Larry Newcomb is a working jazz guitarist out of New York who definitely has a very personal approach to the study and dissemination of jazz guitar knowledge. In this interview he shares his gifts with all.

JazzGuitarLife.com Interview with Larry Newcomb: This interview was conducted via email November, 2004. Visit Larry's website at http://www.LarryNewcomb.com

JGL: How old are you?

LN: I was born 11-17-50 in Rockville Center, Nassau County, Long Island, New York so I'll be a year older in 2 days.

JGL: What geographical area do you reside in?

LN: I reside on the Upper West Side, Manhattan, in the Morningside Heights neighborhood near Columbia University

JGL: At what age did you first get into guitar playing and were you interested in jazz from the beginning or were there other musical interests before jazz? How did you first get involved in this particular music and instrument?

LN: Self-taught percussion and later, formal accordion studies -- beginning at age eight -- were my first loves. During the 1964-65 school year, after seeing the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, the guitar soon took over my life. Before discovering jazz, I dug rock & roll, rhythm & blues, Motown, Memphis, Chicago electric blues, acoustic folk and rock, hard rock, and many other styles. Then I bought Jim Hall's Alone Together duo LP with Ron Carter on bass in 1972! Jim's guitar work captured my heart, and provided the brightest light by which to set my course. At about the same time I also bought the George Benson Cookbook and Freddie Hubbard's Straight Life with George Benson on guitar. I was deeply moved by George's instrumental (and vocal) prowess.

JGL: Your formal training is extensive and as a result you are now Dr. Larry Newcomb having received a Ph.D. in Music Education (with emphasis on the History and Literature for Guitar) from the University of Florida. That's an amazing amount of education. If I may ask, was there a reason that you felt you needed to attain a post-graduate degree?

LN: I went for a graduate music degree because in mentoring guitar students since 1976 I discovered I really enjoy teaching music. I especially enjoy helping other players realize, or at least approach, their 'guitar dreams.' I also taught many various Community Education Courses in Guitar and enjoyed it immensely. While teaching privately and gigging nightly, however, I began to feel isolated. I felt the need to earn the credentials to teach music on the college level because I thought a college teaching position would give me more interaction with other music lovers, more job security, more social status, an insurance plan, a retirement plan. And more of a daytime existence so I could fulfill one of my most important goals -- to find a life partner. The best part of all was eventually meeting my life partner and wife Mary Newcomb.

JGL: Congratulations...do you feel your extensive education has been put to good use?

LN: My years of graduate study and the resultant academic credentials have been put to good use in the sense that in earning a Ph.D. one gains the awareness of -- and the strength to pursue -- one's most cherished life's work. In addition, I developed the 'mettle' to work consistently towards that vision.

JGL: Do you think you could have acquired your skills in a non-formal environment such as from the varied resources that are on the market for jazz guitar players or extensive private study?

LN: Definitely; however, I personally needed the period of "incubation" I provided myself with during my years of graduate work. While an advanced degree in music is essential for getting a teaching job on the college level; it is not a requisite for great guitar playing, nor will it help in a jam session or boxing match! At least not directly. Nonetheless, my college years have served me well and I had a great time. Just as my undergraduate studies kept me out of Southeast Asia in the late 1960s - early 1970s, and provided the 'shelter' in which I mastered the fundamentals of guitar, my graduate studies provided the milieu I needed to master the classical guitar and later to focus on the inspiration Jim Hall, George Benson, Charlie Christian, Kenny Burrell, and many other guitarists have provided me. I have had to chart my own course.

JGL: If you had to do it all over again, would you go the same route?

LN: Yes! Given the same challenges, obstacles, and inspirations, I would go the same route. Had I been granted a more 'ideal' life, including parents who were more aware and supportive of my deep desire to be an artist, perhaps I would have focused exclusively on jazz performance, composition, and arranging much sooner. But I would have missed out on so many opportunities to develop the inner strength and guidance to pursue what I've always wanted.

JGL: You mention on your website that you have studied with guitar masters Bucky Pizzarelli and Randy Johnston. That must have been a wonderful experience. Indeed! Could you talk a bit about your relationship with these two and how it come to pass that you were able to study with them?

LN: I first heard Bucky and John Pizzarelli playing 7-string Benedetto arch-top guitars in 1985 in Gainesville, Florida. When I moved to New York in 1999, I wanted to contact Bucky and request the opportunity to study with him. Ed Benson, Editor of Just Jazz Guitar magazine, forwarded my letter of request to Bucky. About the same time, I met a vocalist who had worked with Bucky and knew him well. Prompted by my request letter and a referral from the vocalist, Bucky called me. At my first lesson, Bucky told me that I played very well and urged me play simpler with fewer notes in my chord voicings. Over nearly six years, I've acquired a wealth of highly useful and wonderfully simple guitar knowledge from Bucky. He has become a dear friend and a valued mentor. I met Randy Johnston, a very fine jazz guitarist, through an organist I gigged with. I currently study with Mark Elf. I call Mark 'The Line King' due to his astonishing mastery of bop phrasing. Mark is also a highly effective teacher. In addition to learning from these masters, I am looking forward to my upcoming lesson with veteran jazz saxophone phenomenon Bob Mover.

JGL: You have a great passion for teaching and have a wonderful Tips section on your website which every guitarist should check out.

LN: Thank you. I freely offer useful 'gems' I've found on my own 'tone quest.' I hope other guitarists also benefit.

JGL: There is a lot of really great information and ideas there.

LN: Just the facts! Those that have made a difference in my pursuit of great guitar tone. My friend Lawrence (Larry) Lucie, a 97-year-old guitar legend, and perhaps one of the jazz world's greatest rhythm guitarists, complimented me on my sound stating "you manage to get a good sound consistently and that is very hard to do; I often struggled with it." Lucie has played guitar with the bands of Benny Carter, June Clark, Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Lucky Millinder, Billie Holiday, Jelly Roll Morton, Coleman Hawkins, Louis Armstrong, and many others.

JGL: What is it that you try to impart on your students besides the mechanics of learning guitar?

LN: I try to impart a visceral 'feel' for how the hands (and entire body) can coax beautiful and various tones out of the instrument. To me, this is where it all begins and ends. I also impart a simple and clear mental understanding of music theory and its application on the guitar. I help the student build confidence, enjoyment, and focus.

JGL: What was your first guitar? What are you playing now?

LN: My first guitar, a no-name Asian acoustic, nearly made my fingers bleed until I developed thick calluses. Not-soon-enough after, my mother drove me to a music store in Freeport, NY and helped me purchase a sunburst Hagstrom III. I paid the first $100 earned from cutting lawns, and my mother paid the remainder. I am now playing two Gibson ES-175 hollow-body guitars, a Heritage 535 semi-hollow body, two Fender Telecasters, a Taylor 410 acoustic steel-string, a Horabe Classical, and a Fender Stratocaster. I have an old Fender Precision Bass which I use on recordings.

JGL: Who were your influences on jazz guitar when you were beginning?

LN: Jim Hall, George Benson, Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell, Johnny Smith, Herb Ellis, and Barney Kessel, Lennie Breau and many others.

JGL: Have these influences stayed the same or have they changed over the years?

LN: The recordings and live performances of these masters have always been great. I am working on listening deeper.

JGL: Who are you listening to today (guitarists or non-guitarists)?

LN: Add guitarists Mark Elf, Bucky Pizzarelli, Randy Johnston, Grant Green, Emily Remler, Russell Malone, Mark Whitfield, Jimmy Bruno, Gene Bertoncini, Bruce Forman, Rodney Jones, and many others to the growing list. Non-guitarists include Stan Getz, Sonny Stitt, Bird, Trane, Miles, Chet Baker, Kenny Werner, and many others.

JGL: Did you know early on that music was something you wanted to do as a career choice and if so, what were some of the things you did to make this choice work for you?

