Saturday, July 26, 2025 4:45 PM
The incredibly versatile guitarist Frank Vignola has teamed up with rising jazz guitar star Pasquale Grasso to create a unique and intimate musical experience.
Frank Vignola
Frank Vignola’s stunning virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, John Lewis, Tommy Emmanuel, Lionel Hampton, the Boston Pops, the New York Pops, and guitar legend Les Paul who named Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists List” for the Wall Street Journal.
Frank Vignola is one of the most popular and sought-after guitarists on the international music scene. His dynamic, genre-spanning music has brought him to 21 countries on three continents performing in illustrious venues, including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, New York’s Lincoln Center, The Blue Note, and the world’s oldest indoor concert hall, Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy.
Vignola has recorded over 30 CDs as a leader and guested on hundreds of others. He has written over 18 educational music books, recorded the critically acclaimed, “Vignola Plays Gershwin” CD and 2 DVDs for Mel Bay Publications. He has also produced 42 full-length video teaching courses for TrueFire.com. His online One-on-One private lessons and online Jazz Studio continues to thrive and reach thousands of jazz guitar enthusiasts around the globe. His in-person international Jazz Camps reach scores of adult guitarists year-round.
Frank Vignola is in residence every Wednesday night at the world-famous Birdland Jazz Club Theatre in New York City is a sellout. “Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night” has featured some of the finest talent on the planet including Mike Stern, Pasquale Grasso, Peter Bernstein, Houston Person and others.
This is Frank Vignola’s first appearance at the Litchfield Jazz Festival.
Pasquale Grasso
Called “the best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my entire life…” by Pat Metheny, Pasquale Grasso, was born in Ariano, Irpino, Italy. He began playing guitar at a young age. Grasso’s principal instruction was with jazz guitar innovator Agostino Di Giorgio. Another powerful influence in Grasso’s musical journey was bebop piano master and world-renowned jazz educator, Barry Harris.
In 2008, Pasquale pursued classical guitar studies in the Music Conservatory of Bologna under Professor Walter Zanetti. In 2012, he moved to New York City and quickly made a name for himself in the city’s vibrant jazz scene. Later that year, he was named a Jazz Ambassador with the US State Department and toured extensively across Europe, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Lithuania, and Ukraine and beyond.
Still just 30, Grasso has already performed with leading musicians on the international jazz scene, among them Barry Harris, Charles Davis, Freddie Redd, Frank Wess, Ray Drummond, John Mosca, Sacha Perry, Ari Roland, Bucky Pizzarelli, China Moses, Harry Allen Quartet, Grant Stewart, Agostino di Giorgio, Michel Pastre Big Band, Gianni Basso Big Band, Luca Pisani, Samara Joy and others. Pasquale now works in educational programs with Frank Vignola has a weekly residency at Mezzrow Jazz Club in New York City.
This is Pasquale Grasso’s second appearance at the Litchfield Jazz Festival. His first was with 23-year-old vocalist Samara Joy in 2022. The duo were touring extensively before and after the Litchfield date. Six months later Samara went on to win two Grammy awards for Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album.
Litchfield Jazz thanks former Litchfield Jazz Camp student George Porto and Louise Porto for their generous support of the Pasquale Grasso & Frank Vignola concert.