From Scott Hanley -

Back in spring of 2020, I unearthed a number of recordings, digital, vinyl, reel to reel and more (anyone remember dbx encoding?), and it caused me to jump in to start rescuing and archiving recordings from the past 40 years of my career. I’ve hardly scratched the surface, but it is nice to remember old friends.

And, also - to call them back - often!

I have known guitarist Gene Bertoncini for more than 30 years. I last saw him in New York in January, 2020, and we were able to catch up a bit. This week, I realized we hadn’t chatted since April - (which seems, now, like 8 years ago).

Call. My advice to everyone is - call.

While I have left messages this week, from what I know of his activity in New York - he’s back to some music gigs and travel, including a special concert at the Eastman School on November 9, 2021. Gene still lives in the heart of Manhattan. And still plays, beautifully.

Gene Bertoncini, including music he shared with us of a Michael Patterson arrangement of the Jobim tune Luiza featuring a string section, Gene and violinist Sara Caswell.

We also remember trombonist, arranger and Southwest Pennsylvania Native Slide Hampton. The Jeannette native died this week at the age of 89. We highlight his 2002 recording of Brazilian Jazz sounds with a remarkable collection of artists.

This week, the show is a reprise of the one from the spring - our NY interview in January (before COVID, and a week that became warm and beautiful), Gene’s recordings, some things he and I recorded, together, and an update from Gene on New York in November.

And remember - call your friends and family. Don’t think about it. Call!

From the Spring 2020 notes:

Working from my home studio for much of my on-air work for WZUM is pretty standard. But after having been under the weather for a couple of weeks (yeah, probably, but no tests), coming out from under the fog of illness and reconciling with where we are at led to a pretty major spring cleaning. And a job of rescue to recordings that have sat fallow for too long.

Before I came to Pittsburgh in 1995 to manage WDUQ, I worked at (and in some cases, managed) stations in Michigan, Omaha/Council Bluffs and Beaumont, TX. Much of that was work in journalism, programming and technology, but a lot of it also had connections to community and jazz.

Put that into 40 plus years in media and associations with jazz artists led me to many friendships that have lasted a lifetime.

On the jazz side, I also produced concerts and was involved with clubs, theaters and jazz societies in many parts of the country, so getting to spend time with notable artists like Ramsey Lewis, Lou Donaldson, Susannah McCorkle, Art Farmer, Woody Herman, Dave Brubeck, Mark Murphy, Ahmad Jamal, Ray Brown, Gene Harris, Joanne, Brackeen, Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Houston Person and Etta Jones, Tommy Flanagan, Donald Byrd, Woody Herman and legions more, plus working closely with more “local” artists who I always tried to help keep active.

On top of all of that, I was, personally, pretty active as classical and jazz singer, especially before I came to Pittsburgh. But my time with NPR and other responsibilities in Pittsburgh led to me step back from that, and by the late 90’s, unless it was me sitting in with Roger Humphries, Frank Cunimondo or Joe Negri at a random event, you’d have never heard me (or, maybe at the Public Radio Conference Talent Shows, which I emceed for a few years back in the day).

Gene Bertoncini and Scott Hanley at Jazz at Lincoln Center, January 2020

So, the mix of the most recent Jazz Congress at Jazz at Lincoln Center in January, plus being cooped up with Covid-19 had me clearing out computer files and record shelves - and to Gene Bertoncini.

Gene is a world-renowned jazz guitarist, a prime advocate for the nylon-string classical guitar in jazz, a former member of the Tonight Show Orchestra in the 60’s when it was still in New York, and a friend of mine since the late 1980’s. He had come to Grand Rapids, Michigan back when I was program director for the NPR and Jazz station, there - and we recorded his lunchtime concert, there, and also joined him for an event at a fellow alumnus of Notre Dame who often had house parties with visiting jazz artists.

So, I did finally catch up with Gene in January of 2020, first at the Knickerbocker in Manhattan, then at the conference, was impetus to get things back on track, for me - and here on WZUM - with what is something very special, very intimate, about music and especially about jazz.

So, for much of this hour, it’s me and Gene. But, mostly, Gene.

Music and and appreciation -

The Scene - Thursdays at 6pm, Friday at Saturdays at noon, Sundays at 5pm on WZUM.