Home » Jazz Musicians » Terrence McManus

Terrence McManus

A native of Brooklyn, New York, guitarist/composer/sound artist Terrence McManus has been called "... one of New York's latest guitar heroes ..." (All About Jazz), and that he has "... hit on an entirely new language." (Gambit), and "... possesses the goods to impart a significant impact ..." (jazzreview.com). Time Out New York calls him a "Texture-minded guitar abstractionist ..." and the NY Times times has described him as a "guitarist drawn to abstract texture."
 
He has performed or recorded with many of the major innovators in contemporary music, including John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Tim Berne, Gerry Hemingway, Mark Dresser, Ellery Eskelin, Herb Robertson, Mark Helias, John Hollenbeck, Ben Monder, Russ Lossing, Randy Peterson, Mat Maneri, Tom Rainey, Michael Sarin, John Hébert, and Marty Ehrlich. He has performed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, the New York Guitar Festival, Jazz Festival Willisau (Switzerland), Jazzfestival Saalfelden (Austria), the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park, and the inaugural month at John Zorn’s The Stone. Terrence was featured in the book State of the Axe: Guitar Masters in Photographs and Words, by legendary photographer Ralph Gibson.
 
An accomplished solo guitarist, Terrence performs his own works on electric and classical guitar and has developed a unique style of improvisation, drawing on extended technique and prepared guitar. His solo recording Brooklyn EP was described as having "... visceral, stimulating fabrics." (The New York City Jazz Record). He has done numerous solo tours across the United States. In 2011, Terrence was selected as a semi-finalist on classical guitar in the Portland State University Guitar Festival.


Tags

15
Album Review

Terrence McManus & John Hebert: Saints and Sinners

Read "Saints and Sinners" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


Here's an album that was recorded in 2010 and released in 2015. Hence, It's better late than never, especially since this duo production by rising star experimental guitarist Terrence McManus and all-universe jazz session bassist and leader, John Hebert tease our imaginations via these nine contrasting works. The duo's creative improvisational sparks and acute call and response mechanisms tender deft expressionism from start to finish. They pose a challenging sequence of circumstances that spawn an abundance of mind-bending gambits.

113
Album Review

Terrence McManus / Mark Helias / Gerry Hemingway: Transcendental Numbers

Read "Transcendental Numbers" reviewed by John Sharpe


Guitarist Terrence McManus helms a stellar trio on Transcendental Numbers, through six collective concoctions recorded in New York City's The Stone, straddling and blurring the line between textural improvisation and the more traditional sound of guitar and rhythm section. Brooklyn-born McManus is carving a niche for himself on the scene. Having worked with drummer/composer Tyshawn Sorey, and performed with fellow guitarist Bill Frisell and saxophonist John Zorn, McManus is currently a member of drummer Gerry Hemingway's quintet, and finds his ...

157
Album Review

Terrence McManus/- Gerry Hemingway: Below The Surface

Read "Below The Surface" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


Guitarist Terrence McManus conveys an extensive music vernacular, tinted with percussive attributes and perceptive interactions with famed drummer, bandleader and consummate improviser Gerry Hemingway during Below The Surface Of. The duo engages a pliant game plan, executed at various pulses, and a broad soundstage that invokes an entertaining outlook, combined with blooming adventurism. The duo kicks off the festivities with “The Night Ocean." Here, Hemingway lays down a swaying, medium-tempo swing groove, underscored by his counterpart's subliminal lo-hum ...

158
Multiple Reviews

Terrence McManus: Thirty9Thirty8 & Live at the Clown Lounge

Read "Terrence McManus: Thirty9Thirty8 & Live at the Clown Lounge" reviewed by Elliott Simon


Dave Ballou/Terrence McManus/Devin Gray Thirty9thirty8 Flattened Planet Records 2006 Terrence McManus/Michael Lewis/Adam Linz/J.T. Bates Live at the Clown Lounge Flattened Planet Records 2006

Although legitimate releases, both these sessions, on guitarist Terrence McManus' own Flattened Planet Records, have the look, feel, intimacy and immediacy of the best bootlegs. The cleverly constructed Thirty9Thirty8 is ...

160
Multiple Reviews

Terrence McManus: Bates/Linz/McManus & Pastellic Reflections

Read "Terrence McManus: Bates/Linz/McManus & Pastellic Reflections" reviewed by Matthew Miller


Bates/Linz/ McManus Bates/Linz/ McManus Flattened Planet 2006 Terrence McManus/Joe Battaglia Pastellic Reflections Flattened Planet 2006

One of the joys of completely improvised music is the urgency and utter possibility lurking in each phrase. These provocative new releases, the first two on guitarist Terrence McManus' Flattened Planet label, restlessly push the improvisational ...

Read more articles
146

Recording

Terrence McManus - Transcendental Numbers (No Business, 2011)

Terrence McManus - Transcendental Numbers (No Business, 2011)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland

Guitarist Terrence McManus writes in his notes to this album that he was: ..."interested in developing a personal sonic language on the guitar, in an attempt to be able to do things I have been hearing, which were not possible though standard ways of playing the guitar." Setting up a very nice open minded rhythm section with Mark Helias on bass and Gerry Hemingway on drums is certainly a good way to start and they support McManus regardless of how ...

144

Performance / Tour

The Dream of the Ants Perform in Brooklyn

The Dream of the Ants Perform in Brooklyn

Source: All About Jazz

On February 5 the chamber ensemble, The Dream of the Ants, will make its first performance of the new year.

The performance will take place at the Brooklyn based art space, Issue Project Room. The ensemble, led by guitarist Terrence McManus, will perform the new work, The Machine, which is inspired by the music of Morton Feldman, Gyorgy Ligeti, and Bela Bartok.

The Can Factory 232 3rd Street 3rd Floor Brooklyn, NY Terrence McManus-electric classical guitar, ...

149

Performance / Tour

Terrence McManus/Mark Helias/Gerry Hemingway at The Stone (NYC) on January 1

Terrence McManus/Mark Helias/Gerry Hemingway at The Stone (NYC) on January 1

Source: All About Jazz


107

Performance / Tour

Terrence McManus/Ellery Eskelin/Gerry Hemingway at Stain Bar on December 16

Terrence McManus/Ellery Eskelin/Gerry Hemingway at Stain Bar on December 16

Source: All About Jazz


115

Performance / Tour

Blaise Siwula/Sten Hostfalt + Tim Berne/Herb Robertson/Terrence McManus NYC

Blaise Siwula/Sten Hostfalt + Tim Berne/Herb Robertson/Terrence McManus NYC

Source: All About Jazz

WHAT: LIVE in CONCERT at ABC No Rio New York City

WHEN: Sunday, September 21st 2008 at 8 pm

WHO: TIM BERNE - saxophone HERB ROBERTSON - trumpet TERRENCE McMANUS - guitar

WHEN: Sunday, September 21st 2008 at 9 pm

WHO: BLAISE SIWULA - saxophone STEN HOSTFALT - guitar

WHERE: ABC No Rio New ...

Primary Instrument

Guitar

Willing to teach

Intermediate to advanced

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Saints and Sinners

Self Produced
2016

buy

Transcendental Numbers

NoBusiness Records
2011

buy

Below The Surface

Auricle Music
2011

buy

Below the Surface of

Auricle Music
2011

buy

Brooklyn

Konnex Records
2010

buy

Videos

Similar

Led Zeppelin
band / ensemble / orchestra

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.