Artistic Tutor: Guitar (all styles – Jazz, Rock, Blues, Classical)

Bill, born and raised in Norwalk, CT, began to play guitar by listening to blues records a la Lightnin’ Hopkins and studied with the late Linc Chamberland. He started professionally with local R&B bands before moving to NYC.

Bill Bickford

He attended Berklee School of Music and City College of NY with full scholarships and studied arranging and composition with Mario Davidovsky, Edgar Summerlin and John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet.

Bill freelanced with Jack McDuff, Lonnnie Smith and Larry Elgart. He first appeared on records with trumpeter JohnMcNeil on “The Glass Room”. Bill has toured many times internationally and has performed and recorded with dozens of artists including Joe Bowe, Mose, Allison, Donald Byrd, Maceo Parker and the JB Horns, and Jim Pepper.

He can also be heard with his own trio, bassists Ed Schuller, Jack Walrath, Jim Payne, Jerry Z and with Wolfgang Schmid and Billy Cobham.

Bill enjoys teaching students of all ages and abilities, is encouraging and makes each lesson both fun and exciting.