Testimonials & Reviews

Testimonials and Articles

“Guitarist/composer Chuck Anderson has the ability to turn notes into poetry.”

Gerald Veasley Jazz Recording Artist

“Chuck Anderson is certainly one of America's finest and most influential guitarists...”

Dick Boak Martin Guitar Company

“The worst thing you can do is to imagine the uniqueness of Chuck Anderson's music. The best thing is to go see him...”

Tom Jensen Today's Post

“Chuck Anderson is a force to be reckoned with. He is an outstanding teacher, a prolific composer and a great guitarist.”

Bob Miles Host of "Miles of Music" television show

“Chuck Anderson shows an amazing range of virtuosity and creativity. Hats off to a true guitar master.”

Allan Tucker Foothill Digital

“Chuck Anderson is so much more than a guitar virtuoso. He is an artist who instantly establishes a personal connection with his audience, a connection that is rekindled every time Chuck performs.”

Bruce Schulman MPI Research

“Chuck is a premier musician and teacher who enjoys an international reputation for excellence in teaching. He is the author of several publications and is a well known performer with a great deal of experience in virtually all forms of music.”

Dr. William V. Frabizio Chairman, Department of Music Arcadia College

“Chuck is the teacher and keeper of the knowledge and master of the techniques. Keep passing it on! ”

Michael Sembello Songwriter/ Producer

“Besides being an outstanding musician, Chuck Anderson has developed a worldwide reputation as an innovative music educator. Noted as an author and researcher, he has developed methods and teaching materials which have helped musicians to develop their creative potential.”

John Marshall Martin Guitar Company

“Chuck has an almost singular ability amongst contemporary music educators to balance the relevant academic knowledge with his broad based background as a performer and composer. No one has ever received the student accolades that he received from his lectures here in Liverpool.”

Arthur Bernstein Head of Music The Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts

“Chuck Anderson has been a major influence on private music education for over 35 years. Teachers, players, arrangers and songwriters have all benefited from his unique combination of music knowledge, practical street experience and dedication.”

Gerson Rosenbloom President of Medley Music Executive of NAAM

Philly guitarist Chuck Anderson is back after 20 years.

by A.D. Amorosi, Philadelphia City Paper

In the world of the jazz guitar, Philadelphia's Chuck Anderson is as legendary for not playing as he is for what he's played and with whom. With a style that ranges from the cerebral approach of Johnny Smith to the blues passion of Wes Montgomery, Anderson became a staple of the session world throughout the '50s, '60s and '70s.

"When I began, my strongest influences were Montgomery and Smith," says Anderson, who not only played for Broadway soundtracks and advertising jingles, but was staff guitarist for the Latin Casino, the Valley Forge Music Fair and the Schubert and Forrest theaters. "Those influences changed because I began to compose heavily rather than rely on standard jazz's repertoire."

He embraced the influences of French impressionists, Ravel and Debussy. He decreased his listening in order to develop a more unique and personal style; one that saw him acclaimed for his teaching (director of the Medley Music School, developer of the guitar curriculum at Aula de Musica, a private music conservatory in Barcelona, Spain) as well as for solo albums like Kaleidophon: The Art of the Neo-Classical Guitar.

Then something devastating happened. Anderson's hallowed Gibson L5 guitar — his muse — was stolen. He stopped performing and concentrated on composing. It seemed the end of a long career.

So why after 20-odd years has Anderson returned? "Since I'm so involved with music through teaching, consultation, composing and writing books, I've never been that far away from my commitment to the art of music," says Anderson.

The completion of a new custom guitar — built to L5 specifics by fan-luthier Eric Schulte — certainly acted as a catalyst. But the biggest factor was a feeling of being incomplete without direct contact with audiences. "Since the majority of my material is original, I began to feel the need to share it with the listening public." The result is his new CD, Angel Blue, full of new compositions which reposition Anderson as the comeback king of diverse instrumental jazz. "Rather than having a single direction, the CD moves throughout different genres," he explains. Like a great case of wine, his "tour of jazz" promises to be a heady intoxicant and is also a welcome return to form.