Jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein (b. 1967, New York City) has been a part of the jazz scene in New York and abroad since 1989. During that time he has participated in over 80 recordings and numerous festival, concert and club performances with musicians from all generations. As a leader, Peter has released nine albums and a DVD, Live at Smoke. He got his first break while attending the New School when he met the legendary guitarist Jim Hall. Hall asked Peter to participate in his Invitational Conc...
Nov 25, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Linda Manzer , b Toronto , is a Canadian luthier renowned for her archtop, flat-top acoustic guitars and has designed many multi stringed harp guitars. She received her training for flattop guitar construction from Canadian master Luther Jean Larrivée between 1974 and 1978 and later arch top guitars with Jimmy D’Aquisto in New York. Her greatest claim to fame is that she has and still does build many custom guitars for renowned jazz musician Pat Metheny including the Pi k asso which has 42 strin...
Nov 18, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Blues rock guitar virtuoso, singer-songwriter and producer, Josh Smith, is hailed the world over as a master guitarist with raw talent and power to spare. Blending his signature mix of blues, rock and jazz into dynamic original songs, Smith is known for his incendiary live performances, whether at the Grammy Awards or the Kennedy Center Honors with Mick Jagger, Raphael Saadiq and others. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★...
Nov 11, 2020•48 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Guitarist Steve Cardenas is following in the footsteps of contemporary stylists such as John Scofield and Pat Metheny . His warm, lyrical sound and frequently edgy improvisations put him in league with young, rock-influenced jazz players like Pete McCann and Ben Monder . Originally from Kansas City, Cardenas is currently a busy sideman and leader in New York. He has performed and/or recorded with Steve Million , Maria Muldaur , Mark Isham , Paul McCandless , Jeff Beal , and pop/rock singer Tracy...
Nov 04, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Born in Los Angeles in 1968, guitarist and composer Anthony Wilson is known for a body of work that moves fluidly across genres. The son of legendary jazz trumpeter and bandleader Gerald Wilson, his musical lineage has deeply influenced his creative trajectory, compositional choices, instrumental groupings, and the wide-ranging twelve album discography that blooms out of them. His first album — Anthony Wilson (1997) — featured a nine-piece “little big band” and received a Grammy nomination for B...
Oct 28, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Hailing from the Netherlands, Jesse van Ruller is a contemporary jazz guitarist. He is known for his unique sound, virtuoso technique and beautiful compositions. In 1995 he won the prestigious Thelonious Monk Award in Washington . The jury, consisting of Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Jim Hall, Pat Martino and Mark Whitfield, was of the opinion that Jesse is one of the most promising talents of his time. In the same year he graduated summa cum laude from the Hilversum Conservatory, where he studied...
Oct 21, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 8
As a virtuosic improviser who’s collaborated with many of jazz’s greatest figures, Mimi Fox has earned her spot in the jazz guitar pantheon. But the jazz tradition is only one of the powerful currents feeding her music. With her 11th album as a leader or co-leader, This Bird Still Flies, Fox delivers a seamless but far-ranging album that’s breathtaking it its beauty, emotional immediacy and stylistic reach. The all acoustic recording captures a commanding artist in full - transforming folk tunes...
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Bruce Forman’s life and musical journey provide an American saga that is still in full swing. His Texas origins, his early career in San Francisco and New York, and his years on the road, all contribute to the unique and highly personal vision that he demonstrates today. A monster guitarist, teacher, mentor, and personality, Bruce Forman is known the world over as one of the jazz guitar greats. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★...
Oct 07, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Ron Escheté is the consummate master of the seven-string guitar. Whether he is playing bebop, ballads or blues he is a musically sophisticated guitarist who plays with grace and dignity. "Escheté is one of the finest jazz guitarists in L.A. – no small achievement in a region dense with superb players," says Jim Ferguson of JazzTimes . His deft and nimble fingers paint a spectrum of sound so rich that his voicings are often compared with those of a pianist. 20th Century Guitar likens his sound to...
Sep 30, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Born in Karachi, Pakistan, removed at the age of four to the vastness of Southern California, schooled at the University of Southern California and the Manhattan School of Music in jazz and classical music, along with a pilgrimage in India under the guidance of master percussionist, Ustad Alla Rakha, Rez Abbasi is a vivid synthesis of all the above stated influences and genres. Making New York home for the past 25 years, Abbasi is considered by many to be one of the foremost modern jazz guitar p...
Sep 23, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Born into a musical family, Larry has been playing the guitar since he was seven years old. As a highly respected LA based jazz guitarist, he has been a faculty member at the California Institute of the Arts since 1990. Having been featured on over 300 albums, Larry has recorded with Jimmy Rowles, Bob Brookmeyer, Luciana Souza, Lee Konitz, Larry Goldings, Mel Torme, Toots Thielemanns, Linda Ronstadt, Warne Marsh, Charlie Haden, Natalie Cole and many other jazz artists. His solo guitar work was f...
Sep 18, 2020•53 min•Season 1Ep. 3
From coffee house gigs at fifteen to chart-topping success with the Tom Grant Band in the 90s, world tours with two-time Grammy Award winner Diane Schuur and contemporary jam-bands, Portland based guitarist Dan Balmer brings fire and heart every time he plays the guitar. His playing spans nearly one hundred CDs including twelve as a leader from which his original works have appeared internationally in television, film and radio. Dan’s love of guitar and making music combined with discipline, tec...
Sep 17, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 2
A Grammy Award winning American jazz-rock guitarist and composer. His artistry has influenced jazz since the late 70’s and is going strong today. Possessor of a very distinctive sound and stylistic diversity, Scofield is a masterful jazz improviser whose music generally falls somewhere between post-bop, funk edged jazz, and R & B. His has worked with Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock and many other legendary artists. Touring the world approximately 200 days per year ...
Sep 16, 2020•48 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Welcome to "High Action" - a podcast about our favorite instrument, the guitar, and the extraordinary people who play it! We're Perry Smith, Will Brahm, and John Storie - the New West Guitar Group. Our upcoming season features some amazing guitarists, join us at patreon.com/newwestguitargroup
Jul 29, 2020•59 sec
