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
Secret Love
Jimmy Bruno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That lived within the heart of me
All too soon my secret love,
Became impatient to be free
So I told a friendly star,
The way that dreamers often do
Just how wonderful you are,
Now, I shout it from the highest hills
Even told the golden daffodils
At last my hearts an open door,
And my secret love's
No secret anymore.
The lyrics to Jimmy Bruno's "Secret Love" tell the story of someone who kept their romantic feelings for another person hidden inside for a while. However, as time went on, their love began to grow stronger and they could not keep it a secret any longer. The hidden love within them wanted to be free and openly expressed. So, the singer confided in a star, sharing with it how wonderful the other person was and just how in love with them the singer was.
As the lyrics progress, the singer speaks of how they've finally found the courage to come clean with their secret love. They've shouted it from the highest hills, even telling the golden daffodils. Their heart has now opened up and their secret love is no longer hidden from the world. The song is beautifully written with emotion and depth, capturing the essence of the release and freedom that comes with being able to publicly express one's love for someone.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I had a secret love,
At a time in the past, I had a love that was hidden and known only to myself.
That lived within the heart of me
This love was deeply felt and ingrained in my very being.
All too soon my secret love,
However, it did not remain hidden for long and was eager to be revealed.
Became impatient to be free
It was impatient for the world to know it existed and to be given the chance to flourish.
So I told a friendly star,
I confided in a source that could keep my secret safe, something as constant and steady as a star.
The way that dreamers often do
I expressed my love in a way that many hopeless romantics do.
Just how wonderful you are,
I described how amazing and special this person was to me.
And why I'm so in love with you
I explained why I was so deeply and truly in love this individual.
Now, I shout it from the highest hills
I no longer keep this love hidden and share it with the world, boasting about it from high mountaintops.
Even told the golden daffodils
I spread the news of my love even to the natural world, to something as simple and beautiful as the daffodil flower.
At last my hearts an open door,
Finally, my heart is open for everyone to see and feel its love fully.
And my secret love's
And this love I once kept hidden
No secret anymore.
Is no longer secret and is known to all who know me.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAUL FRANCIS WEBSTER, SAMMY FAIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind