Jazz guitarist Lou Volpe’s career is nothing short of legendary — and with a podcast currently streaming and a new album in the works, he’s once again set to enter a new era.
A native New Yorker, Volpe’s talent has taken him to the mountains of Hawaii, tours to Europe, Africa and Japan, and even to Broadway for the musical “Sugar Babies.” Volpe has worked with a verifiable “who’s who” of the music industry over the years.
“My first real job was with Peggy Lee way back in the ‘70s,” Volpe said, “and so I got to know a lot of the jazz artists and from there it just worked out where I eventually started playing with Bo Diddley, who was one of the originators of rock n’ roll. I went on from there to back some artists, which gave me the background for my own music, such as Bette Midler and Chaka Khan.”
Volpe divulges some tales from his storied career on his podcast, “Lou Volpe’s Jazz Cast,” available on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Audacy and more.
“I touch on all the experiences I’ve had, musical experiences from rock to jazz, pop, solo music (and) … some experiences maybe I’ve had on the road. Sometimes they’re funny. Meeting a famous person is always interesting to hear about,” he said.
Volpe first started the podcast in 2015, but it picked up in 2020, when he began posting weekly. He uses the podcast to test unreleased material in preparation for his latest albums which is in the works. The album is inspired, he explained, by “just playing really soulful music.”
“I’m inspired by … jazz and putting some contemporary jazz in with the older flavors, so I can sort of use my influences from growing up, with all the different people I played with,” he said.
While the album does not have an official release date yet, Volpe said he hopes for it to come out this fall.
Plans are also in the works for Volpe to play his upcoming album live and in person. His last album, “Before and After,” came out in April 2020 — right as the COVID-19 pandemic surfaced — impacting his ability to advertise the album, and putting a hard stop to any live performances.
While public gathering guidelines are now of a bygone era, the effects of the pandemic continue to ripple through the music industry.
“Covid did a number on all musicians,” said Elaine Herman, Volpe’s representative. “A lot of the places (Volpe) used to perform are closed now.”
While Volpe continues to work on his album, his podcast performances will have to suffice for listeners. But, there’s no replacement for the real thing.
“You’ve got to hear him live,” Herman said. “I used to work in radio, and I used to book everybody from Tony Bennett on down. What I’m telling you is, I worked with … all these great guitarists that used to come to the station. I heard Lou just one time through a friend and he blew my mind.”
Volpe himself is certainly looking forward to playing for a live audience once again.
“Live performance is a much more thrilling situation for me because you are seeing immediately how your ideas, how your songs, how your music affects somebody, and that’s really what you’re working for,” he said. “You want to make people happy or make them emotional or just feel something.”
“I do appreciate … a large audience,” he added. “That’s always fun, but sometimes it’s quieter. And I always still rock out just as much. If one person or a few people like it, and you see the enthusiasm, it makes it all worthwhile.”
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