Dion Berardo

Dion Berardo is a jazz guitarist and composer based in New York City. He is the leader of the Dion Berardo Trio and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects locally and around the world. His style incorporates elements of bebop, gypsy jazz, contemporary jazz, blues, jazz fusion, and he cites Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt and Biréli Lagrène as having the biggest impact on his music.

Dion was born in Campobasso, Italy and raised in Megara, near Athens in Greece. He grew up listening to Eric Clapton, the Beatles and Pino Daniele with his parents who were rock and blues fans. Though they were not musicians themselves, his father Leonidas and his mother Massimiliana wanted him to learn the guitar: they gave him his first instrument when he was six years old.

Dions interest in music took a drastic turn in 2010 when he started studying jazz guitar with Vasilis Arsenides and Yiotis Samaras. His life changed after hearing Wes Montgomery’s solo on No Blues, which he transcribed and learned note by note, and soon afterwards he discovered Biréli Lagrène’s Live Jazz à Vienne, which completely captivated him. At age eighteen, he enrolled at the prestigious Conservatorium van Amsterdam, went on to win first prize at the Bucharest International Jazz Competition with the AG Quintet in 2017, and completed his BFA in performing arts in 2018.

In 2019, Dion released his debut album, New York City, featuring Alina Engibaryan on vocals, Omer Ashano on violin, Joe Bussey on bass, and Josh Kaye on rhythm guitar. In 2021, he recorded his second album Dig! as a duet with bassist Kimon Karoutzos – with liner notes by legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter. His third album, Guitarology, is a guitar duologue between Dion Berardo and fellow Greek jazz guitarist George Koutsi with liner notes by Neal Miner, the great New York native jazz bassist and owner of Gut String Records. Standards at the Honey Road Studio, is Dions fourth album in a trio setting with Dimitris Angelakis on vibraphone and Kimon Karoutzos on the upright bass. On this album Dion plays ten of his most favorite jazz standards and one original composition of his. Dion is currently touring with singer Tatiana Eva-Marie, featured in her latest project Djangology – a tribute to the compositions of Django Reinhardt – with an album release planned for January 2023 at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter on “DIG!”:

“…I am often asked by music listeners what jazz records do I listen to…and believe me there are many choices!! However if I had to settle on a select few, this CD of a bass and guitar duo would most certainly qualify as belonging in this list…”

“It’s the wonderful sound of a solo guitar that introduces the next song “‘O Sole Mio”, which demonstrates the grasp of solo guitar on display…this is a track that will command your attention”

—Ron Carter

New York born jazz bassist and owner of Gut String Records on “Guitarology”:

“The guitar duo of Dion Berardo and George Koutsi is a truly special ensemble. Supposedly opposites attract, but in this case these two young Greek Jazz guitarists have a unique and effortless simpatico… It is rare to hear young players with such a deep understanding of the Jazz tradition, who also internalize the music and its language and communicate it in such a personal fashion.”

—Neal Miner

“Dion Berardo is T-riffic…He has Taste, Tone, Time, Talent, and carries on the Tradition of mainstream and gypsy jazz. I had the pleasure of playing with Dion in Harlem and he got the joint jumpin’.”

—Bill Wurtzel - Director of the Jazz Foundation of America



ENDORSEMENTS: RM ACOUSTICS He wins the Bucharest Jazz International 2017 Competition with the AG Quintet. He performs at the Luthier stage of the most important gypsy jazz festival in the world in Fontainebleau(France), the Django Reinhardt Festival. In 2020 he performs at the Django Amsterdam Festival at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam with his own Acoustic Quartet along with the bands of Jimmy Rosenberg, Robin Nolan and Dorado Schmitt.
Now he performs regularly with his own band around the world.

NEW YORK CITY, Dennis’s debut album, released on April 1st, 2018 by Hot Club Records. With a retro swing manouche vibe but also with a modern approach, the album has a unique and fresh style. The album is consisted by nine tracks which two of them are original compositions of Dennis, entitled "Motel One" and "Mr. Vasilis". All the musicians live and perform regularly in New York City, however their origins are from different parts of the world. Dennis Pol is half Italian and half Greek, Omer Ashano(violinist) is from Israel, Alina Engibaryan (vocalist) is from Russia, Josh Kaye is from England and Joe Bussey is from New York. Clearly, the band members are all influenced by the tradition of jazz but each one has his unique musical 'accent' and that's what makes this album so special. The title of the album is taken by the first number of the record called "New York City"which is composed by Django Reinhardt.

“Dennis Pol is T-riffic…He has Taste, Tone, Time, Talent, and carries on the Tradition of mainstream and gypsy jazz.I had the pleasure of playing with Dennis in Harlem and he got the joint jumpin’.”

Bill Wurtzel - Director of the Jazz Foundation of America

"I really enjoyed listening to this project. Dennis’s playing, compositions, overall album concept and band personnel are all superb. This is a first class production all the way."

Jim Eigo - Jazz Promo Services



ENDORSEMENTS: RM ACOUSTICS