Artists An Elite Group of Jazz Guitar's Finest Players

Howard Alden is a deft 7-string virtuoso with an encyclopedic knowledge of tunes, sophisticated phrasing, and subtle finesse on the guitar. As both a soloist and accompanist, he has worked with greats from Red Norvo, Joe Williams, and Woody Herman to Bucky Pizzarelli, Dick Hyman, Jack Wilkins, and George Van Eps.

Alden was inspired by guitarists Barney Kessel, Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, and George Van Eps. He was later to record several landmark albums with Van Eps for Concord Jazz Records. Additionally, his recording credits include Bucky Pizzarelli, Benny Carter, Flip Phillips, Mel Powell, Bud Freeman, Kenny Davern, Clark Terry, and Dizzy Gillespie. Howard can be heard on the soundtrack to the 1999 Woody Allen movie Sweet and Low Down, he also taught actor Sean Penn how to play guitar for the film.

Howard plays various custom 16-B models.

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Quotes

“…utter assurance…crystalline sound, each note articulate and complete. His solos are succinct, orderly and swinging.” – The New Yorker

Paul Bollenback is a jazz guitarist, recording artist, composer, and educator residing in the New York City area. He is known for his versatility and for an influential 20-year stint with jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco. He has performed as a side man with a wide range of jazz luminaries, including Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff, James Moody, Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis, and many others.

Paul has performed on over 80 recordings as a sideman and has released eight albums as a leader, including Portraits in Space and Time. His compositions have appeared on Joey DeFrancesco’s albums Reboppin and Jazz Times Superband.

Since the late ‘90s, he has taught at Columbia University, Queens College, and The New School. Paul plays a Bambino model.

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Royce Campbell is a prolific recording artist and performer with over 30 albums released as leader or co-leader. He is known as one of the most melodic soloists on the jazz guitar scene today. He has recorded with many legendary jazz guitarists including Pat Martino, Tal Farlow, Jimmy Raney, Herb Ellis, John Abercrombie, Larry Coryell, Bucky Pizzarelli, Mundell Lowe, Charlie Byrd, Gene Bertoncini, and Cal Collins. His recordings have been favorably reviewed by jazz critics worldwide, and he has been featured in profiles in Jazz Times, DownBeat, Guitar Player Magazine, 21st Century Guitar, Japan’s Swing Journal, and Germany’s Akustik Gitarre. He has appeared on the cover of String Jazz and Just Jazz Guitar.

Campbell toured for 19 years as the guitarist for famed film composer Henry Mancini and has performed in over 30 countries including 10 tours of Japan. He has appeared in jazz festivals and taught master classes in Europe, Asia and Australia, as well as the US. Campbell has performed with jazz greats Jimmy Cobb, Ray Brown, Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan, Houston Person, Jack McDuff, Groove Holmes, Eddie Daniels and Fred Hersch among others, and he has accompanied many great vocalists including Marvin Gaye, Rosemary Clooney, Mose Allison, Nancy Wilson, Mel Torme, Cleo Laine, Micheal Feinstein, Perry Como, Freddy Cole, and Luciano Pavorotti.

Royce plays a Fratello model.

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Corey Christiansen is a recording artist, writer, educator, and performer. He has played and taught in literally every type of situation around the globe.

Awakening, Corey’s first album as a leader, was the first release on Mel Bay Records in 2004 and received critical acclaim throughout the jazz community. MB3: Jazz Hits Vol. 1 marked a great leap in his national and international visibility as a player and producer. Jazz Hits Vol. 1 spent three weeks as the No. 1 jazz recording on North American Jazz radio. His first performance DVD, Vic Juris & Corey Christiansen: Live at the Smithsonian Jazz Café, was released in July 2006. Jazzwise reviewer Mike Flynn gave the recording four stars, noting that “Christiansen is well versed in the guitar’s sonic heritage and his judicious sense of phrasing finds him light-fingered even on the densest of changes and positively euphoric on his ballad work.”

Corey has written several method books for Mel Bay Publications as well as articles for many of the major guitar magazines and DownBeat magazine. Corey currently teaches at Utah State University and the famed Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. He is also an artist-in-residence at Atlanta Institute of Music (Atlanta, GA), and Broadway Music School (Denver, CO).

