CHARLIE APICELLA & IRON CITY

Biography

Charlie Apicella, a jazz guitarist from upstate New York, began his serious musical training in 1999 at the University of Massachusetts, where he studied composition and improvisation with Yusef Lateef and music history with Archie Shepp and Dr. Billy Taylor. Initially inspired by Wes Montgomery and Charlie Parker during college, he relocated to Brooklyn around 2011, immersing himself in the New York jazz scene. There, he honed his skills further, studying guitar with Pat Martino in 2014, who not only provided technical guidance but also career advice, encouraging Apicella's pursuit of a modern Chitlin' Circuit-style path with his band Iron City.[1][2][3][8]

Apicella leads Charlie Apicella & Iron City, a hard-bop organ trio known for its grooving, muscular sound drawing comparisons to Grant Green and Wes Montgomery. The band has released five or six albums, including Destiny Calling (2023) and Groove Machine, featuring hard bop originals and Blue Note classics, and has maintained a steady presence at venues like Blue Note New York since 2018, Arthur’s Tavern since 2022, and Il Porto since 2013. Voted into DownBeat Readers Polls for guitar in 2016 and 2018, Apicella has also produced solo releases and written masterclasses for DownBeat and Just Jazz Guitar, while directing Blues Alive and teaching via TrueFire and New York Jazz Workshop.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

His musical style emphasizes funky, bluesy hard bop with a bright, clean guitar tone that cuts through the organ trio format. In 2022, Apicella expanded into free improvisation by forming The Griots Speak with William Parker, Daniel Carter, and Juma Sultan, culminating in the collaborative album Destiny Calling, an experiment blending straight-ahead jazz with free improv. His legacy includes nine records on labels like Origin, Zoho, and his own CArlo Music, performances with legends like Dave Holland and Sonny Fortune, and a reputation as one of New York's most swinging guitarists.[1][2][3][6]

Fun Facts

• As a young guitarist, Apicella met his idol BB King, who personally offered him advice and shared stories.
• Juma Sultan, percussionist in Apicella's The Griots Speak, played with Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock.
• Iron City has been a house band at Arthur’s Tavern since its 2022 reopening and on Blue Note's roster since 2018.
• Pat Martino made phone calls on Apicella's behalf to booking agents and TrueFire, helping launch his guitar school.

Members

• Charlie Apicella - eponymous, guitar, original
• Austin Walker - drums (drum set)
• Brad Whiteley - organ

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Yusef Lateef - Studied composition and improvisation (University of Massachusetts training) [1999]
• Pat Martino - Guitar lessons and career advice, including phone calls to booking agents and TrueFire (Lessons leading to Charlie Apicella’s Solid Guitar school) [2014]
• Archie Shepp - Trained as a music historian (University of Massachusetts) [1999]
• Dr. Billy Taylor - Trained as a music historian (N/A) [1999]
• BB King - Met as a young guitarist; offered advice and shared stories (N/A) [Early career]

Key Collaborators

• Brad Whiteley - Organist in Iron City and The Griots Speak collaboration (Destiny Calling (2023)) [Ongoing]
• Austin Walker - Drummer in Iron City and The Griots Speak collaboration (Destiny Calling (2023)) [Ongoing]
• William Parker - Bassist in The Griots Speak (Destiny Calling (2023)) [2022-present]
• Daniel Carter - Multi-instrumentalist in The Griots Speak (Destiny Calling (2023)) [2022-present]
• Juma Sultan - Percussionist in The Griots Speak (Destiny Calling (2023)) [2022-present]
• Dave Holland - Performed concerts and recorded (N/A) [N/A]
• Sonny Fortune - Performed concerts and recorded (N/A) [N/A]
• Joe Magnarelli - Frequent horn collaborator with Iron City (Blue Note performances) [2018-present]
• Don Braden - Frequent horn collaborator with Iron City (Blue Note performances) [2018-present]

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz