August 4-9, 2024

Frank Vignola's

BIG JERSEY GUITAR CAMP

Featuring:

Jimmy Bruno

Pasquale Grasso

Jocelyn Gould

Dave Stryker

Gary Mazzaroppi

Doug Munro

Ken Smith

 
 

Welcome!

Join FRANK VIGNOLA and FRIENDS for a 5-DAY GUITAR INTENSIVE! 

BEGINNER, INTERMEDIATE and ADVANCED students are welcome.

Improve your playing immersed in Ensemble Jams, Master Classes, Q&As, and Jamming with the Pros!

Enjoy house-made pastas, breads, pastries, wines and more from NJ's Cucina Calandra.

 
 

Camp Instructors

  • Frank Vignola

    Frank Vignola is one of the most extraordinary guitarists performing before the public today. His stunning virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Lionel Hampton, Tommy Emmanuel, John Lewis, the Boston Pops, the New York Pops, and guitar legend Les Paul, who named Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists List” for the Wall Street Journal. In 2020, Frank introduced the Big Jersey Guitar Club offering multiple formats for studying guitar with him online including 10-week Learning Clubs™, and Let’s Practice Sessions, plus Song Intensives and Methods.

  • Jimmy Bruno

    Jimmy Bruno, born July 22, 1953 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a master jazz guitarist and jazz educator. One of the most critically acclaimed jazz guitarists performing today, Jimmy Bruno came to prominence as a jazz musician in the 1990's, after a successful twenty-year career as a sought-after commercial guitarist and session musician.

  • Pasquale Grasso

    Called “the best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my entire life…”by Pat Metheny, Pasquale Grasso, born in Ariano, Irpino, Italy, began playing guitar at a very young age. Grasso’s principle instruction was with Chuck Wayne’s student and jazz guitar innovator, Agostino Di Giorgio. Another extraordinary influence in Grasso’s career has been bebop piano master and world-renowned jazz educator, Barry Harris. In 2008, Pasquale pursued classical guitar studies in the Music Conservatory of Bologna under Professor Walter Zanetti. In 2012, Grasso moved to New York City and quickly made a name for himself in the city’s vibrant jazz scene. Later that year, Pasquale was named a Jazz Ambassador with the US Embassy, going on to tour extensively across Europe, Kuwait, Kazakstan, Cyprus, Lithuania, and Ukraine, among others.

    Despite his young age, Grasso has performed with many leading musicians of the international jazz scene. such as: Barry Harris, Charles Davis, Freddie Redd, Frank Wess, Leroy Wiliams, Ray Drummond, Murray Wall, Steve Grossman, Tardo Hammer, Jimmy Wormworth, John Mosca, Sacha Perry, Ari Roland, Luigi Grasso, Chris Byars, Zaid Nasser, Bucky Pizzarelli, China Moses, Harry Allen Quartet, Grant Stewart, Stepko Gut, Nicolas Dary, Dado Moroni, Agostino di Giorgio, Michel Pastre Big Band, Gianni Basso Big Band, Joe Cohn, Oscar Zenari, Luca Pisani and others.

  • Jocelyn Gould

    Jocelyn Gould has been called “a leader in the next generation of great mainstream jazz guitarists”, and her joyful energy has captivated audiences around the world and her passion for music is infectious. She has absorbed the influences of the jazz guitar greats and has woven them into an exciting personal sound. Her unique ability to connect with audiences always leaves them wanting more.

    Jocelyn Gould has performed internationally in the groups of Grammy nominated vocalist Freddy Cole, Trumpeter Etienne Charles and DownBeat Rising Star trombonist Michael Dease. She can be heard on albums lead by Michael Dease, Jon Gordon, Diego Rivera, Randy Napoleon and Will Bonness. She is the 1st place winner of the 2018 Wilson Centre International Jazz Guitar competition. Jocelyn's debut release as a leader, 'Elegant Traveler', was nominated for “Jazz Album of the Year” in the 2021 JUNO awards. Elegant Traveler showcases Jocelyn's warm and inviting sound and melodic compositions with an all star band.

    Jocelyn is a professor and Head of Guitar Department at Humber College in Toronto.

  • Dave Stryker

    Stryker grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, moved to New York City in 1980, and joined organist Jack McDuff’s group (1984-85). From 1986 to 1995, Stryker played with tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. He has also performed with Freddie Hubbard, James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Smith, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Jimmy Heath, Kevin Mahogany, Eliane Elias, Joe Lovano, Steve Slagle and many others.

    Stryker has been on a roll the last several years with all the recordings (on his label Strikezone Records) reaching the Top 10 and 5 hitting #1 on JazzWeek. Hot House magazine awarded Dave the Best Guitarist Fans Decision for 2017. He was recently voted once again as one of the top Jazz Guitarists in the 2022 Downbeat Critics and Readers Polls for the 15th time.

    Prime is Dave’s most recent recording and features his working trio of Jared Gold on organ and McClenty Hunter on drums. The trio recently opened up for Steely Dan’s 2002 summer tour.

    Dave is Adjunct Professor of Jazz Guitar at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University. Dave’s online teaching school is at www.artistworks.com. His book Dave Stryker’s Jazz Guitar Improvisation Method Vol III is available on his website at www.davestryker.com.