Corey plays a Pat Martino Signature model.

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Dan Faehnle is a guitarist with the technical prowess of a jazz giant who has made an indelible mark upon the music world, receiving high praise from audiences and critics alike.

As an integral part of the Diana Krall quartet for three years, Dan garnered accolades from such publications as the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. Faehnle has also worked with such noted musicians as Joey DeFrancesco, Eddie Harris, Clark Terry, Zoot Sims, and Jeff Hamilton. Other significant colleagues have been Mel Brown, Ron Steen, Nancy King, Dave Friesen, and Rebecca Kilgore. Currently, he’s the guitarist for the popular Pink Martini orchestra.

Influenced by bebop pioneer saxophonist Charlie Parker and such diverse guitarists as George Benson and Wes Montgomery, Faehnle displays the versatility of a well-studied artist, “but within that tradition makes a compelling, up to the minute statement.” –SEATTLE TIMES

Dan plays Benny and 16-B models.

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Jocelyn Gould is an international performer, recording artist, and educator. Her joyful energy captivates audiences around the world and her passion for music is infectious. She has absorbed the influences of the jazz guitar greats and used these influences to weave an exciting personal sound. Her unique ability to connect with the audience always leaves people wanting more.

Jocelyn has performed with Grammy-nominated vocalist Freddy Cole, trumpeter Etienne Charles, and DownBeatRising Star winner, trombonist Michael Dease. She appears on albums lead by Michael Dease, Jon Gordon, Diego Rivera, Randy Napoleon and Will Bonness. She is the first place winner of the 2018 Wilson Centre International Jazz Guitar competition. Jocelyn’s debut release as a leader, Elegant Traveler, won a 2021 JUNO award for Jazz Album of the Year. She was also nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award for Jazz Artist of the Year.

Jocelyn is a professor and Head of Guitar Department at Humber College in Toronto and plays a 16-B model.

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Quotes

“A leader in the next generation of great mainstream jazz guitarists” – Howard Paul, CEO of Benedetto Guitars

Barry Greene is an artist and educator that defies, no decimates, the adage that those who can’t, teach. Monster chops, soulful feel, full and rich classic jazz tone, and virtuosic harmonic techniques establish him as a top-tier guitarist. But he still fits easily into academia as a Professor of Jazz Guitar at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville where he has taught since 1995. His recent recordings and concerts with artists like Tim Hagens, Danny Gottlieb, Gene Bertoncini, and Adam Nussbaum, or his gigs as leader at jazz festivals around the world, solidify his credentials as a leading player.

Barry represents an important generational voice in jazz guitar and is selflessly producing the next great generation of players.

Barry plays Bravo and Pat Martino Signature models.

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Quotes

“I’ve been enjoying the guitar as an instrument and its amazing artists all of my life. To me Barry Greene is just about one of the best; not only as a player, but also as a writer and a teacher.  I agree with others who regard him as a world class musician.” – Pat Martino

Solomon Hicks is a jazz and blues guitarist, singer, and composer. He has been performing since age 13 as the lead guitarist at the Cotton Club, with a 13-piece band. He recorded his first album, Embryonic, at age 14 with the Cotton Club All-Star Band. An eclectic musician, Solomon excels at a number of styles ranging from jazz, blues, classical, gospel, R&B, funk, and classic rock.

Solomon has worked with and played with many artists such as Tony Bennett, Russell Malone, the B.B. King Blues Band (with Junior Mack, led by Jerry Dugger), Elvin Bishop, JC Hopkins Big Band, Alex Blake, and more. He even opened for the band KISS on the KISS Kruise V from Miami to Jamaica.

Solomon has 2 albums. The latest, Carrying on the Torch of the Blues, has many original songs written, arranged, and composed by Solomon, including a big band/swing anthem for the Cotton Club, Jukin’ at the Cotton Club.

