| John Stowell | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Stowell |
| Origin | Connecticut |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | guitars |
| Years active | 1970- |
| Website | http://www.johnstowell.com/ |
John Stowell is an American Jazz guitarist, composer, author and lecturer.
Contents |
Stowell, who plays electric and acoustic guitar, raised in Connecticut had private studies with Linc Chamberland and John Mehegan. Several years later he met bassist David Friesen in New York City, and they formed a duo in 1976 that recorded and toured prolifically for seven years, with performances in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. The duo continues to perform thirty years after their first meeting. In 1983, Stowell and David Friesen joined flutist Paul Horn and Paul’s son Robin Horn (on drums) for a tour of the Soviet Union. In 1977 Stowell recorded his debut album Golden Delicious; his sidemen were Jim McNeely, Mike Richmond, and Billy Hart[1]
Stowell teaches internationally. He has been an Artist-In-Residence at schools in Germany, Indonesia, Argentina, the United States and Canada. He served as assistant director and performer at Oregon Public Broadcasting’s PDX Jazz Summit in 1991, and since 1995 has been a contributing columnist for a number of magazines, including Down Beat, Guitar Player, Canadian Musician, Soundcheck (Germany), and Guitar Club (Italy). In Germany, he teaches at Jazz & Rock Schulen Freiburg with Frank Haunschild, with whom he playes regularly in a duo. He has also worked with Uwe Kropinski, Dave Liebman, Hiram Mutschler, Gérard Pansanel, Gustavo Assis-Brasil, David Becker, Kelley Shannon, and Nicolao Valiensi. In 2005 Stowell published Jazz Guitar Mastery (book and DVD). Stowell currently lives in Portland, Oregon.
Stowell plays holds the guitar in an almost vertical position, not unlike a cello player which allows him to reach unusually large stretches in his soloing and chords.[2]
Stowell's Through the Listening Glass with David Friesen was chosen of the best Jazz Albums of the Decade by the Los Angeles Examiner; he was chosen as a Talent Deserving Wider Recognition by Downbeat’s International Critic’s Poll in 1978 and 1979.