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Joe Diorio

Guitarist and composer Joe Diorio was born in Waterbury, CT, August 6, 1936. Joe had over 50 years experience playing the guitar and over 40 years experience as a performer and recording artist. He has worked with such jazz luminaries as Sonny Stitt, Eddie Harris, Ira Sullivan, Stan Getz, Horace Silver, and Freddie Hubbard. He has recently toured Italy with Riccardo Del Fra (bass player with Chet Baker, Johnny Griffin, Toots Thieleman). In recent years he also recorded albums with contemporary performers including Robben Ford, Gary Willis, David Becker, and Mick Goodrick.

Over the course of his career, Diorio recorded 19 albums. His most recent releases include three CD reissues on the Art of Life Records label, ArtOfLifeRecords.com, “Straight Ahead to the Light” with percussionist Steve Bagby reissued in 2018, “Peaceful Journey” reissued in 2017 and “Solo Guitar” reissued in 2006. Other releases include: I Remember Wes, a tribute to Wes Montgomery; A solo guitar album We Will Meet Again; Double Take with live recordings of the performances with Riccardo Del Fra; and Rare Birds, a duo album with Mick Goodrick.

Highly respected as an educator, Joe has many books and an educational video to his name. He began teaching at the USC Thornton School of Music in 1984 and continued to work with students until 2007. Diorio conducted jazz guitar seminars throughout the United States, Europe, and Brazil. Additionally, Joe was one of the three founding instructors for the Guitar Institute of Technology (G. I. T.) in Hollywood California. Diorio wrote 14 instructional books including “Intervallic Designs for Jazz Guitar: Ultramodern Sounds for Improvising and Giant Steps”.

Joe Diorio passed on February 2, 2022, at the age of 85.

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229
Multiple Reviews

Solo Guitar/Joe Diorio Trio: Live

Read "Solo Guitar/Joe Diorio Trio: Live" reviewed by Tom Greenland


Joe Diorio Solo Guitar Art of Life 2006 Joe Diorio Joe Diorio Trio: Live Mel Bay 2006

To call Joe Diorio a guitarist's guitarist is almost a back-handed compliment, a way of dooming him to obscurity. Having served as a sideman for illuminati such as Sonny Stitt, Stan Getz, Horace Silver ...

1,502
Interview

Meet Joe Diorio

Read "Meet Joe Diorio" reviewed by Craig Jolley


Early interest in jazz I got interested in jazz early. One of my first inspirations was hearing my uncle play. He was an accomplished mandolin, banjo, and guitarist, and he used to play all the time. My father played a little guitar, and he had a large collection of records: Django Reinhardt, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, boogie-woogie, all that stuff. I started listening to a lot of music. In Connecticut where we lived it used to be very cold in ...

207
Album Review

Joe Diorio Trio: Joe Diorio Trio: Live

Read "Joe Diorio Trio: Live" reviewed by Dave Nathan


Guitarist Joe Diorio is one of those excellent jazz musicians who, regrettably, seem permanently assigned to the “artists deserving wider recognition" category. Performing for more than 30 years, Diorio has worked and/or recorded with some of jazz's more outstanding performers, including Sonny Stitt, Eddie Harris and Bill Henderson. He also has produced a full discography of his own recordings as a leader. His latest captures the guitarist in live performance in his usual stalking grounds, Southern California, where he is ...

232
Album Review

Joe Diorio: Stateside

Read "Stateside" reviewed by David Rickert


Jazz writer Gary Giddins once wrote an article entitled “Fifty Years of 'Body and Soul'", which celebrates what he calls “the greatest American song of all time". Basically a tribute to how enduring the song is (nearly 300 versions have been recorded), the article highlights some of the more memorable interpretations. Giddins also illustrates how important standards are to the jazz medium, for they provide a common ground for musicians to collaborate with one another on the spot without ever ...