Several newspapers and magazines have written about Solomon’s extraordinary talents, including The Washington Post, New York Daily News, The New York Times, Amsterdam News, Montana’s Bigfork Eagle, Hartford, Conn., and the New Jersey Jazz Society News. His story also received coverage on the PBS and CUNY TV series American Music, ABC, multiple public access programs, and radio stations like WBGO 88.3 Jazz and WHCR 90.3.

Solomon plays a Pat Martino model.

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Rodney Jones is a performer, recording artist, and educator who started playing guitar at age 6. He played with Dizzy Gillespie (three years), Lena Horne (20 years as guitarist/musical director), and Ruth Brown (guitarist/musical director).

Jones has worked in television extensively, including The Rosie O’Donnell Show, The Cosby Show, Showtime at the Apollo, The Rhythm and Blues Foundation, and The Apprentice. As a leader, Jones recorded albums for Blue Note Records, Verve, HighNote and others. He contributed to recordings with Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Burrell, Carl Allen, Billy Joel, Dave Koz, Ray Charles, Maceo Parker, and James Brown.

Rodney studied at City College of New York with pianist John Lewis, founder of the Modern Jazz Quartet and  with guitar legend Bruce Johnson. He has been on the faculty of the Juilliard School since 2007. He teaches master classes at Eastman School, Berklee College, and others, and gives lectures worldwide.

Rodney plays a Bambino Deluxe model.

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Romero Lumbambo is a Brazilian jazz guitarist who, after arriving in New York City in 1985, quickly established himself as a “first call” session and touring guitarist who was in demand not only for his authentic Brazilian sound, but also for his command of a variety of styles. Romero’s guitar playing unites the styles and rhythms of his native Brazilian musical heritage with his fluency in the American jazz tradition to form a distinctive new sound. From the cool, sophisticated rhythms of his native Brazil to hard bop, Romero is a guitarist who’s comfortable in any musical setting. He is an uncommonly gifted soloist and musical improviser with a steady stream of unpredictably creative musical thoughts and the virtuosity to deliver them.

Lubambo has performed and recorded with many outstanding artists, including Dianne Reeves, Michael Brecker, Yo-Yo Ma, Diana Krall, Herbie Mann, Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Barron, Cesar Camargo Mariano, and many others.

Lubambo has also established himself as a composer and performer on his own critically acclaimed recording projects as well as on those of Trio Da Paz, a Brazilian jazz trio Lubambo formed with Nilson Matta and Duduka da Fonseca.

Romero plays a custom 16-B model.

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Luca DiLuzio is a jazz guitarist who performs regularly in numerous groups, including the Sidma Jazz Orchestra and Jazzlife Big Band directed by Roberto Spadoni, the I-phone 6ett directed by Teo Ciavarella, and the Tom Sheret 4ett. Since 2008 he has been a permanent member of the Barioca 4ett together with Flavio Piscopo, Tom Sheret, and Chica Piazzolla. The Barioca 4ett has taken part in Jazz festivals and concerts in Europe. Luca also leads an eponymous trio with Stefano Peretto (dr) and Pier Mingotti (bs).

In 2007 he took part in a project directed by Giancarlo Schiaffini entitled  L’amore è una curva. He has played with James Newton, Bob Stoloff, Giancarlo Schiaffini, Barend Midelhoff,James Monique D, and many others.

During his guitar training, Luca attended master classes with Pat Metheny, Mike Stern, Mick Goodrick, Jim Hall, Joe Diorio, John Abercrombie, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Donovan Mixon, Jim Kelly, and Garrison Fewell.

Luca, along with Garrison Fewell and Bob Stoloff, contributes to the www.studyjazzonline.com project.

Luca plays many models but most recently acquired custom Benny, and Americana models.

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Beth Marlis is a gigging guitarist, respected educator, published author, and arts non-profit leader. Her command of music crosses many genres from jazz to classical, latin, funk, and R&B. While deeply rooted in jazz, her diverse credits include sharing the stage with artists from every style and sound. In an industry dominated by male players and professors, Beth’s career has brought her to the pinnacle of the west coast jazz guitar universe.

With undergraduate music degrees from The University of California, GIT and a Master of Music degree from USC, Marlis has risen from GIT faculty member to Guitar Department Chair, on to Assistant Dean, and now to Vice President at Musicians Institute.

