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From swing to hard bop with a little bit of the Mississippi Delta thrown in,
Mike DiBari embraces the many sounds of classic jazz and blues guitar. When one
hears Mike play the blues, you just can't help getting that low down feeling.
His original compositions align bebop with a dash of the contemporary but still
swing like crazy. Worcester Magazine's Noah Schaffer said, "DiBari always
hits the mark regardless of whether he's shooting from the hip on hard blues,
plucking out delicate lines on a ballad, or keeping the groove on an upbeat jump
tune." While onstage his solos command attention but to the scene at large
Mike may very well be one of Boston's best kept secrets.
Steve Morse of the Boston Globe called Mike DiBari, “a well-schooled singer
and guitarist.” His music education first started in New York City at the
Manhattan School of Music, where he studied classical guitar with Nicholas
Goluses and the great Mme Segovia. In 1994, he earned a Bachelor's Degree from
the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he further honed his skills as a
guitarist learning from jazz masters, Jon Damian, Jim Kelly and Jon Finn. Mike
has also studied jazz guitar with Harry Leahy (who won a Grammy for his work
with Phil Woods) and the legendary Pat Martino.
In 1996, Mike formed the Mike DiBari Swingtet, and in the following year
released his first CD, Jumpin' The Blues, on his own Palomino Records
label. The CD received favorable reviews and was picked up by Hepcat Records and
distributed worldwide. Don Fluckinger of the Worcester Phoenix wrote, “This
recording catches the spark of live swing as it happened four decades ago.”
Metronome Magazine's Doug Sloan said, “DiBari does an excellent job carrying
the torch with savory guitar licks and genuine heartfelt vocals.” In 2001, two
of the songs appeared on the Shag Archives' compilation CD, Hot-'taw-mighty,
which received airplay on radio and in clubs in S. Carolina.
In
an effort to shine a brighter spotlight on his guitar playing and compositional
skills, the Mike DiBari Trio was formed. The group refined their elegant sound
during their three year residency every Friday night at Boston's prestigious
Marriott Long Wharf Hotel. Their first CD, Rotary Ahead, was released in
'03 and immediately won the favor of Grammy nominated guitarist, Duke Robillard,
who called it “a swinging session that demonstrates [Mike's] flair for melodic
classic jazz stylings and tasty blues solos.” On this disc can be heard echoes
of T-Bone Walker as well as Charlie Christian and Thelonious Monk. Blending the
styles of the blues and jazz greats, this soon-to-be-more recognized guitarist
is carving a niche all his own.
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