The Sid Jacobs Interview
He's my mentor and one of the best person I met on this planet, humble, positive, always with a good word and very encouraging in so many ways.
I interviewed Sid Jacobs at his house in Los Angeles few years ago, I met Sid in Los Angeles and got the chance to study with him early ‘00 during my time there, he's my mentor and one of the best person I met on this planet, humble, positive, always with a good word and very encouraging in so many ways.
Always great hanging with him talking about music and life. I shoot this interview like I said at his house If you want to know more about Sid and his work check all his books and videos.
It is always inspiring hearing a great musician talk about their musical background and personal journey throughout life. I spent many hours with Sid and we also had the occasion to play together for a concert during a masterclass in Italy I managed few years ago. Would love to bring him again here in the near future even if we’re very far from each other.
I spent countless hours and still working on his books especially on The Bill Evans Guitar Book that I found a great, a new way to play the music of Bill Evans on guitar with tons of information. It’s always on my shelf and I use it all the time since early ‘00.
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About Sid Jacobs
Sid Jacobs was born in Miami Beach, Florida. Sid spent his first few years in Havana, Cuba prior to the revolution, after which, the Jacobs family returned to Miami. It is there, at the age of seven, he began his fascination with the guitar. When his family moved to Nevada, Sid obtained a position as guitar instructor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. This made him, at eighteen, the youngest faculty member in the school's music department.
After moving to Los Angeles he developed the curriculum for the Advanced Bebop and Jazz Guitar course at the Dick Grove School and the Jazz Guitar class at the Musicians Institute (MI and GIT), where he continues to teach.
In 1991, his CD It's Not Goodnight was released. It is a straight-ahead blowing session featuring his original compositions. In 1998 Sid was the first North American jazz guitarist invited to perform in Argentina's "Guitars of the World" festival. In May of 2001 he was invited to perform at the Ankara Music Festival in Turkey.
2007 saw the release of his CD Open Strings, a collection of pieces for solo guitar including his acclaimed arrangements of Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk tunes.
In 2018, Sid recorded his third CD "Three in One". This CD he recorded with Joe LaBarbera & Darek Oles
Some of the great jazz artists with whom Sid has performed include Harold Land, Eddie Harris, Buddy Montgomery, Joe Diorio, Brad Mehldau, Larry Goldings and Javon Jackson.
Enjoy the interview divided in two parts.
Sid Jacobs Interview - Part 1
Sid Jacobs Interview - Part 2
Talk soon
Jan