Beth plays Bambino Elite, Bambino Deluxe, and Andy models.

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Davy Mooney is a jazz guitarist, recording artist for Sunnyside Records, and educator from New Orleans. He has recorded seven albums as leader, and many others as side man. Some of his recent albums recorded for Sunnyside include Davy Mooney and the Hope of Home Band Live at National Sawdust, Benign Strangers (a collaboration with Japanese drummer Ko Omura), Hope of Home, and Perrier St. Prominent musicians featured on Mooney’s albums include Brian Blade, Jon Cowherd, John Ellis, and Matt Clohesy. In promotion of these albums, Mooney has toured the US extensively and performed in Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Peru, and Myanmar. Earlier recordings include a duo guitar album with John Pizzarelli in 2006 entitled Last Train Home. The year after, he recorded Astoriano on the Japanese label LateSet Records.

Mooney is Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies and head of the jazz guitar program at the University of North Texas, where he teaches private lessons and advanced jazz improvisation. As an educator, he has published Personalizing Jazz Vocabulary with Mel Bay.

Mooney placed third in the 2005 Thelonious Monk International Guitar Competition. He studied at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance from 2007 to 2009 under artistic director Terence Blanchard where he worked with many jazz legends, including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Ron Carter.

Davy plays a 7-string Bravo Deluxe model.

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Randy Napoleon is a performer, recording artist, arranger, and educator. Currently an Associate Professor at Michigan State University, he cut his teeth touring with pianist Benny Green, The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Michael Bublé, and a thirteen-year tenure with Freddy Cole.

Napoleon has performed or arranged on over 70 records including the Grammy-nominated releases Freddy Cole Sings Mr. B and My Mood Is You. He performed on The Clayton Hamilton Orchestra: Live at MCG. Napoleon is also featured on Buble’s Grammy-nominated CD/DVD Caught in the Act.

Napoleon’s television credits include The Tonight Show, Late Night With David Letterman, The View, and the Today Show. His live performances span the globe including Royal Albert Hall, The Sydney Opera House, The Hollywood Bowl, and Lincoln Center.

Randy plays a Bravo Deluxe model.

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Quotes

“Sensational” – guitarist George Benson

“[Napoleon] plays with a gentle, purring tone that makes you lean in close to hear its range of color and articulation.” – Detroit Free Press critic Mark Stryker

Joe Negri is the quintessential professional guitarist and educator with an enormous capacity for sharing his love of jazz. Millions of children over several generations remember him as Handyman Negri from the PBS television show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. But jazz guitarists think of him as a dedicated, knowledge-filled, versatile straight-ahead player with elder-statesman status and a common-sense approach to music.

Joe has managed to easily straddle the line between performing artist and educator. He is at home performing with the symphony, teaching in the classroom at Carnegie Mellon or Duquesne University, inspiring young children with his Jazz in the Neighborhood program, or performing with a jazz quartet at a nightclub or society party.

Joe plays a custom Bravo model.

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Brian Nova is a performer and educator who, according to a recent poll in Jazz Improv Magazine, is considered one of the top Jazz Guitarists/Vocalists in the nation. He has the distinction of being the only guitarist who was mentored by, and toured with, the two titans of jazz guitar: Herb Ellis and Joe Pass. Nova performs internationally and records as a solo artist, with his trio, his quartet, and his 12-piece big band. Brian is on Arturo Sandoval’s Grammy® Award winning album Dear Diz, which garnered a Grammy® and three Latin Grammys® in 2013.

A Concord Recording Artist, Nova has toured and performed with many of the jazz elite, including Stanley Turrentine, Bud Shank, Arturo Sandoval, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Benny Green, RayBrown, Neils Henning Orsted-Pederson, Bobby Durham, Jimmy Smith, Brother Jack McDuff, Charlie Byrd, Barney Kessel, Taj Mahal, Lionel Hampton, Kurt Elling, Dee Daniels, and many more. He has also played with blues and rock legends Charlie Musselwhite, Al Jardine (Beach Boys), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Eric Burdon (Animals & War), Dave Mason, Joe Satriani, Mark O’Connor, Zack Brown Band, Clint Black, and Rock and Roll icon Steve Miller.

