Alfonso Ponticelli, Bandleader/Guitar
Alfonso Ponticelli, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and leader of Chicago's Swing Gitan, was inspired by the passionate music of Italy during childhood vacations to his paternal family's home in Naples. Alfonso's musical family also includes his sister Elvira, a soprano with the Chorus of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra who is featured on two of Swing Gitan's three self-produced CDs.
At 18, Alfonso began his musical career playing in a variety of bands including R & B, Chicago blues, rock, folk, big bands, and bebop jazz combos throughout the country. Along the way, he managed to also earn a Bachelor of Science in jazz studies from DePaul University. In 1994, he showed his versatility by winning the National Mountain Dulcimer Championship at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival. That same year, Alfonso began studying flamenco guitar -- in Spain with Rafael Riqueni and Manolo Sanlucar, and in New Mexico with Pedro Cortes and Chuscales. During his first of his many visits to the Festival Django Reinhardt in Samois-sur-Seine, France in 1996, Alfonso had the pleasure of camping next to and being schooled by Babik Reinhardt and many other legendary gypsy players. Then in 2004, Alfonso Ponticelli & Swing Gitan was invited to play at the legendary festival. Alfonso and the band have also been featured at DjangoFest Northwest, DjangoFest Crested Butte, Django a Go Go in New York, and the Midwest Gypsy Swing Fest in Madison, Wisconsin.
Alfonso has been sharing the gypsy spirit in Chicago for more than a decade, including performing a weekly gig at the famous Green Mill jazz club; producing the annual Chicago Gypsy Jazz Festival, now in its 10th year, which has featured many acclaimed national and international artists; and to mark Django's centennial birthday, a 2010 commission from the City of Chicago to produce and perform a concert at Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavilion for more than 10,000 people. Alfonso is fortunate to have played with many jazz greats including Les Paul, Johnny Frigo, Howard Levy, Larry Novak, Don Stille, Rusty Jones, Pat Mallinger, John Bany, and top Spanish flamenco guitarist Pansequito (hijo) among others.
Alfonso now lives in a quiet town outside Chicago not far from his childhood home, where he and his wife are raising two future band members.