GIUTGO-one man live jazz and pop guitar experience

I offer over 30 songs with unique arrangements in the jazz and pop idiom. This affords me to play nonstop for about three hours without repeating a thing. Since I absolutely love to play, I can commonly play continuously through my whole recorded repertoire without a second thought; yet I can also easily break my performance at will when I need to or at the end of a song to accommodate breaks for any event activities. Having a good stereo system for my prerecorded arrangements is key, as I pride my performance to sound like a well-mixed record. The only difference is that all melodies and improvisation are done live on guitar in stereo. Using two small guitar amplifiers allows me to use stereo effects which greatly bolsters my sound as well. Because I know my arrangements intimately, I enjoy playing in this idiom a lot, and it always feels fresh to me every time I play. It's also nice to have well recorded intricate arrangements without having to rehearse a band of more members- which is a personal luxury. This allows me to deliver an audible experience that is instrumentally far larger than any normal solo guitarist or even a trio might. I always keep my overall volume just right for any venue- loud enough to hear, never too loud to be annoying for anyone. This is what I would want as a listener at any event, where music is always there only to enhance a situation. I'm perfect for adult parties, upscale restaurants, wedding cocktail receptions or any event where interesting music enhances as it also remains in the background- available to focus upon or not.

Hello and thank you for seeking more of my personal information. For decades as a professional musician I have played live engagements on guitar, electric bass, piano, and drums. In my recording studio I also play violin, mandolin, twelve string electric guitar, and various types of hand percussion. I lived and worked out of my own recording studio in Manhattan for over 25 years and now reside in Monroe, CT where I still do complete song production and mastering of demos and albums for independent songwriters. I also teach beginning to advanced techniques for aspiring guitarists and electric bassists. In addition, I offer my services as an entertainer in a one-man-band format called "Guitgo" where you'll find me playing live guitar along with pre-recorded song backgrounds- all parts arranged, produced and played by myself.

Like so many who get hooked early on, music became very important to me at age twelve. The Beatles were on the Ed Sullivan show, and my life was changed forever. My first instrument had to be the drums; Ringo Starr was just too cool for school. A couple years later I began to play guitar. All of the popular music of the day in the 60s was very diverse when you could hear back to back on the radio tunes in succession ranging from The Beatles to Burt Bachrach to the Stones to Henry Mancini to The Animals to Barbara Streisand- to The Beach Boys- to Ray Charles- to even Tiny Tim!- and on and on. There was a wide range of style to be exposed to back then, something which has become only more obvious in retrospect; and this is something I am grateful to have experienced when young and to have been influenced by the popular music of those times early on in my musical life. I love all styles of music.

With "GUITGO" I have been able to explore unique versions of songs with which I have been familiar since childhood and beyond. Some songs are as simple as a jazz trio in concept; yet some tunes with the addition of piano, orchestral string arrangements, and recorded live percussion- sound like a full blown orchestra. As I use only live electric guitar which is fully adjustable volume-wise, and as the tracks can all be similarly attenuated in volume; Guitgo can virtually play at any volume from a whisper to lightly filling up a large room. Live jazz and pop music bands can't always keep this promise- at least on the quieter side. Plus the physical footprint for Guitgo is approximately 7' by 2', or it can be a bit less than 5'x 3' with speakers spread less wide apart. Even a small trio needs at least twice this amount of space to set up. In the end, all melodies and solos are singularly played by yours truly, but the diversity of arrangements and recorded grooves and instruments keep this limitation comparatively small to the listener. I didn't set out to further the limits of larger live bands in the market place. Moreover, I wanted to create a live jazz and pop performance vehicle that could be a better option for venues which would like to have a live music component to offer yet which may not be able to support this option financially by hiring more than one individual to that end.

Optimally, my set-up requirements are good just about anywhere. My best location would be against a wall. My line of equipment is best spread out 7' wide along that wall, obtruding 2' from that wall with me standing in front of it. I typically then face my stereo speakers backwards, so that the reflected sound disperses more evenly throughout the room. I always bring my own power strip and an extension cord about 15' in length. So as long as I am about 15' from a power outlet, I'm ready to go. Both set-up and breakdown take about 20 minutes. Since it takes about four trips to my car to get everything to my playing location, at least temporary parking to the nearest entrance is very helpful and can keep set up and breakdown to a minimum.