In addition to performing, Nova also encourages young jazz musicians to further their own musical education and stage presence. From 1990 to 1996, he was the Director of Jazz and Guitar Studies for the Music Program at Seattle University. He continues to mentor the next- generation of professional musicians through his master classes and the clinics he conducts around the world.

Brian plays a Bravo Elite model.

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Quotes

“I’ve met and known a lot of guitarists in my career, and ‘B’ is one of the best guitarists I’ve ever met.”  – Steve Miller

“I feel Brian is one of the finest jazz guitarists on the scene!” – Joe Pass, 1994

Andreas Oberg is a jazz guitarist, educator, and prolific recording artist who has carved out a reputation as a virtuoso player on a number of jazz fronts: staggering bebop chops, flowing gypsy melodies, and haunting chord-melody solos. His remarkable ability to transition from genre to genre is unmatched by all but a handful of musicians, and his technical facility is pure virtuosity. He uniquely links European hot club gypsy-style swing with bebop and fusion. Andreas is known for his incredibly fast playing, innovative use of altered scales and harmony, hot club gypsy-style swing, and deep knowledge of the fretboard.

Andreas has performed and recorded with artists such as Les Paul, Howard Alden, Martin Taylor, John Patitucci, Michael Manring, Joey DeFrancesco, John Pizzarelli, Eros Ramazzotti, Barbara Hendricks, Glee Cast, Frank McComb, Toots Thielemans, Hank Jones, Bill Champlin, Jennifer Batten, DJ Qbert, Bireli Lagrene, and many more. Andreas also performed at the 2009 and 2012 Miner Benedetto Wine Release Concerts.

As an educator, Oberg published an exceptional gypsy guitar-style method book and has been a jazz guitar master instructor for ARTISTWORKS since 2009.

Andreas plays Bravo Deluxe and Manhattan models.

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Leandro Pellegrino is a Brazilian guitarist who performs for audiences all over the world. He has gained an impressive reputation among his peers and had the chance to work with many of the greatest jazz musicians in activity, including Dave Liebman, John Pattittuci, Bob Cranshaw, Romero Lubambo, Eric Harland, Gerald Clayton, Erik Truffaz, and many others. He also performed on the Grammy award winning album Beautiful Life by the exceptional jazz singer Dianne Reeves.

After earning his Bachelor degree in music composition, Leandro auditioned for Berklee College of Music and was awarded a full ride scholarship to pursue his studies in jazz and improvised music. In 2013, he was the first South American to be awarded first prize in the Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition by the legendary Lee Ritenour.

Leandro plays Bravo and custom Benny models.

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Chico Pinheiro is a guitarist, composer, and arranger from Sao Paulo. He is a leader in the new generation of Brazilian musicians finding fame in America and around the world. Playing professionally since the age of 15, he received his music degree (Summa cum laude) from Berklee. He has recorded with major Brazilian and American jazz and popular artists and his album, City of Dreams, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album in 2021. He has made his mark internationally collaborating with Dianne Reeves, Bob Mintzer, Chris Potter, Eddie Gomez, Claudio Roditi, Brad Mehldau, and Esperanza Spalding.

Chico plays a Bravo Elite model.

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Shawn Purcell is a jazz guitarist, educator, arranger, and composer in the Washington DC region. He has shared the stage, recorded with, or toured with prominent artists, including Terell Stafford, Nicholas Payton, Regina Carter, Chris Potter, Steve Allee, and many others. He has performed at famous jazz clubs and festivals nationally and internationally.

Purcell can be heard on over 30 recordings, including Chip McNeill’s The Whirl, Steve Fidyk’s Heads Up! and Allied Forces, Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra’s Prime Time featuring Doc Severinsen, Darden Purcell’s Easy Living and Where the Blue Begins, The Capitol Bones’ The Beat Goes On, Ben Patterson’s Push the Limits, and Ben Patterson Jazz Orchestra’s Vital Frequencies featuring Chris Potter. Symmetricity, Purcell’s first recording as a leader, was released in 2019 on Armored Records.

