"Guitar Great" John Tropea Interview
www.JohnTropea.com
Interview by Roger Zee (04/28/21)
Roger Zee: Who inspired you to pick up the guitar? Do you sing or play any other instruments?
John Tropea: Actually, my family planted the first guitar seed in me at about four years old. My grandfather took out his banjo at a birthday party in my home. Not sure whose birthday. But I held a small guitar and made believe I knew what to do. Still own a home movie of it. From then on, I always wanted to play the guitar. Around age eight or nine, my father bought me a Stella six-string round hole. For about three years, I couldn’t get the hang of playing it. In addition though, I took piano lessons which gave me some knowledge of music theory. At around twelve years old, a slightly older friend came over to my house with his Silvertone F-hole guitar and showed me two chords and a song: "Billy Boy" with the C and G7 one finger chords on the first fret. I sang and played the song and began to get the hang of the instrument. Shortly after, I started taking three lessons a week in NYC from a great Italian teacher on 23rd Street, John Vicari. I studied Plectrum and Classical guitar as well as mandolin.
From twelve to eighteen, I stayed with John Vicari. And at fifteen to eighteen, added another two teachers from time to time -- Sal Salvadore and Al Feraldi. In addition to my studies, from thirteen on, I played in a band doing Sock hops, parties, and small weddings. The youngest in the band, I mostly played top 40 songs and standards out of the #2 Fakebook. While I did sing and play in those days, I didn’t really want to be a singer. Rather the guy who played and recorded the songs in the studio.
In 1964, at age eighteen, I went to Berklee School of Music and began studying guitar, arranging, improv, etc. At the same time, starting my second week in Boston, I gigged with mostly R&B bands. Sometimes seven days a week. The most well known group -- The 3 Degrees. I also frequently played with the teachers on society jobs. I also got into the Jack McDuff band. At that time, I met George Benson. Soon after I started my own group with B3, guitar, drums, two tenor saxes, and two singers -- much like my band now. I love organ groups!
My major guitar influences include Johnny Smith, Wes Montgomery, Tal Farlo, Louis Bonfa, and George Benson. I also loved big bands like Buddy Rich, Miller, Duke, and Basie. Also like I mentioned before, McDuff, Lonnie Smith, Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, and others.
Roger Zee: Talk about some of the musicians and groups you worked with.
JT: In the studio: many, many groups and musicians like Deodado, Michel Legrand, Spyro Gyra, Sinatra, Frankie Valli, Laura Nyro, Dionne Warwick, Bonnie Raitt, Van Morrison, Van McCoy, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, Billy Cobham, Ringo, and many others. Best to get the list off my website. Playing live: Deodato, Van McCoy, Paul Simon, Laura Nyro, Original Blues Brothers, my own band, and again many others.
Originally, I preferred to play only in the studio. But after recording the hit with Deodato, my career expanded to playing with him live all over the world -- USA, Japan, Far East, and Europe.
Before Deodato, around 1971, I met and worked with the great Bob Crewe of Four Seasons' fame. He took me under his wing and taught me a lot of what I know about producing and arranging for records. Great hands on experience.
In addition to working as a sideman, I released thirteen solo albums.
RZ: What guitars, strings, and amplifiers do you currently use?
JT: I own two Gibson L5’s -- a 1960 CES with floating pickup and a 1997 Wes Montgomery L5. Also one
Gibson custom Byrdland with a full L5 neck. Two Sadowsky solid-body guitars, a Strat and Tele from the 80’s. One D’Angelico semi-solid and four or five various others -- Yamaha Strats, etc. For the most part, I use various size D’Addario strings. Mostly round wound except for my Wes Montgomery L5.
RZ: Do you teach guitar privately?
JT: I don't really teach. Except on occasion when I will give a few hours to a promising student. I don’t consider myself a good instructor. I think that's a separate gift.
RZ: How has the Pandemic affected you? What's on the horizon?
JT: The Pandemic affects me like all others. I now only play and work out of my home studio. I miss playing live. Hopefully in the next few months, I’ll get the band out when it’s really safe.
RZ: Describe your most special and/or unusual gig.
JT: In the studio: so many, many special gigs. I'll tell you about the first one that comes to mind.
A Michel Legrand recording session with a totally full orchestra, including five guitars playing like a horn section. He wrote impeccably. When he decided to add 8 or 16 bars in the sax section, he knocked me out when he wrote the parts out individually -- in ink, with no score, one at a time. Then handed the inserts to the players and ran it down. Not one note out of place!
Live: So many great, wonderful gigs. The first that comes to mind? My gigs in Japan with my own band playing the Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya Blue Notes. The group included Anthony Jackson on bass, Steve Gadd on Drums, Lou Marini on sax and Chris Palmaro on B3. Very special moments. We performed there many times since with that band. More recently with the addition of four horns.
RZ: How do you see the future of the music business?
JT: I see it getting better and better as all the so talented young musicians get the chance to pull even more from the greats. In addition, I see the blend of music getting so interesting!
RZ: What advice do you give up-and-coming musicians?
JT: Study, listen, imitate and above all, never get a big head. There’s too much to learn! Always better to be humble.
RZ: Do you live with any animals?
JT: I used to live with a Weinmariner named Aja. After her came two Labrador sisters, Shadow and Dakota. At present, no pets and don’t plan on any as it’s too painful to say goodbye. I still get tears thinking about them.
YouTube - Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001 Theme) - Deodato
©2021 Roger Zee
