Art of the Guitar Festival coming to Stony Brook
John Monteleone, 79, of Islip, has created guitars for musicians including Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler and Ben Harper. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Legendary luthier John Monteleone, of Islip, has been handcrafting guitars in his Long Island workshop for decades. He has made one-of-a-kind axes for the likes of Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Ben Harper and many others. From Thursday through Oct. 17, Monteleone will present the Art of the Guitar Festival: a three-day celebration of guitar craftsmanship in collaboration with The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook.
"Different guitars speak to different kinds of issues, flavors, textures and colors. They are paintbrushes for music," Monteleone, 79, told Newsday recently. "We will not only explain how the instruments are built and their construction values historically and up to the present day, but also pair instruments with music that’s familiar to them. All the different phases of guitar are something we take a look at from 1900 through the 1950s."
Monteleone will hold a workshop called "Cookin’ with Wood" on Oct. 17 at noon in The Jazz Loft’s Club Q. The event will be livestreamed and feature guitarist G.E. Smith, of Amagansett, who's performed on "Saturday Night Live," and with Daryl Hall & John Oates and Bob Dylan.
"John is the master. This is like being back in Antonio Stradivari’s time and getting invited over to his house. I’m really honored," Smith, 74, said. "His instruments are the pinnacle. They are the best of their kind."
Monteleone makes five to seven instruments per year, selling for $75,000 to more than $100,000 each.
"John takes pieces of trees and turns them into instruments," Smith said. "He’s part of a lineage of great guitar makers, from John D’Angelico to Jimmy D’Aquisto to him."
Other elements of the festival include concerts with The Jazz Loft’s Big Band Orchestra at 7 p.m. Thursday, the Jocelyn Gould Trio at 5 p.m. Oct. 16, Ted Ludwig Trio at 7 p.m., The Tone-Bars at 2 p.m. Oct. 17, guitarist Paul Ricci and vocalist Mafalda Minnozzi at 5 p.m., and guitarist Antoine Boyer with harmonica player Yeore Kim at 7 p.m..
To purchase tickets, call 631-751-1895 or visit thejazzloft.org.
David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.
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