He counts Johnny Smith, Hank Garland, Joe Pass, Tal Farlow, Wes Montgomery, Howard Roberts, Jim Hall, and Pat Martino amongst his influences
(2) One of the finest jazz guitarists in Philadelphia, Jimmy Bruno is a passionate hard bopper who loves to swing aggressively but can be a very sensitive ballad player when he puts his mind to it. The Italian-American was raised in South Philly, where he fell in love with jazz as a kid and took up the guitar at the age of seven. Growing up, he was influenced by such bop guitar greats as Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel and Jimmy Raney but also admired the pre-bop work of Eddie Lang, Charlie Christian and Django Reinhart. At 19, Bruno hit the road as a sideman for The Buddy Rich Big Band before ended up spending much of his youth living in the West--where he did a lot of non-jazz gigs in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Although those live and studio pursuits paid the bills for Bruno, he never gave up hard bop and hoped to eventually be a full-time jazz musician. Returning to Philly in 1988, a 35-year-old Bruno was determined to do exactly that even it meant being poor for awhile. An article in the Philadelphia Weekly quoted Bruno as saying that he went from earning several thousand dollars a week in the West to working for minimum wage at "a real dive" in Philly's Fairmount section--but that he was happy and fulfilled because he was playing live jazz five nights a week. Eventually, Bruno was able to give up part-time bartending and concentrate on nothing but playing and teaching jazz. In the early 1990s, he came to the attention of the late Concord Jazz founder/president Carl Jefferson, who was impressed with his playing and signed him to the label. Bruno's first album as a leader, Sleight of Hand, was recorded in 1991, followed by other bop-oriented Concord dates like Burnin' in 1994 and Like That (which featured organist Joey DeFrancesco) in 1995. The late 1990s found Bruno continuing to record for Concord while playing and teaching extensively around Philly. His first Live at Birdland recording appeared in 1997; its sequel, a collaboration with tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton, followed two years later. Bruno next resurfaced in the spring of 2000 with Polarity. ~ Alex Henderson
On The Sunny Side Of The Street
Jimmy Bruno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I had nothing but shadows
Then one morning you passed
And I brightened at last
Now I greet the day and complete the day
With the sun in my heart
All my worry blew away
When you taught me how to say
Grab your coat and get your hat
Leave your worry on the doorstep
Just direct your feet
To the sunny side of the street
Can't you hear a pitter-pat?
And that happy tune is your step
Life can be so sweet
On the sunny side of the street
I used to walk in the shade
With those blues on parade
But I'm not afraid
This Rover crossed over
If I never have a cent
I'd be rich as Rockefeller
Gold dust at my feet
On the sunny side of the street
Grab your street
On The Sunny Side Of The Street by Jimmy Bruno is a song about how the singer’s life was previously full of shadows and worries before the arrival of the person who brought light and joy to their life. The singer describes how they walked in isolation and talked to no one, feeling like they had nothing but shadows. However, one morning, that all changed when the person walked into their life, and they learned to look on the sunny side of the street, with the sun in their heart.
The lyrics are an invitation to leave worry behind, grab your coat and hat, and direct your feet to the sunny side of the street where life can be sweet. The singer also talks about how they used to walk in the shade with blues on parade, but they are not afraid anymore because they have now crossed over. They say that even if they never have a lot of money, they will still feel rich as Rockefeller with gold dust at their feet when they are on the sunny side of the street.
Line by Line Meaning
Walked with no one and talked with no one
I was lonely, and I had no one to talk to or share my thoughts with.
And I had nothing but shadows
I was living in the darkness, with no happiness in my life.
Then one morning you passed
But one day, you came into my life.
And I brightened at last
And finally, I found the joy and happiness I was searching for.
Now I greet the day and complete the day
You gave me a new perspective in life, and now I start and end my day with positivity.
With the sun in my heart
I carry your love in my heart, and it brightens up my world.
All my worry blew away
Thanks to you, all my worries and anxieties disappeared like the wind.
When you taught me how to say
You showed me how to be happy and appreciate the good things in life.
Grab your coat and get your hat
Let's go out and enjoy our day together.
Leave your worry on the doorstep
Don't worry about the past or future, just focus on enjoying the present moment.
Just direct your feet
Let's walk towards the brighter side of life.
To the sunny side of the street
Let's look for the positive things in life, and enjoy its beauty.
Can't you hear a pitter-pat?
Listen to the sound of your own footsteps, how happy and excited they are to explore the world.
And that happy tune is your step
Your steps are like a melody, a happy song that gives life to everything around you.
Life can be so sweet
Life can be full of sweetness and goodness, if we only open our hearts and minds to it.
On the sunny side of the street
On the brighter side of things, where happiness and positivity abound.
I used to walk in the shade
In the past, I used to focus on the negative things in life, and live in the darkness.
With those blues on parade
Wallowing in my sorrows, like a parade of my problems and worries.
But I'm not afraid
Now, I'm not afraid to face my challenges and difficulties, because I have you in my life.
This Rover crossed over
I have made a positive change in my life, and no longer walk in the shadows.
If I never have a cent
Even if I don't have much material wealth,
I'd be rich as Rockefeller
I'm still wealthy in the things that truly matter: love, happiness, and positivity.
Gold dust at my feet
Like a treasure of gold, I have found the joy and beauty in life.
On the sunny side of the street
And it's all because of you, on the brighter side of life.
Grab your street
Let's go out and explore the world, hand in hand, and enjoy the beauty of life together.
Lyrics © SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: DOROTHY FIELDS, JIMMY MC HUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind