by A.D. Amorosi

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.