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1

Obituary

Joe Diorio (1936-2022)

Joe Diorio (1936-2022)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Joe Diorio, a guitarist whose soulful playing on albums by Sonny Stitt and Eddie Harris gave those recordings a special feel and whose pensive, ringing tones and polytextures on solo albums influenced fusion guitarists, died on February 2. He was 85. Diorio grew up in Westbury, Ct., and learned to play guitar at a local music school in the 1950s. Gigging in New York, he stood out with a jagged technique that focused on heart rather than perfection, traditional jazz ...

7

Recording

Joe Diorio & Steve Bagby's "Straight Ahead To The Light" Reissued On CD, WAV, FLAC & MP3 From Art Of Life Records

Joe Diorio & Steve Bagby's "Straight Ahead To The Light" Reissued On CD, WAV, FLAC & MP3 From Art Of Life Records

Source: Art of Life Records

This is the third in a series of five CD reissues from guitar legend Joe Diorio's classic Spitball Records recordings from the mid-70s. Originally released in 1976 on Spitball Records, Straight Ahead to the Light was recorded on May 23, 1976 at The First Unitarian Church in Miami, Florida and features Joe Diorio on guitar and Steve Bagby on percussion. Now available for the first time on CD including the original album cover artwork from the LP release. The album ...

2

Recording

Joe Diorio's "Peaceful Journey" Available Reissued on CD, WAV, FLAC & MP3 From Art Of Life Records

Joe Diorio's "Peaceful Journey" Available Reissued on CD, WAV, FLAC & MP3 From Art Of Life Records

Source: Art of Life Records

Purchase CD's, WAV, FLAC or MP3 Digital Downloads via the Art of Life Records web site. Following up on the 2006 CD reissue of Joe Diorio's Solo Guitar (Art of Life, AL1020-2), Art of Life Records is proud to celebrate the 40th anniversary of guitarist Joe Diorio's Peaceful Journey which was originally recorded and released on Spitball Records in 1977. Now available for the first time on CD including the album cover artwork and liner notes from the original LP ...

4

Video / DVD

Joe Diorio: Exquisite Guitar

Joe Diorio: Exquisite Guitar

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Joe Diorio is a jazz guitarist whose name may be unknown to you. I first came across Diorio on two Sonny Stitt albums from 1963—Move on Over and My Main Man. Diorio added so much taste on those dates that I began collecting his work. One of his finest solo guitar albums is To Jobim With Love (RAM) recorded in Milan in 1995. On the album, Diorio recorded a lead track and a track accompanying himself. It's an insanely tasteful ...

242

Recording

Joe Diorio and Sonny Stitt

Joe Diorio and Sonny Stitt

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Guitarist Joe Diorio recorded only two albums with saxophonist Sonny Stitt. Both are among my favorite Stitt recordings thanks to Diorio's extraordinary swinging rhythm guitar playing and soulful fills. The first of the pair was Move on Over (1963) and the second was My Main Man (1964). Both were recorded for the Argo label and both featured Stitt in peak form on alto and tenor saxophones. On these dates, Diorio provides aggressive, rhythmic chord comping and ringing guitar solos that ...

244

Event

An All-Star Benefit for Guitarist Joe Diorio

An All-Star Benefit for Guitarist Joe Diorio

Source: All About Jazz

An All-Star Benefit for Guitarist Joe Diorio With John Abercrombie, George Garzone, Vic Juris, Dave Stryker, Paul Bollenback, Ron Affif, Sheryl Bailey, Gene Bertoncini, Andreas Oberg, David Becker, John Beasley

and many more to be announced...

Tuesday, June 9 @ 8:30 & 11pm Music Charge: $25

Birdland 315 W 44th St. New York, NY 212-581-3080

Guitarist and Connecticut native Joe Diorio earned his reputation as a creative jazz soloist in ...

151

Recording

Joe Diorio's "Bonita" on Art of Life Records (AL1023-2)

Joe Diorio's "Bonita" on Art of Life Records (AL1023-2)

Source: All About Jazz

Originally released in 1980 on Zdenek Records and now available on CD for the first time ever on Art of Life Records Includes the original album cover artwork and liner notes exactly as they appeared on the original LP release in addition to new liner notes written by the album's original producer, Dale Zdenek. Joe is joined by acoustic bassist Bob Magnusson and drummer Jim Plank on all tracks with pianist Carl Schroeder joining the trio on “Bonita", “Spring Can ...