LN: Yes, I knew relatively early on. I heard the call loud and clear in 1970 while playing with my first 'college' rock band while living and rehearsing at the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house in Orono, Maine at the University of Maine. Among the first things I did to make this choice work was to practice and gig incessantly, and to learn to live within my financial means. I attempted to attend an academic jazz program, but at that time my family was not interested in supporting my musical pursuits. Without the financial support to 'formally' study jazz guitar, I wrote to Bill Leavitt at Berklee and asked him to recommend a private teacher. I choose Dexter Huntoon of Portland, Maine and I loaded my possessions into my car and moved from Augusta, Maine to Portland just in time for my first lesson. Next, I found an efficiency apartment where I practiced about eight hours every day. I carefully worked through many of the Berklee guitar method books and supporting literature. I would go to sleep listening to stacks of jazz records hoping to internalize the sounds of the greats. I worked non-musical jobs in addition to gigging until late 1985 when I established the Newcomb Guitar Studio in Gainesville, Florida. Within a short time, I was making more money teaching and gigging than I made on my previous day job -- and having much more fun. Since 1985 I have supported myself entirely through teaching and gigging. In 1998, after receiving some unexpected financial gains, and completing my PhD program at the University of Florida, I decided to relocate to Manhattan to learn and grow as a jazz guitarist.

JGL: When you were younger what was your musical experiences like? Did you have friends who were involved in music as well or did you have to search for people to play with.

LN: My earliest experiences of music revealed a relationship between me and a part of myself I didn't previously know existed -- my 'inner self'. As a very small child, I would play melodies on the kazoo and simultaneously create grooves on percussion instruments. Blew me away! At the age of eight, I took up the accordion and studied it diligently for five years. While mainly a solo player, I did get to experience the sounds of the large accordion ensemble playing at my accordion studio. After hearing and seeing the Beatles, I decided to take up the guitar. I'm still at it.

JGL: Were your parent(s) and family members supportive of your musical career choice?

LN: My parents, who grew up during the Great Depression were interested above all in job security. Although my mother was a gifted artist by nature, she allowed others to relegate her art to 'hobby' status. While she created much beautiful work, I don't believe she fully realized her artistic gifts and talents. Witnessing a sense of loss, I decided not let that happen to me. In my family, however, the notion of making one's living as an artist was not a popular option. Years later, after I established my livelihood as a guitarist and music educator, both parents said they admired me for having the courage to pursue the work I love.

JGL: What was your practice routine like when you were beginning and what is it like now? Are there specific areas that you work on or do you just play through tunes?

LN: In the early days, my enthusiasm for rock, blues, and folk music was the driving force behind countless hours of practicing. My practice routine was 'all the time' except for eating, sleeping, going to school, and later, trying to get a date. Currently, I am learning a new approach to practicing. I have become aware that 'ownership' of new jazz materials and skills requires very thorough understanding and much repetition. I agree with Mark Elf who says 'you gotta practice this stuff until you're ready to throw up.' I am inspired and informed by Kenny Werner's book Effortless Mastery. Werner points out the essential importance of thoroughly learning one thing well versus half-learning a thousand things.

JGL: How difficult do you find it making a living as a jazz guitar player? Or have you found it to be relatively easy?

LN: I know of very few paths more difficult than making one's living as a jazz guitarist! Paradoxically, the one thing that is more difficult is not doing it! I like the following quote, and I don't know its source: " if you think being a musician as a career is a good idea, run as fast you can; if you need to do music as a career, it's the greatest job there is." My overriding experience is when I've not pursued a musical career whole-heartedly and full-time, I feel as if I am wasting the precious time I have been given on this planet. My experience is if one wants it bad enough, one can find ways to make it work. That said, most artists need alternate income streams in addition to performance income.

JGL: How do you go about searching for gigs? And what have you found in your experience that makes looking for gigs easier?

LN: I contributed a concise step-by-step approach in the article "How Do You Network" in the July/August 2004 issue of Allegro, the newsletter of the New York Musicians Union Local 802. A number of other professional musicians also contributed their experience and wisdom in that article. Once I became fully committed to doing whatever it takes, I began to really enjoy the process of finding gigs. Soon after moving to New York, I began an ongoing study of sales fundamentals with an experienced salesman. I have enjoyed success as I apply the basic principles. Woody Allen has said, showing up is about 90% of the battle. To me that means making the 'cold call' or personal appearance at the door even if I don't want to. In addition, being trustworthy, maintaining clear boundaries, being persistent, following up with 'gate-keepers', and delivering high-quality performances are also essential.

