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Audience Friendly, Progressive Jazz Guitar
Chuck Anderson was born in Chicago, Ilinois on June 21st,
1947. At a young age, the family moved first to the Chicago
suburb of Broadview, then to Westchester. When Chuck was 12,
the Anderson family moved to Pennsylvania. He attended St.
Katherine of Sienna grade school in Wayne, PA.
Basketball was a passion and looked like a possible career. Devon
Prep was his high school of choice. Noted more for academic
excellence than for sports, Chuck nevertheless continued his
involvement in basketball. His discovery of guitar was completely
accidental. Once, he played his first Em chord, music went forward
and basketball went backward. Guitar lessons began in 1961. By
1963, Chuck was teaching guitar and playing local dances. Giving
up basketball left his senior year completely focused on music.
Chuck entered St. Joseph’s University in 1965. By 1967, it was
apparent that music was to be his career. Both his teaching and
performing continued to accelerate. By the time Chuck graduated
in 1968, he was ready to teach and play full time.His first major
break came in 1969 when he was offered the staff guitar job at the
Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The Latin was a famous
showcase of world class entertainment. It was there that Chuck
had his first associations with the top of the entertainment world.
During that period, he accompanied and performed with legends
such as Bobby Darin, Billy Eckstine and Peggy Lee among many
others.
After four years of fourteen shows a week, it was time to turn in
a new direction. Chuck started his concert jazz guitar career in
1973 when he formed the Chuck Anderson Trio with Al Stauffer on
Bass and Ray Deeley on drums.Their first album, “Mirror within a
Mirror”, received critical acclaim and was the springboard for a busy
concert schedule. The Trio’s music featured Chuck’s original writing
as well as uniquely arranged jazz classics. The group’s forte was a
tremendous interaction and internal dialogue. Improvisation was at
the heart of every performance.
Another four years passed and he was offered the staff job at Valley
Forge Music Fair in Devon, PA. Another major talent showcase,
the Music Fair work helped Chuck solidify his reputation as an
outstanding professional guitar player. Here, he worked with Nancy
Wilson, Michel LeGrand and Anthony Newley among many others.
After seven years of intense show involvement, the creative
need asserted itself again. This time, Chuck turned toward the
development of The Neo Classical Guitar. In this style, Chuck
pioneered the use of the pick style guitar in Classical music.
Using both electric and acoustic guitars, his Neo Classical style
featured transcriptions, original composition and improvisation
on international themes. This work produced the ground breaking
album “Kaleidophon - The Art of the Neo Classical Guitar”.
Appearances and interviews on radio stations such as WFLN, WXPN
and WRTI as well as television appearances on Prime Time and
PBS heralded Chuck as the “new Segovia”. Two live recordings,
“Timeless” and “Virtuosity”, were products of this period.
Ultimately, two events reshaped Chuck’s career. The first was
the theft of his Gibson L5 guitar. That instrument had played an
important role in the development of Anderson’s technique and
unique style. It was the one that had carried him through his studies
with Dennis Sandole, noted Philadelphia jazz teacher. Without his
favorite guitar, Chuck found it difficult to perform. Though he tried
other instruments, he was never able to recapture the magic of that
first guitar.
Chuck turned to composition. He was totally absorbed in his writing
for the next twenty odd years. This was ultimately to be a major
factor in differentiating Anderson from other jazz guitarists.
One of America’s greatest luthiers, Eric Schulte had taken care
of Chuck’s L5 since he first purchased it at the age of 19. He
approached Chuck and asked why he was no longer giving
concerts? Of course, he already knew but he had something in
mind. He said, “Look I’ll make you a deal. I know your L5 better than
anyone. If you’ll agree to go back and give concerts, I’ll recreate your
guitar”. Chuck could hardly pass that up and agreed on the spot.
Months passed and the new guitar emerged. With guitar in hand,
Chuck began to prepare for his return to the concert world.
After a while, it became apparent that his former energy wasn’t there.
He thought that it was age or lethargy or ... something.
Without realizing it, Chuck had been suffering for a long time with
a severe condition of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. He was literally
walking and working asleep. This particular problem was robbing
him not only of energy but also of oxygen. The sleep therapy began
and the energy and enthusiasm of his early jazz days returned!
With his customized Gibson L5 guitar and armed with this reborn
energy, Chuck is now reclaiming his position as one of the
outstanding jazz guitarists in the world today!
Chuck currently writes for the national magazine Just Jazz Guitar
and has joined the staff of Jazz Masters on Mike’s Master Classes.
His column "The Art and Science of Jazz" appears monthly at www.AllAboutJazz, the world's largest jazz website.
He maintains a busy schedule performing, teaching, composing and
lecturing in the US and abroad.
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