Frank Vignola is one of the most extraordinary guitarists performing before the public today. His stunning virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Lionel Hampton, Tommy Emmanuel, John Lewis, the Boston Pops, the New York Pops, and guitar legend Les Paul, who named Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists List” for the Wall Street Journal. In 2020, Frank introduced the Big Jersey Guitar Club offering multiple formats for studying guitar with him online including 10-week Learning Clubs™, and Let’s Practice Sessions, plus Song Intensives and Methods.

A native of New York City, Bertoncini grew up in a musical family. His father, Mario played guitar and harmonica. His brother Renny played accordion and keyboards. Bertoncini began playing guitar at age seven and by age sixteen was appearing on television. He graduated from high school and attended the University of Notre Dame, where, in 1959, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering. He also played clarinet for the Notre Dame marching band. His first guitar teacher was Johnny Smith.

After college he entered the Marines, then moved to Chicago, where he became immersed in the jazz scene, working with Carmen McRae. He returned to New York City and played with vibraphonist Mike Mainieri and then in one of Buddy Rich's ensembles. He was a member the Tonight Show band. He has also worked with Burt Bacharach, Tony Bennett, Paul Desmond, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne, Hubert Laws, Michel Legrand, Charles McPherson, Wayne Shorter, Clark Terry, and Nancy Wilson. He has performed often with bassist Michael Moore.

Bertoncini has been on the faculties of William Paterson University, New York University, Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, and the Banff School of Fine Arts in Alberta, Canada.

Raised in Bellevue, Washington, guitarist James Chirillo has been privileged to work with many of the swing era’s recognized greats, including Benny Goodman, Buck Clayton, Benny Carter, Eddie Durham, Eddie Barefield, Earle Warren, Frank Wess, and Joe Wilder to name just a few, and as a charter member of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, he worked closely with musician/educators Gunther Schuller and David Baker.

Today, his collaborations include appearing regularly with the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra directed by Wynton Marsalis, as well as work with such diverse artists as Paquito D’Rivera, Wycliffe Gordon and Michael Feinstein. He has been a participant on countless recordings – with Tony Bennett, Joe Lovano, Houston Person, Marcus Roberts, and Dick Hyman, on the soundtracks of Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown, Everyone Says I Love You and also movies such as Sam Mendes’ Revolutionary Road and Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator. As a long time member of clarinetist Kenny Davern’s quartet he recorded several discs, including In Concert at the Outpost Performance Space.

His recording debut as leader — Sultry Serenade — was selected by the director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University Dan Morgenstern as one of his top five Critics’ Picks for the Year 2000 in Jazz Times magazine, and as one of critic C. Michael Bailey’s Top Ten List of Jazz Releases for 2000 at allaboutjazz.com.

In 2010 he was a member of the all-star/onstage band for the Broadway run of Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away featuring the music of, and playing the original arrangements written for, Frank Sinatra. He also held the guitar/banjo chair for the 2013-14 Broadway show, After Midnight with musical direction by Wynton Marsalis.

Since After Midnight he has continued working with the AM band now known as Andy Farber & his Orchestra. From fall of 2016 through spring of 2023 he taught at the Juilliard School, NYC as a member of the jazz faculty, establishing their jazz guitar program guidelines.

Lou played with Les Paul for over 28 years and their friendship started in 1963. Les started out visiting Lou’s gigs in New Jersey. Lou would record at Les’ house and Les would soon be jumping on stage with Lou and the rest is history. They began at Fat Tuesdays, a now defunct jazz club and then at Iridium for 14 years with Les Paul, where Lou played with such luminaries as Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Jeff Beck, Eddie Van Halen and Slash. You never knew who was going to show up or the opportunity to listen up close to the banter and camaraderie amongst Les, Lou and whoever happened to be sitting in. As Les would often not know some of the artists, Lou acted as “Master of Ceremonies”.

After Les’ passing on August 13, 2009, Lou began fronting The Les Paul Trio as we presented special guest guitarists to “sit” in with The Trio and “play” Les for the evening in tribute to “The Father of The Electric Guitar”. We presented such diverse guests as Joe Walsh, Al DiMeola, Todd Rundgren, Keith Richards, Paul Gibert and many others. Lou could play with anyone and often give me colorful commentary of each guitarists “abilities”. One memory that stands out was how excited, as were we, when Gibson launched The Lou Pallo Les Paul- that was the night Todd Rudgren was guesting.

Another significant event was Lou Pallo’s CD “Thank You Les” a tribute to Les Paul which featured Keith Richards, Steve Miller, Billy F. Gibbons, Jose Feliciano, Slash and Bucky Pizzarelli.

As a touring guitar musician, performer, and educator, Vinny Raniolo is best known for his accompanying skills and is a very high demand rhythm guitarist. His dynamic playing has brought him to 14 countries on three continents – and still growing – having performed in some of the world’s most illustrious venues, including the Sydney Opera House in Australia, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, New York’s Lincoln Center and the world’s oldest indoor concert hall, Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy.

While keeping a busy touring schedule in a variety of musical settings, Vinny has also become a familiar figure on Public Television. Featured previously on three popular shows, including the heavily programmed Tommy Emmanuel and Friends, in Frank Vignola’s Four Generations of Guitar as the youngest generation in the lineage of jazz guitarists with veteran Bucky Pizzarelli and in the Music Gone Public series.

Recording credits include soundtracks for HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and Woody Allen’s film Café Society.

Born in Nurmes, Finland and based in NYC, Soikkeli was introduced to the music of great Django Reinhardt and Gypsy Jazz, which has been his primary focus since. Olli played in jazz clubs and festivals across Finland, and toured Europe with Sinti Guitarist Paulus Schäfer. While still young, he’s already played with notable artists such as Bucky Pizzarelli, Stochelo Rosenberg, Tommy Emmanuel, Andreas Öberg, Cyrille Aimee, Antti Sarpila and Marian Petrescu.

After moving to New York City in 2014. Olli has played legendary venues such as Town Hall, Herbst Theatre, Birdland Jazz Club, Blue Note, The Iridium and Lincoln Center.

Olli recorded his first album “Trois Générations” (2011) with Hot Club de Finlande and Vitali Imereli and recorded his second album “Kouvola Junction” (2012) with Paulus Schäfer and Arnoud van den Berg.

Rhythm Future Quartet – co-led by Olli with violinist Jason Anick – released its debut album (2014) followed by ‘Travels’ (2016), receiving rave reviews including Best Albums of 2016 by Huffington Post and All About Jazz magazines.The Fall of 2018 marked the release of their newest album, “Rhythm Future Quartet and Friends”, which features the critically acclaimed singer Cyrille Aimée, brazil’s top bandolimist Hamilton de Holanda, and guitarist Stochelo Rosenberg.

Over the last few years Olli has been exploring musically. 2017 toured and recorded album ‘Rise and Grind’ together with virtuoso accordionist Julien Labro. 2018 Olli started a duo project with New York based Brasilian 7-string guitarist Cesar Garabini playing mostly Brasilian Choro music. Early 2019 Olli recorded with Grammy award winning pianist Marian Petrescu.