JGL: What type of musical situation do you enjoy the most (ie: solo, duo, trio, quartet, etc.)

LN: I enjoy them all. Each configuration offers distinct challenges with regard to melody, comping, and establishing the groove.

JGL: What type of guitar/amp sound do you prefer, or does it change from one situation to the next?

LN: A guitar and an amp, in my opinion, comprise a single instrument; a marriage, if you will. Certain guitars go well with certain amps (and vice versa). I find no amp quite as satisfying as a well-maintained Fender Deluxe or Bassman. That said, I am very pleased with the sound -- and portability -- of my Acoustic Image 'Clarus' head coupled with Rich Raezer cabinets. For jazz playing, for the past 10 years I've used Gibson ES-175s; for the past 28 years, Fender Telecasters; and most recently a 10-year-old Heritage 535. All great guitars, in my opinion. With Telecasters, I use a tube amp.

JGL: Do you like performing more as a sideman or as a leader? And if you could comment on the pros and cons of both.

LN: I have functioned primarily as a leader since moving to New York in 1999. While partially due to my need to manifest my own guitar 'voice' and my own identity as a composer, being a bandleader has permitted me access to extensive 'on-the-job' training with very accomplished and experienced working jazz players. At my level of jazz experience when I came to New York, and not knowing anyone, my phone was not ringing with many gig calls. I wanted to work so I had to find the gigs and hire players. Six years hence, I am getting sideman calls and I dig the freedom to focus on only one thing: providing the best support for the artist who hired me. And on many other gigs, I still lead.

JGL: How many CD's have you released as a leader?

LN: Two

JGL: What was the motivation to release your own CDs? And what was your experience as such getting that first CD out (from the initial idea to the final product)?

LN: The primary motivation behind both CDs was to own high-quality demos for getting gigs (read: on-the-job training). I have had the pleasure not only getting gigs, but also of selling quite a few CDs at gigs. To put it succinctly, the process of conceiving a CD, making all the necessary arrangements, recording the basic tracks, editing, tweaking, mixing, mastering, duplicating, promoting, and distributing is a huge undertaking within which I've experienced the full range of emotions from pure agony to blissful elation, and everything in between. I'm in the early planning stages of my next CD project. I see the importance of making not only a very strong artistic statement, but also of choosing very talented and empathetic sidemen. I am focusing beyond the production process itself on my vision of how my next CD will take me to the next level both artistically and commercially.

JGL: Have your impressions and experiences of being a Jazz Guitar player been what you had expected when you first decided to become a musician?

LN: I have always been drawn to the sound and to the music; I have not had many pre-conceived notions of what being a jazz guitar player is like. So, it's a matter of following my inner guidance. Up to now the process is always fresh and new. I never want to take any of this for granted.

JGL: You are a very philosophical and spiritual individual with a great passion for the instrument and music that you play. Is this a consequence of being a musician who has always searched for the right chord or phrase or was it always part of your character from the start?

LN: I'd prefer the word 'practical' or 'experiential' over 'philosophical' or even 'spiritual.' 'Philosophical' implies adopting a particular way of looking at life. 'Spiritual' probably means something quite different to everyone. I know with a substantial degree of certainty and clarity what works and what doesn't work in my life. How do I know? From the results I've gotten. I have experienced the depths of despair and the heights of ecstasy, and, I choose to consistently experience joy and gratitude because I can. Music has always taken me there the most directly. The hard work to understand, accept, and release the negative voices in my head is getting easier with practice. As a jazz guitarist, I have many holes in my playing. As I work daily to be aware of what they are, and how to 'heal' them, I build my vocabulary and the technique to support what I have to say. Having said all of the above, I am absolutely certain that without connecting to something much greater than me, there's no way I can have the beautiful life I have. In my experience, it matters not what one calls that 'something greater', simply that one connects to it and feels it however, whenever, and wherever one can. I like John Coltrane's choice of words: "A Love Supreme." In my own case, I have practiced connecting to 'something greater' inside myself since 1972 thanks to my teacher and guide Prem Rawat.

