Johnny Guarnieri was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 virtuoso jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 and stride pianist

Jazz piano

Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instrument's combined melodic and harmonic capabilities...

, born in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, perhaps best known for his big band

Big band

A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...

 stints with Benny Goodman

Benny Goodman

Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...

 in 1939 and with Artie Shaw

Artie Shaw

Arthur Jacob Arshawsky , better known as Artie Shaw, was an American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He was also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings....

 in 1940. Guarnieri is also noted for his embellishment and juxtaposition of jazz with classical piano, such as Scarlatti

Domenico Scarlatti

Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti was an Italian composer who spent much of his life in the service of the Portuguese and Spanish royal families. He is classified as a Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the development of the Classical style...

 and Beethoven.

In the early 1980s, Johnny Guarnieri recorded "Johnny Guarnieri plays Duke Ellington" on a Bosendorfer Grand "SE" player piano, for the Live-Performance Jazz Series.

Throughout the 1940s Guarnieri was a busy sideman, recording with artists such as Charlie Christian

Charlie Christian

Charles Henry "Charlie" Christian was an American swing and jazz guitarist.Christian was an important early performer on the electric guitar, and is cited as a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained national exposure as a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra...

, Cozy Cole

Cozy Cole

Cozy Cole was an American jazz drummer who scored a #1 Cashbox magazine hit with the record "Topsy Part 2". "Topsy" peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100, and at number one on the R&B chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The track peaked at #29 in the UK...

, Ike Quebec

Ike Quebec

Ike Quebec was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. His surname is pronounced KYOO-bek.Critic Alex Henderson wrote, "Though he was never an innovator, Quebec had a big, breathy sound that was distinctive and easily recognizable, and he was quite consistent when it came to down-home blues, sexy...

, Charlie Kennedy

Charlie Kennedy (saxophonist)

Charles Sumner "Charlie" Kennedy was a big band-era alto saxophonist.Kennedy played with Louis Prima's big band orchestra in the 1940s. He performed a solo on that band's 1943 recording of "The White Cliffs of Dover"...

, Hank D'Amico

Hank D'Amico

Hank D'Amico , was an American jazz clarinetist.D'Amico was born in Rochester, NY. He began playing professionally with Paul Specht's band in 1936. That same year, he joined Red Norvo. In 1938, D'Amico began radio broadcasts with his own octet before returning briefly to Norvo's group in 1939...

 and Ben Webster

Ben Webster

Benjamin Francis Webster , a.k.a. "The Brute" or "Frog," was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young...

. He also led his own group called the "Johnny Guarnieri Swing Men" and recorded with them on the Savoy

Savoy Records

Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...

 label, a group that included Lester Young

Lester Young

Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....

, Hank D'Amico

Hank D'Amico

Hank D'Amico , was an American jazz clarinetist.D'Amico was born in Rochester, NY. He began playing professionally with Paul Specht's band in 1936. That same year, he joined Red Norvo. In 1938, D'Amico began radio broadcasts with his own octet before returning briefly to Norvo's group in 1939...

, Billy Butterfield

Billy Butterfield

Billy Butterfield was a band leader, jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and cornetist.He studied cornet with Frank Simons, but later switched to studying medicine. He did not give up on music and quit medicine after finding success as a trumpeter. Early in his career he played in the band of Austin Wylie...

 and Cozy Cole

Cozy Cole

Cozy Cole was an American jazz drummer who scored a #1 Cashbox magazine hit with the record "Topsy Part 2". "Topsy" peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100, and at number one on the R&B chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The track peaked at #29 in the UK...

. He also led a trio

Trio (music)

Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...

 in the 1940s composed of himself, Slam Stewart

Slam Stewart

Leroy Eliot "Slam" Stewart was an African American jazz bass player whose trademark style was his ability to bow the bass and simultaneously hum or sing an octave higher. He was originally a violin player before switching to bass at the age of 20.-Biography:Stewart was born in Englewood, New...

 and Sammy Weiss, recording again for Savoy

Savoy Records

Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...

. During the 1940s he also recorded for the short-lived Majestic label playing solo piano and with his trio.

In 1949 Guarnieri recorded an album with June Christy

June Christy

June Christy , born Shirley Luster, was an American singer, known for her work in the cool jazz genre and for her silky smooth vocals. Her success as a singer began with The Stan Kenton Orchestra. She pursued a solo career from 1954 and is best known for her debut album Something Cool...

 titled June Christy & The Johnny Guarnieri Quintet. Guarnieri has recorded with numerous artists, and in his later years he shifted more toward jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 education. In commemoration of his reputation as a teacher, Guarnieri's students financed a label for him called Taz Jazz Records. In the 1970s Guarnieri recorded numerous albums on his new label, and until 1982 worked "Tail of the Cock" nightclub

Nightclub

A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...

 in Studio City, California. He died onstage during a performance with Dick Sudhalter

Dick Sudhalter

Richard "Dick" Sudhalter was an American jazz trumpeter, scholar, critic, and album annotator.-Biography:...

.

Select Discography

with Cozy Cole

Cozy Cole

Cozy Cole was an American jazz drummer who scored a #1 Cashbox magazine hit with the record "Topsy Part 2". "Topsy" peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100, and at number one on the R&B chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The track peaked at #29 in the UK...

:

• "Concerto For Cozy" (1944; Savoy
  Savoy Records
  Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...
  
  )

with Ben Webster

Ben Webster

Benjamin Francis Webster , a.k.a. "The Brute" or "Frog," was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young...

:

• "Honeysuckle Rose c/w Kat's Fur" (1944; Savoy
  Savoy Records
  Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...
  
  )
• http://www.box.net/shared/8lsa5oryae "Caravan" by Juan Tizol, first played by Duke Ellington in 1937, played here by Johnny Guarnieri on a 7 ft Grand Piano, through the LX solenoid playback system

Johnny Guarnieri Trio:

• "Makin’ Whoopee" (1970s; Dobre Records)