David Tronzo
I met David Tronzo in 2005, in my first semester at Berklee.
Let’s just say, on first meeting, he can be an imposing figure.
He doesn’t suffer fools gladly and made that clear right from the start!
With that said, I owe more to Tronz than anyone I can think of for the future direction of my guitar playing and my conception of music. Over the next 18 months, he opened my ears to how slide guitar (and music in general) could sound.
I experienced first-hand the most intense musicianship I have ever witnessed, both from the stage and in my weekly lessons with him. I spent as much time as I could at his fountain of knowledge, turning up to every office hour he had, and catching every chance I could to hear him play.
I remember one concert with Jerry Granelli’s V16 in particular that was mind-blowing. Every single note Tronzo played burst with intention, emotion and meaning. His playing was untouchable.
A solo set he played before a Club D’Elf gig was out of this world too. It’s no exaggeration to say that I never heard him touch a guitar without pouring 100% into everything he played.
My lessons would often start with Tronzo playing chords to a song and insisting I solo over it, despite my protesting that I had no idea what he was playing (incredible training for building improvising confidence).
Some of the things we discussed weren’t specifically slide guitar related, and sometimes the discussion turned to the doubts we all have as fledgling musicians. I came out of every lesson with renewed confidence and belief in the power of music.
I believe David Tronzo to be one of the most unique musicians I have ever come across. As a slide player he is utterly unique and unparalleled, and as a teacher he is one of the most inspiring on the planet.
Tronzo is pretty old school - he’s not on social media, doesn’t have a website etc. There’s great live stuff on YouTube, and an excellent My Music Masterclass video. I’d also highly recommend renting The Guitar Show episode with him on (episode 35, GS49): https://vimeo.com/ondemand/theguitarshowseries
Check out all the Tronzo Trio records (I particularly love the live album “Yo! Hey!”), Spanish Fly, Jerry Granelli’s V16, the album with Reeves Gabrels, and basically anything and everything that has his unmistakable slide guitar and musical imprint on it.