bass at Western Michigan University. He is a master of both jazz and classical music, having performed with artists as diverse as Dave Brubeck and Philippe Entremont. For the last decade, Tom has frequently performed in concert duets with Gene Bertoncini.
For more information, contact Noelle Elliott, publicity and concert coordinator at the University of Notre Dame’s Department of Music, at 574.631.2325 or nelliot2@nd.edu.
Admission cost is $5.00 at the door.
Sponsored by the Department of Music