Ron and Joe Nocella at Lutheran Church Of Holy Communion

Jazz Bridge presents their “Second Wednesdays Neighborhood Concert Series- Jazz in the Sanctuary” in Center City at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, 2110 Chestnut St., Philadelphia PA 19103. The second concert in this series features Ron and Joe Nocella on Wednesday, November 11. Showtime is 7:30-9:00 p.m. and tickets are $10 general admission/$5 for students, and are only available at the door. For more info call: 856-858-8914, 215-517-8337 or visit online at jazzbridge.org/events/neighborhood-concerts.

Ron Nocella began playing guitar at age eight. After listening to the likes of Wes Montgomery from his Dad’s bakery shop radio, he was inspired to learn and study jazz guitar. His formal guitar studies began in his teens, studying initially with Frank DiBussolo, who taught him the essentials in guitar studies. He then studied jazz improvisation in the late 1970s at the late bassist, Al Stauffer’s music school in South Philadelphia. Via studies with Stauffer, bassist in the trio of legendary pianist Bernard Peiffer, he was moved from thinking outside the jazz guitar paradigm. After meeting Jimmy Bruno at Stauffer’s studio, Bruno became a huge influence, personally and professionally. “Ron’s a fine jazz guitarist, has always been a friend and a pleasure to work with,” said Bruno. Ron Nocella has performed at dozens of area clubs and colleges, including the Rowan and Media Jazz Festivals; was a featured artist at Suburban School of Music, and his CD, “Urbanated,” as well as several other records he’s been featured on through the years, received heavy radio airplay and received critical acclaim....

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Jazz Bridge presents their “Second Wednesdays Neighborhood Concert Series- Jazz in the Sanctuary” in Center City at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, 2110 Chestnut St., Philadelphia PA 19103. The second concert in this series features Ron and Joe Nocella on Wednesday, November 11. Showtime is 7:30-9:00 p.m. and tickets are $10 general admission/$5 for students, and are only available at the door. For more info call: 856-858-8914, 215-517-8337 or visit online at jazzbridge.org/events/neighborhood-concerts.

Ron Nocella began playing guitar at age eight. After listening to the likes of Wes Montgomery from his Dad’s bakery shop radio, he was inspired to learn and study jazz guitar. His formal guitar studies began in his teens, studying initially with Frank DiBussolo, who taught him the essentials in guitar studies. He then studied jazz improvisation in the late 1970s at the late bassist, Al Stauffer’s music school in South Philadelphia. Via studies with Stauffer, bassist in the trio of legendary pianist Bernard Peiffer, he was moved from thinking outside the jazz guitar paradigm. After meeting Jimmy Bruno at Stauffer’s studio, Bruno became a huge influence, personally and professionally. “Ron’s a fine jazz guitarist, has always been a friend and a pleasure to work with,” said Bruno. Ron Nocella has performed at dozens of area clubs and colleges, including the Rowan and Media Jazz Festivals; was a featured artist at Suburban School of Music, and his CD, “Urbanated,” as well as several other records he’s been featured on through the years, received heavy radio airplay and received critical acclaim.

Composer/pianist Joseph Nocella is one of the few artists anywhere who is fluent in both jazz and classical music. Classically, he studied with the famed Romeo Casarino and voice with Romeo’s wife, Dolores. Like his brother Ron, Joseph also studied improvisation with bassist Al Stauffer. Armed with a Masters of Music Degree from Temple University, where he studied composition, he began a long and fabled career as a composer, educator and pianist. His music has been performed by the Concerto Soloists (now The Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra), The National Association of Composers USA, Temple University Composer Series, The Penn Alliance for American Music, Composer Services Inc., Crissey Concerts, Stockton Chamber Orchestra, Rowan University jazz ensemble, Delaware County Inerboro Ecumenical Festival Chorus, and Philadelphia Composers at the Settlement School. In April 2003, Delaware County Community College hosted a “Retrospective of the Music of Joseph Nocella.” He received that school’s “Teacher of Excellence” award in 2005. He has served as the composition Co-chair for the Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association, and President of the local chapter of the National Association of Composers USA. Mr. Nocella is a long time member of the American Composers Forum, and the Organization for Church Musicians for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

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