Welcome to my website & thank you for stopping by…
I am happy and grateful to be involved in these creative endeavors that are my passions, and truly fortunate for the opportunity to share them with you all.
My journey through the passageways of the jazz experience has been, and continues to be one of joy and discovery.
In the course of following my heart, I have played hundreds of gigs ranging from the sublime to the absurd, and have spent countless hours practicing, studying, listening, transcribing, reading, and haunting the dark cellars of the New York City Jazz experience.
It all leads to you, the valued listener, and to this opportunity to share my experiences with you via our treasured art form.
Please avail yourself of the offerings contained in this site, and don't hesitate to e-mail me with comments and suggestions...
Autumn in New York is here-finally - as beautiful as the song that celebrates it...
DiMarzio Pickups Are Awesome!
Earlier today I installed 3 DiMarzio pickups in my G&L S-500 strat-style guitar - Pure Magic!
The existing pkups were decent, though I fully intended to upgrade them to DiMarzios from the outset. I am a single-coil fan, but the 60cycle hum can be problematic, especially in neon sign/dimmer-switch laden venues.
DiMarzio's 'virtual vintage' series solved the problem.
Hum-cancellation is one thing, tone is another - the DiMarzios nailed both.
At the expert suggestion of DiMarzio's resident genius Steve Blucher,
I used a 'Heavy Blues 2' in the neck position, an 'Area '61' in the middle position, & an 'Injector' in the bridge position.
So 'Toney' are these pkups they should be named 'Anthony1, 2, & 3'.
The 'HB2' is warm & jazz like with great string separation on chords, the 'Area 61' is bright yet full, and really defines the neck/middel & middle/brdge settings. The ‘Injector' is the perfect Strat bridge pickup.
It is powerful and warm, & can really drive a tube amp, yet cleans up nicely for chicken pickin' & surf sounds.
The G&L comes with a push-pull pot allowing for all 7 pkup combinations.
I'm taking this axe to Brooklyn for a gig tomorrow & am duly psyched...
Currently, my DiMarzio to Guitar ratio is as follows:
1971 Gibson-ES330-Longneck-2 DiMarzio PAF Classic Pickups.
Forshage ‘Ergo’ 2 DiMarzio DLX Plus Pickups, & 1 DiMarzio PAF Chopper Pickup.
G&L S-500-'Heavy Blues 2' in the neck position, an 'Area '61' in the middle position, & an 'Injector' in the bridge position.
G&L ASAT- DiMarzio Area-T Set.
Ibanez ‘Musician’ – Original, 35 year old DiMarzio PAF/Super Distortion Set.
Jay Turser-‘Mustang’- DiMarzio Injector' neck/bridge set.
Jay Turser-‘Surfcaster’-3 DiMarzio DLX Plus Pickups.
Some new musical offerings are in the works, so please stay tuned...
I have been having a wonderful time teaching the talented and dedicated guitar students I am privileged to work with here in NYC. With the music business in its current state of disarray, it is an amazing, and energizing experience to work with individuals committed to their personal musical development, and the development of the music in general. Many of my students specialize in jazz, which at times, not surprisingly encompasses the study of other genres such as classical, blues, and traditional folk music. One of the joys in my life is to work with students of any level, in any genre, who are enthused about the discovery of music.
I encourage anyone interested, to contact me by phone or email (info on ‘Contact’ page of this site), to discuss their musical goals…
I continue to write for Just Jazz Guitar magazine, as I have done in every issue since August of 1999. I consider it to be an honor, a privilege, and above all a labor of love. Look for my composition ‘Tip A Canoe' in the November 2014 issue, which will be coming soon. I wrote this piece in honor of the eccentric campaign song of the Whig Party's colorful Log Cabin Campaign in the 1840 United States presidential election – why I’m still not sure…
JJG is an essential jazz journal, issued quarterly in February, May, August, & November. I write a composition for each issue, with the jazz guitarist in mind. In the past year, my contributions to JJG were: February-“Chalooch’s Blooze”, May-“Pug Henry”, August-"Grand'Artista", November-‘Tip A Canoe’.
I frequently compose these pieces with a specific musical goal in mind, and/or as a dedication to someone I consider to be noteworthy. ‘Chalooch’s Blooze’ is for the irrepressible drummer/pianist Chuck Fertal, with whom I have made some memorable music (a live CD of our trio is in the works), ‘Pug Henry’ is the fictional hero of Herman Wouk’s two WWII novels, ‘Grand’Artista’ is most sadly, in memory of a dear, departed friend whom I considered to be a guiding force in my life for the past 35 years - Master Luthier Giuliano Balestra, who left us suddenly & unexpectedly in January 2012 in his hometown of Castel Fidardo, Italia.
FYI, you can read an extended interview with me from Just Jazz Guitar Magazine, conducted by Brandon Bernstein in the ‘Reviews’ section of this site.
As a result of much musical & personal soul searching, I have decided to more thoroughly integrate my singing into my musical endeavors. This will in no way diminish my commitment to guitar based, jazz improvisation, rather it will be an enhancement to it. A big part of my recent strides as a player stem from my rediscovery of the importance of melody, a revelation that largely results from my vocalizing.
Somewhat like a sculptor, I am removing everything that is not Joe Giglio from my music. It is both wonderful, & a wee bit unsettling. And, it makes me treasure every musical moment!
As we head into the winter winds of 2015, I look forward to the happy continuation of my musical development ...also to Spring!