Jazz Guitarist Profile: Paul Colombo

JGT’s Joe Barth talks to Philadelphia based jazz guitarist Paul Colombo.

In the town of Pat Martino and Jimmy Bruno, lives Paul Colombo, another fine guitarist.  Having studied at the University of Miami, Paul has based his career out of the “City of Brotherly Love,” Philadelphia.  He has worked with musical legends like Neil Sedaka and the Delfonics, as well as orchestra leader Peter Nero.

JB:  You live in Philadelphia. Did you grow up there? Talk about what inspired you to play jazz guitar.

PC:  I started out playing rock and pop music on the guitar in ninth grade. At 16, I started seriously studying the guitar with a student of Dennis Sandole. That started me on the road to becoming a serious musician.

JB:  What did you appreciate most about your studies at the University of Miami?

The teachers were all active performers invested in teaching. The school attracted the best students in the country and from around the world. You couldn’t ask for a better and more inspiring place to be. The faculty expected you to be good; they had high standards. If you could make it through that school, you had a good shot at musically surviving out “on the street.”

JB:  Talk about the things you appreciated most about your studies at The University of the Arts in Philly.

PC:  I was in the first Master’s in Jazz Studies class at the school. It was 32 credits in one year. In our Improv class, they had different Philly pros come in, like Gerald Veasley and John Swana, and talk about their approaches, how they practiced, what they practiced, with lots of good advice and practical information. It was in Center City, down the street from Chris’ Jazz Café.  It was just an inspiring time. I studied with Tom Giacabetti, who was an amazing musician and person. He was the top show player in Philly and Atlantic City, and I would go to Atlantic City with him and sit in the pit. I didn’t know it at the time, but I would play lots of shows after that.   I was the first-call guitarist for 20 years at The Hershey Theatre for all the national tours of Broadway shows that came in.

JB:  To you and your personal development, what are three of the most influential jazz guitar albums and why?

PC:  I remember the exact day when I was 15 years old, and my friend brought over a copy of Pat Martino Live! from 1972. Hearing that record – the vocabulary, the soul, the technique – changed my life. Little did I know then that the keyboard player, Ron Thomas, would be one of my best friends today and play all the keyboards on my records. 

The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery is another record that was big for me. Wes played so relaxed. I can’t see jazz guitar without Wes. I would have to say Virtuoso by Joe Pass is number three. That is just a monumental recording. Joe set the standard with his solo improvisations and boundless creativity on standard tunes.

JB:  I understand you worked with Neil Sedaka. Talk about that experience.

PC:  I backed Neil Sedaka up when I played with the York Symphony Orchestra. What I remember about that gig is I played a solo on one of his pop tunes and got loud applause, so much that Neil had to turn around and acknowledge me from behind his piano. That’s not what is supposed to happen when backing headliners.  But that was a fun gig, and he sounded great.

JB:  Talk about your work with the R&B band the Delfonics.

PC:  The Delfonics and Philly soul music were a big influence on me growing up. I got to do a record where we re-recorded all their hits. My good friend Bobby Livingood was the Music Director and got me on the gig. Bobby played with Liza Minelli for 14 years, John Lennon, and much more. He and I worked together at The American Music Theater in Lancaster, PA playing 250 music revue shows a year. To be a Philly boy and get to play on “La La Means I Love You”, “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time” and to hear those voices coming out of the speakers was one of my biggest thrills in the music business.

JB:  What do you appreciate most about your friendship with Jimmy Bruno.

PC:  The first time I remember seeing Jimmy was at a clinic he did with Tommy Tedesco at The Log Cabin Inn in Media, PA. Then, after I heard his first record, Sleight Of Hand, I immediately got him to teach me. This was about 1992. He helped me get gigs at JJ’s Grotto, where he was playing, and hooked me up with Ed Benson of Just Jazz Guitar Magazine.  I wrote throughout the whole time the magazine was around, from 1994 until 2016. Jimmy is just like he seems – as real as the come, speaks from his heart every time. I learned a lot from Jimmy – he used to say to me in lessons -“small chords, small chords” certainly for comping but in chord melodies, too. You can get the quality of the chord from just a few color tones. He also taught me about dedication, hard work, persistence, and the love of music. You don’t get to be one of the top jazz guitarists of all time without those qualities.

JB:  Talk briefly about Peter Nero and the kind of work you do with the orchestras in your area.

PC:  I worked with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops for a year and continue to work with orchestras. I currently play with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, playing in their Pop Music series. This is one of the best orchestras I have played with and is a regional Mid Atlantic orchestra, not just local to the Harrisburg area. The players come from New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. 

JB:  Tell us about the primary guitar you play.

PC:  I use two guitars somewhat interchangeably. For recording, I use my Ibanez PM100. It was one of the last ones made before being discontinued around 2012.  I also use my 1969 Gibson ES335 for many live gigs, including restaurants and shows.  I always use my Henriksen Bud for my jazz/show gigs.

JB:  Tell us about your group and the Mabrouka album.

PC:  Mabrouka is the second Paul Colombo Group record with Rio Crystal being our first record. There are nine of my original songs and a Beatles cover. We cover a lot of ground stylistically – swing, African influenced, smooth/funky, jam band funk, ballads, New Orleans second line, free playing and bebop blues. Most of the tracks were one take, and several were the first time we played the song together. I’m very proud of the record and have gotten great worldwide responses and reviews since its release in November 2025.

You can listen, download tracks, and purchase CDs HERE. 

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