Jack DeSalvo is a guitarist, composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer.
UNSEEN RAIN recording artist Jack DeSalvo has been hailed by Wire magazine as "a masterful player". Rolling Stone Magazine gave an extremely rare four star (****) review when Jack lent his playing to Red Warrior for jazz great Ronald Shannon Jackson. "To label Red Warrior fusion is to deny its impact. Perhaps we should simply call it heavy-metal jazz." (RS 605). Jack plays mandolin on Red Warrior's bonus track, Harmolodic Christmas.
DeSalvo's recording, Liquide Stones, with Vibist Arthur Lipner on the Tutu label brought this review from Cadence magazine: "Using both acoustic and electric instruments, DeSalvo demonstrates technique, intelligence and imagination with a broad streak of lyricism and passion in what amounts to one of the better guitar voices to be heard in improvised music these days." European reviews were no less entusiastic: "Guitar and vibraphones in a thrilling duo recital with timeless, inflammable ideas… Thus warm ballads burgeon beside provoking, avant-garde sound plasma, forming their own integrated musical system of co-ordination.." Rainer Guerich, CD Tips, Germany.
On the UNSEEN RAIN label Jack DeSalvo plays guitar and lends compositions to Coriolis Sky with the Tom DeSteno Trio. He plays banjo, mandolin and various guitars on Stutches with saxophonist Chris Kelsey and percussionist Tom Tedesco. He has two solo records slated for release on UNSEEN RAIN, Pramantha with Jack on acoustic steel string guitars and Julilant Rain with classical guitar improvisations. Additional recordings, Over The Edge with Sam Morrison - soprano sax and flute, Jack DeSalvo - guitar, Tony DeCicco - contra-bass and Bruce Ditmas - drums. River Road with Dan Willis on saxophones, Jack DeSalvo on guitars and mandolin, Lee Marvin on contra-bass and Jon Berger on drums and percussion, Tales of Coming Home with Tom Cabrera - frame drums and percussion, Jack DeSalvo - acoustic guitar, 12-string slide guitar and mandolin, Sudden Moves with Chris Kelsey - soprano saxophone, Jack DeSalvo - guitar, Peter Herbert - contra-bass and Bruce Ditmas - drums and Heliconia, jazz standards played by Jack DeSalvo, Tony DeCicco and Bruce Ditmas are all on the UNSEEN RAIN release schedule.
DeSalvo has performed and recorded with a quartet featuring Karl Berger, Anthony Cox and Tom Tedesco. Their recording, Transparencies, is on the German Belaphon label. He has played with The Chris Braun Trio, Tony Malaby, Drew Gress, Melvin Gibbs, Pat Hall, Jorge Sylvester, the alternative rock outfit They Might Be Giants and in Europe with Peter Brotzmann and Miles' band. When Jack was coaxed into performing on stage with Hubert Sumlin of the great Howlin' Wolf band, Mr. Sumlin proclaimed, "You never can tell what a white boy can do!"
Jack is also a prolific composer whose works have been performed and recorded by jazz artists, chamber groups and soloists in the US and Europe. He plays archtop jazz guitar, electric guitar, steel-string acoustic guitar, classical guitar, 12-string guitar, guitola (small guitar tuned in the range of a viola), slide guitar, lap-steel guitar, mandolin (flatback & Neopolitan), mandola, cello and banjo.