For Love of Jazz

By Mike Costanza

Though Bill Tiberio can play different types of music on his sax, jazz is his first love.

“This jazz world is so wide for me,” he said. “I feel like it gives me freedom and it gives me a place where my voice feels authentic to me.”

Though he’s studied the works of Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly and other classic jazz musicians, the saxophonist has never limited himself to traditional styles.

“I more gravitated toward music where there would be, say, a back beat, a rock beat, a straight funk beat,” he said. “That music speaks a little bit more to me.”

When he plays his horn, it’s usually as part of an ensemble.

“Playing in an ensemble is unlike anything else,” he said. “You give in to a greater good than yourself. You try to match and blend and balance and play in tune with a whole bunch of other musicians.”

And play he does.

In addition to taking gigs with his own band, Tiberio performs with a number of other local groups, including the Bill Welch Band, Uptown Groove, Up 2 Somethin’ and the wedding and party band Allegro. Primo Mussumeci, Allegro’s founder, called Tiberio “the nicest guy.”

“There’s a lot of guys that play well that are cocky,” Mussumeci said. “The attitude that they have is one that they’re better than everybody.”

Tiberio never comes across like that.

“He’s at the top of his game in musicianship…and he’s just so down-to-earth,” Mussumeci added.

Scott Bradley, who has played keyboards and the trumpet with the Bill Tiberio Band since it was formed in 2008, said the experience has been “wonderful.”

“Bill is a great bandleader and probably would be a good leader in any sort of organization,” Bradley said.

Expounding upon Tiberio’s leadership style, Bradley spoke of Stephen R. Covey’s bestseller, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

“One of the maxims in Stephen Covey’s book is ‘seek first and understand and then to be understood,’” he said. “He [Tiberio] never tries to explain anything to anyone without listening to everybody first and insists on getting the big picture before he makes a decision.”

The Bill Tiberio Band has performed all over Upstate New York and put out four CDs. In addition to playing his horn commercially, Tiberio often performs with the Spiritus Christi Church’s band at Sunday services. He is a member of the Rochester church’s congregation, as is this writer.

For more information on the Bill Tiberio Band, go to: www.facebook.com/p/Bill-Tiberio-Band-100063615036487

CHECK OUT OUR RELATED STORY: A Life in Music