JGL: Since 1972, you have devoted some of your time to playing in senior's facilities and hospital wards for the benefit of those who are less fortunate than others. I think that's so wonderful and I applaud your humanitarianism. What got you started in "Healing With Music", are you still doing it today, and how has it been received so far?

LN: I feel a strong sense of connection and compassion with those confined by illness, old age, incarceration, and circumstance. By giving of my gifts and talents, I get to 'bathe' in that connection and compassion and it makes me feel great! In 1972, I naively volunteered to play at the Penobscot County Jail in Bangor, Maine. The premises were so dark and depressing that I could barely function. By contrast, several years later, I co-led a band at the high-security Maine State Penitentiary in Thomaston (the setting for the 1990s movie The Shawshank Redemption). Much more grounded 'within' and with a strong entourage of supportive friends, we rocked and 'bluesed' the joint like there was no tomorrow. What an unforgettably glorious experience of joy, compassion, groove, and strength! While at the University of Florida I performed often under the auspices of the Arts in Medicine Program at Shands Hospital at the University. Between 1972 and 1999 I did this work for the 'love' of it. After moving to New York City, I hooked up with an agent and suddenly was making $50-75/hour for doing the same thing. In 2002, I began booking my own 'hospital gigs' and making considerably more money thanks to the elimination of the agent's cut. I am currently open to my next opportunity to 'give something back.'

JGL: You have played with a wide range of very popular musicians like Bucky Pizzarelli, Randy Johnston, Leslie Gore, Mike Campenni, and others too numerous to name. How did you come across these fine folk and what kind of experiences did you walk away with?

LN: The 'engine' behind my associations is my love of music and music-making, and I think people feel my enthusiasm. I would venture to say I am a good networker. In New York, if one has bookings, one can always find players free for the evening and needing the work. Over the last several years, I have established many wonderful relationships with musicians whose playing and character I admire. I tend to call positive, supportive, and trustworthy people while negative, undependable, and high-maintenance people tend to descend accordingly to the lower realms of my calling lists. My rule of thumb: hire people who play better than me. I have provided lots of work for musicians ... and that's a good thing.

JGL: If you had your choice who would you love to play with that you haven't played with already (alive or dead) and why?

LN: Jim Hall, Kenny Werner, Eric Clapton, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Ari Hoenig, Duane Allman, Joe Pass, John Coltrane, Wes Montgomery, James Taylor, Russell Malone to name a few. Each of these artists is (was) a clear channel for incredibly delightful energy and sound and I want to participate in that channeling.

JGL: Have you ever had second thoughts about your choice to have music as a career and if so, what other career path do you think you would have followed had you not been a guitar player?

LN: I have had second thoughts because I am human. Thankfully, I am very clear that I really want to have music as a career, and I do not second guess myself very often anymore. I would be very interested in a helping profession such as counseling as an alternate career path.

JGL: Where would you like to see jazz guitar go in the coming years?

LN: I'd like to see jazz guitar embracing more styles and grooves, and yet still true to the tradition ... a very delicate balance requiring deep knowledge of musical languages.

JGL: Any advice for the younger guy or gal who is thinking about playing jazz guitar?

LN: Listen to masterful players on all instruments. Transcribe the solos of jazz artists and extract short phrases and use them in similar harmonic settings in tunes you already know. Work similarly through all twelve keys. Find a good teacher who is also a good player. I encourage everyone to visit my website at http://www.LarryNewcomb.com and I welcome inquiries, comments, and feedback at LNjazzblues@yahoo.com. I am available for private lessons and mentoring on both the musical and the commercial sides of the jazz guitar business.

JGL: Thank you Larry for participating in jazzguitarlife.com. It is most appreciated.

LN: You're welcome. I have thoroughly enjoyed giving a truthful glimpse of this guitarist's journey.