Purcell has spent over 17 years as a member of the military big bands in Washington DC, including the US Air Force jazz ensemble, The Airmen of Note, where he performed throughout the world. He is currently the guitarist with the Washington DC-based US Navy Band Commodores jazz ensemble.

As an educator, Purcell currently serves as adjunct professor of jazz studies at George Mason University. He has served on the jazz faculty at Towson University, Middle Tennessee State University, and was a Visiting Lecturer in Jazz Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, under the direction of David Baker. He has led master classes at major universities throughout the country. He has served on the faculty for The National Jazz Workshop, Maryland Summer Jazz Camp, and The National Guitar Workshop. Purcell has also penned educational articles for Jazz Guitar Life, Premier Guitar, and DownBeat magazine.

Shawn plays a Pat Martino Signature model.

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Quotes

”I can’t find the words that convey the feelings that emerge from the presence of a great player. It happens once in a while and now is one of those times. Shawn Purcell has ‘laid it down’ with Symmetricity, a great album! Bravo my friend!” – Pat Martino

“His lines are flowing as he weaves between the harmonic foundation, each idea building into the next in a fluid rhythmic swing feel.” – All About Jazz

“Purcell’s solo is a playful game of chromatic lines and catchy blues riffs, both combining to show his mastery of building a musical improvisation that is filled with the rich sounds of jazz history and modern sensibilities.” – All About Jazz

Chris Standring is a contemporary jazz guitarist known for his smooth, flawless technique and dynamic melodies. His albums have risen to the very top of the Billboard charts in the Smooth Jazz category and he had a number one hit on Radio and Records smooth jazz airplay charts for several months running. His critically acclaimed classical/jazz set Blue Bolero redefined his and the genre’s creative boundaries

Standring continues to find fresh, dynamic ways to break new ground in contemporary jazz long after his debut album Velvet. The versatile composer, guitarist, and producer lets the groove do all the conversing, bridging old school R&B/soul-jazz with a trippy, soundscape-rich, ultra-contemporary electronica vibe. He has recently taken yet another dramatic and spirited left turn, going deep with his love for Euro-styled drum and bass driven chill, progressive dance music, ambient trance, electronic dance music (EDM) and even dubstep.

Based in Southern California, when he is not on tour or in a recording studio, Chris works to pioneer jazz guitar education and social networking through his website www.playjazzguitar.com and, more recently, the amazing interactive website www.jazzmatrix.com.

Chris plays custom Bambino models.

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Mark Strickland is an American guitarist influenced by Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, Joe Pass, and jazz and R&B legends. Mark began playing in 1963 in Pittsburgh, PA, mentored by regional R&B and jazz greats.

Some of the many singers and musicians that Mark has performed with over the years include Grady Tate, Groove Holmes, Michelle Benson, John Heard and Gene Ludwig. Also an accomplished sound engineer, Mark has produced and/or engineered projects for musicians both regionally and nationally, including Dizzy Gillespie, Dakota Staton, Tommy Flanagan, and Jimmy Smith.

Currently, Mark maintains a full-time performance schedule as a jazz guitarist, playing in jazz clubs, festivals, universities, and theatres, and also is a dedicated music educator with a private guitar studio for motivated students.

Mark plays an Americana model.

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Dave Stryker is a performer, recording artist, and educator known as a front man with over 26 albums and as a featured sideman with Stanley Turrentine and Jack McDuff. He was recently voted once again as one of the top jazz guitarists in the 2015 DownBeat Critics and Readers Polls. His latest album, a tribute to Stanley Turrentine called Messin’ with Mister T (Strikezone Records) reached #1 on JazzWeek Radio charts and was picked as one of the top albums of 2015 by DownBeat.

Stryker grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, moved to New York City in 1980, and joined organist Jack McDuff’s group (1984-85). From 1986 to 1995, Stryker played with tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. He has also performed with Freddie Hubbard, James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Smith, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and many others. Dave currently performs with The Dave Stryker Organ Trio, The Stryker / Slagle Band (with saxophonist Steve Slagle), and his Blue to the Bone Band.

