Larry Tamanini Jazz

Larry always knew he was meant to be a jazz guitarist. “When I was 18, I came home from school and my dad said we were going to The Iridium to sit-in with Les Paul and Pat Martino would be meeting us in NYC. I had been taking lessons with Pat and Dennis Sandole for about a year at that point. While feeling pretty nervous, I knew this is exactly why I picked up the guitar and I need to find a way to keep doing this my whole life.”

Larry learned the music from countless hours of practice and going to jam sessions and performing. “I have to play constantly,” he says. “Otherwise, I worry I’m being lazy and that makes me anxious.” That impressive work ethic has led to Larry sharing the stage with Pat Martino, Joey DeFrancesco, Grover Washington Jr., Mickey Roker, Lenny White, Richie Cole, and Dr. Tyshawn Sorey, along with some of the greatest names in Jazz.

It was at Ortlieb’s Jazzhaus where Larry truly got his education in the language, history, and culture of the music. “You could walk into Ortlieb’s on any night and get a chance to play with Mickey Roker, Sid Simmons, Mike Boone, and Byron Landham.” These players helped shape Larry into the hard-swinging virtuoso that he has become.