  • Gary Mazzaroppi

    Bassist Gary Mazzaroppi is a veteran virtuoso who enjoyed a long-running association with the late great guitar innovator and raconteur Les Paul. Mazzaroppi has accompanied jazz giants from across the spectrum, ranging from vintage greats Lionel Hampton and Clark Terry, Marian McPartland, Red Norvo & Stan Getz, to fusionists Bela Fleck and Chuck Mangione, and, even Willie Nelson, in his songbook excursions. In addition to his busy playing career, Gary is also in the faculty of the Brookdale Community College School of Music, in Lincroft, NJ

  • Doug Munro

    Master musician and guitar virtuoso Doug Munro is an established veteran of the New York music scene. Since 1987 he has released 19 albums as a leader and has appeared on over 75 recordings as a sideman, producer, and arranger working with a diverse array of artists including Dr. John, Michael Brecker, and Dr. Lonnie Smith. Doug has over 75 original published compositions and over 300 recorded arrangements performed by some of the finest players in the world. He has released recordings in many jazz styles including: Soul-Jazz, Organ Trio, Latin and Gypsy Jazz.

    Doug’s latest release with his postmodern swing group, La Pompe Attack is called “Putt Lake Toodleloo”. It's a certified #1 chart topping hit and features guitarists, Vinny Raniolo, Ted Gottsegen, Ben Wood and Ernesto Pugliese along with saxophonist Albert Rivera, bassist Michael Goetz and drummers Ian Carroll and Jon Doty.

    In the recording field Doug has received two Grammy nominations and two NAIRD awards. Amazon.com picked Boogaloo to Beck , on which Doug performed, arranged, and co-produced, as one of its Top Ten Jazz CD’s of 2003. Doug also did orchestration work on the Oscar winning documentary When We Were Kings. In 2011 “A Very Gypsy Christmas “ was picked as one of the top five holiday releases by the Wall Street Journal.

    Doug has written 4 books on jazz improvisation for Alfred Music Publications, including “Swing to Bebop”, which won the Music and Sound Retailers instructional book of the year award in 2000.

    As an educator Doug created and was Director of the Jazz Studies Program at The Conservatory of Music at Purchase College from 1993-2002. He continues to teach there as Director Emeritus. This esteemed jazz program boasts a faculty that includes John Abercrombie, Todd Coolman, Jon Faddis, Eric Alexander, John Riley and many other top jazz performers.

  • Ken Smith

    Ken Smith was born in Florida, USA and grew up in New Jersey and Abu Dhabi. Ken’s musical education includes a B.M. in Performance from Arizona State University. While living in Arizona, Ken worked as a soloist and ensemble member, playing everything from solo classical guitar to theater productions. Ken also began teaching the guitar at this time, creating a unique approach to applying the language of jazz to the fretboard. Since moving to New York City in 1997, Ken has performed and toured in the US, Asia and Europe, as a side man and leader. Ken is a member of Frank Vignola’s Birdland Guitar Band. Ken is currently developing a suite of educational products that document his unique approach to teaching jazz guitar.

 

Jazz guitar is a language…

Like all languages, it lives in conversations between and among the people who “speak the language”.  Jazz music in particular, with its emphasis on interplay, is a language that develops in the musical conversations we call “jam sessions”.

This year’s camp is organized around the principle that just as the most direct path to learning a spoken language is immersion in that language, rather than classroom learning, the most distilled, accelerated and direct way to grow as a jazz guitarist is through jam-immersion.   

Participants will be part of rotating, instructor-led small ensembles and will do a deep dive into the selected music through intensive, structured jamming and in nightly performances. There may be some traditional classes as well but the emphasis will be on structured jamming.

As always, the Big Jersey Guitar Camp will feature a supportive environment where beginners are welcome, yet intermediate to advanced students will be stretched.


Getting Ready for Camp!

Frank will provide all campers access to camp materials via download. So, you can you can familiarize yourself with the twenty songs prior to arriving. The materials include song lesson videos so everyone can become familiar with the song repertoire prior to arriving. 

Additionally, Frank will host two 1-hour "Live Zoom Sessions" with all campers covering half of the songs in each.  He is very excited about these additions to the camp and the combination of virtual and in-person learning. 


 

Big Jersey Guitar Camp 2024 Location + Contact info

Best Western Plus Fairfield Executive Inn

216 US Route 46, Fairfield, NJ 07004

(973) 575-7700

The Best Western Plus Fairfield Executive Inn is located 45 minutes from New York City and 30 minutes from Newark Airport. The closest rail station is Wayne/Rt. 23 Transit Center, 10 minutes away. The hotel is accessible by bus through NJ Transit.

2022 Group Photo

Big Jersey Summer 2024 Guitar Camp Tuition, Fees and Policies

Tuition

$1500, due upon registration.

Hotel Rate

  • $145 per night, plus hotel and sales tax 

  • Campers check-in on August 4th (Sunday) and depart on August 9th (Friday)

  • Rooms are reserved at the Best Western Plus Fairfield Executive Inn.

  • (You must reserve your room with our discounted room block code to receive this rate).

Meals

  • A full hot and cold breakfast is included with your room.

  • Each camper will receive a $100 Gift Card to Cucina Calandra to use for lunches.

  • Each camper is responsible for their own dinners.

  • (There are numerous offerings in the vicinity).

  • All other snacks, alcohol, room service, etc. are the responsibility of each camper.

Check In

Campers check-in Sunday, August 4th, 2024 at the Best Western Plus Fairfield Executive Inn, Address: 216 Route 46 E #234, Fairfield, NJ 07004. Phone: (973) 575-7700

Welcome Package

Upon camp check-in, all campers will be provided a schedule, a goody bag including a set of LaBella Strings and an exclusive Big Jersey Guitar Camp t-shirt.

Getting Prepared for Camp

Frank will be providing all campers access to camp materials via download. In addition, he will include song lesson videos so everyone can become familiar with the songs before they arrive. 

He will also host two 1-hour "Live" Jam Sessions via Zoom prior to camp where everyone can meet and jam on the songs in each session. (Dates/Times TBA).