Dave is the Adjunct Professor of Jazz guitar at Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, and at the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University. His book Dave Stryker’s Jazz Guitar Improvisation Method (Mel Bay Publishing) is available at www.davestryker.com.

Dave plays a Bravo Deluxe model.

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Quotes

“One of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years.” – Gary Giddins, Village Voice

Andreas Varady is a Slovakian gypsy who has been playing the guitar since he was four years old. Inspired by Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, and George Benson, and taught by his father, Bandi, Andreas gained his first experiences as a musician from busking on the streets of Limerick and Cork, Ireland. He also attended jazz workshops in Limerick and Sligo, and later traveled to New York to study at Skidmore Jazz Institute, under scholarship from the combined Art Councils of Ireland. In 2009, at the age of twelve, Andreas reached a national audience on RTE’s The Guitar competition. Around the same time he wrote to Irish drumming star David Lyttle, introducing himself as a twelve-year-old jazz guitarist. Lyttle quickly began featuring him in his group, often alongside international players such as Andreas Oberg, Torsten Goods, Soweto Kinch, Terell Stafford, and Michael Janisch. Andreas has also guested with guitar icons Louis Stewart, Tommy Emmanuel, and Martin Taylor, and has made numerous appearances on BBC and RTE television and radio. He is currently a Quincy Jones Artist.

On October 10, 2013, Andreas signed with the venerable Verve Records label with David Foster. His first album, Come Together, was released in 2014.

Andreas plays custom Bambino Deluxe models.

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Ulf Wakenius is a renowned Swedish jazz guitarist. A member of the Oscar Peterson quartet from 1997, he was also a member of the Ray Brown trio.

With Pat Metheny he played Jazz Baltica 2003. In Norway he has played with Hot Club de Norvège and Vertavo-quartet (Hot Club Records, 2005), and also participated on the record Guitaresque on Hot Club Records with Jon Larsen, Stian Mevik, Jimmy Rosenberg, and others.

Ulf also plays with his own band and has recorded many albums.

Ulf plays a Bambino model.

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Wayne Wilkinson is a headliner guitarist that performs and tours across the country and internationally. Over his four-decade-plus career, Wayne has shared the stage with iconic jazz musicians, world class performers, and a President of the United States. Wilkinson is known for his high-octane melodic playing which world-renowned jazz trombonist Bill Watrous said “is the greatest guitar playing I’ve ever heard,” and which prompted Johnny Smith, legendary jazz guitarist, to proclaim Wayne “one hell of a guitar player.”

Wilkinson has played at the White House, Carnegie Hall and at major jazz and music festivals with the premier Air Force Jazz Ensembles The Airmen of Note in Washington, D.C. and the Falconaires in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

As a faculty member at the nationally accredited Colorado Springs Conservatory, Wilkinson helped establish the jazz program. He was also an adjunct professor for jazz guitar at Colorado State University – Pueblo. Wayne conducts master classes and clinics at universities and conservatories across the country.

Wayne plays custom Benny, Bambino Deluxe, and custom Bravo Elite models.

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Dan Wilson is a guitarist for whom music has been an integral part of life since his beginnings in gospel music. Since hearing a Wes Montgomery record in a relative’s basement, he has spent more than a decade honing his craft. His debut album, To Whom It May Concern was released in 2012 and is a product of an intense study of many different musical styles and concepts.

Dan has toured nationally and internationally with three-time Grammy nominated jazz organ legend Joey DeFrancesco. Dan’s composition, Who Shot John was featured on Joey’s 2015 release, Trip Mode. Dan can also be heard on the Grammy-nominated Project Freedom, by Joey Defrancesco & The People, released in 2017. In April of 2017, Dan joined  legendary bassist Christian Mcbride’s Tip City.

In addition to touring with Joey DeFrancesco, he has enjoyed the honor of sharing the stage with many jazz greats including Eric Marienthal, Russell Malone, Les Mcann, Christian McBride, and Dave Stryker.

Dan teaches jazz guitar and theory private lessons and co-leads a group of world class musicians, called D.T.C, which features drummer David Throckmorton and Cliff Barnes.

Dan plays a Pat Martino Signature model.

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