Any Vincent Bredice Fans Here?

[Rob MacKillop]

Way back in the early 1970s I nervously walked into a music shop which had instruments and also a book section. I just had a cheap Kay acoustic, with an action you could drive a bus through, so I started playing slide guitar, jamming with Muddy. That's where it all began for me.

But in the book-section of the store it had a jazz guitar book by Vincent Bredice. With my paper-round money I had bought the Kay, and the next thing I bought was Vincent's method book. No tab. No sound files. No teacher for miles, and no money to pay for one, I started on this book - and failed! But I was really getting into the Blues, so set the book aside. Haven't seen it since.

This evening his name popped into my head. I swear I hadn't heard or thought of him since I was 13. I looked him up, and found out he was the teacher of Joe Diorio, and that he had three highly-regarded jazz method books:

Complete Guitar Improvisation Book
Jazz Guitar Lines
Jazz Guitar Scales and Modes

I'm just wondering if anyone here studied those books, or indeed studied with him? I can't recall which of the three was the one I bought.

[Rob MacKillop]

Okay...apparently there are no fans of Vincent Bredice here. So, following up on my first post, I ordered his Jazz Lines book (Mel Bay) and am very impressed. Here's the Contents page:





And a couple of randomly-chosen pages from the middle of the book:





I think there are members here who might get a lot from this book.

So, over 50 years later, I'm learning from Vincent Bredice

[bleakanddivine]

Not guitar, but I bought this with my first 'Top Twenty' bass in about 1975.

[Bill C]

I had the Vincent Bredice “Jazz Guitar Workshop” book many years ago - I think recommended by a teacher - I may still have it - must check the attic!

[Rob MacKillop]

Do so, Bill. You might be surprised, though I don't know that book.

[Aiq]

Grabbed an e-version of Jazz Lines, will help with reading.

Thanks for the recommendation.

[Rob MacKillop]

From inside the cover of Jazz Lines:

Joe Diorio says: Vincent Bredice - my teacher, who instilled in me the highest musical values in dealing with melody and technique. From him I learned the idea of reaching virtuosity, an appreciation for classical music, and most of all, the beauty and romance of the guitar.

Yes, Aiq, it’s very useful for reading improvement as well.

[deacon Mark]

I have one of his books dates back 30-40 years ago it seems. Personally, I never got much out of it but depends on where you are meeting the jazz guitar challenges.

[MarkRhodes]

This evening his name popped into my head. I swear I hadn't heard or thought of him since I was 13. I looked him up, and found out he was the teacher of Joe Diorio, and that he had three highly-regarded jazz method books:

Complete Guitar Improvisation Book
Jazz Guitar Lines
Jazz Guitar Scales and Modes

I'm just wondering if anyone here studied those books, or indeed studied with him? I can't recall which of the three was the one I bought.

Great story!
Yes, I know of Vince Bredice. Even met him. I had a teacher---Tom Floyd---who knew Vince, who taught at a college in Miami. Jack Wilkins was coming for a seminar and Tom, I, and at least one other student of his went. (Jack did an afternoon Q&A followed by a dinner break and then a concert--he was characteristically great. Only effect he brought along with his guitar was a delay pedal.)

That's where I met Vince. Tom told me that by that time, Vince didn't play anymore. Not sure why; assumed it was an injury or arthritis.

Anyway, Tom had me work in Vince's Complete Guitar Improv Book. It was spiral bound, had a different color than the current edition, which seems to have more pages, but I can't be sure---it was a long time ago now.

I can say this: it's the kind of book of that puts a rock / blues player off of jazz. Lots of scales, patterns, fingerings, chords and no sign of a song to play them in. A glance through the book will tell you he knew his stuff. He also stressed playing forcefully, which surprised me. Perhaps I misunderstood the importance of it. At any rate, it was definitely a 'learn all this and THEN we will play some music books.' (To be fair, he probably did not assume a student would work exclusively from that book.) He may have had to write something like that for college students.
My teacher and I switched to Pat Martino's Linear Expressions, which was much more practical for me.

[Rob MacKillop]

Also a great story, Mark!

The Jazz Lines book is like a compendium of all the things that could be done with a Blues. To be fair to him, not many jazz books work on specific songs. But I can definitely see why I was put off learning from it, aged 13.

That’s a measure of how tough his approach can be, when Pat Martino seems easier!