152

Performance / Tour

Joe Diorio Benefit Show

Joe Diorio Benefit Show

Source: All About Jazz

Jazz Guitar legend and educator Joe Diorio who has been a constant source of inspiration to guitarists and musicians alike from Pat Metheny to Scott Henderson suffered a Stroke in spring of 2005. His last recording The Color of Sound (Acoustic Music Records) was a duo effort along with fellow guitarist and former student David Becker. The record was hailed internationally as “One of the best duo guitar recordings ever." David Becker will be leading a small benefit concert for ...

144

Recording

Joe Diorio-"Solo Guitar" CD Art of Life Records AL1020-2

Joe Diorio-"Solo Guitar" CD Art of Life Records AL1020-2

Source: All About Jazz

Joe Diorio Solo Guitar Art of Life Records AL1020-2 CD

Now available for ordering via our web site's secure server!!

This is the first in a series of five CD reissues from guitar legend Joe Diorio's classic Spitball Records recordings from the mid-70's.

Originally released in 1975 on Spitball Records and now available on CD for the first time ever! Includes the original album cover artwork and liner notes exactly as they appeared on the original LP release. Joe performs ...

155

Joe Diorio-"Solo Guitar" CD Reissue Review

Vintage Joe Diorio recording that was originally released in 1975 on the Spitball label (SB-2). Some of the other records by Joe on that label were, Straight Ahead to the Light with Steve Bagby, SoloDuo with Wally Cirillo, Rapport with Cirillo and Peaceful Journey (solo). Peaceful Journey and Solo Guitar are my favorites of that series. Solo Guitar is a huge departure from what was generally being played in 1975. The innovations Joe was doing were hardly noticed as it sounded so easy and right. I think Joe is using the middle pick-up as the sound is so sharp and biting. Joe layers a few of the tunes, Windows, Invitation and Without You. The rest are solo. It's hard to believe this recording is over 30 years old. Joe's interpretations are extraordinary not to mention a display of technique that's mind boggling. The layered Windows is a perfect display of what great jazz guitar can aspire to. The recording sound on the CD has much better fidelity than the original record. Joe throws off his runs and 4th excursions with such ease that I shake my head and think, How did he do that?The unusual harmonies, moving lines, and single note passages are truly amazing. Joe's composition Poem has a real 20th century feel to it. 20th century then meant something else than now. You can hear Julian Bream play this and love it. Very compositional. Invitation starts very quietly and introspectively. Joe then goes crazy playing totally mad. (In a good way). I feel this track shows Joe's complete dedication to his craft and artistry. India is another Diorio tune with lots of open strings and a gentle, almost lullaby feel to it, some engaging rhythm and beautiful expression. The standard, A Time for Love is on its own a great tune and here's Joe doing a remarkable version. Still using open strings but somehow it doesn't sound arranged. It feels like Joe is playing everything improvised with a few guide lines. I'm sure Joe played this tune a million times and felt relaxed to try anything he heard. Joe's own Call to the Center is a real gem! What in the world is this man hearing? No restrictions at all. I always thought that certain guitarists like Barney, Tal, Johnny and some others were not trapped by the conventions of the guitar. They played music on the guitar and not just the guitar. Joe is another one who always did that. Without You is the last track with a layered 2nd guitar. It's a lovely ending to a remarkable set of music.

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Jorge Garcia
guitar, electric
Don Price
guitar, acoustic

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Rapport

Art of Life Records
2019

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Straight Ahead to the...

Art of Life Records
2018

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Music Is Love: The...

Sunjump Records
2018

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Peaceful Journey

Art of Life Records
2017

buy

Solo Guitar

Art of Life Records
2006

buy

Live

Mel Bay Records
2006

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Videos

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