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Trey Wright

Trey Wright is a jazz guitarist, composer, and recording artist based in Roswell, Ga. Initially inspired by the blues, Trey was exposed to jazz early in his development by a private instructor. While studying Sociology at the University of Georgia, Wright furthered his study of jazz improvisation with pianist and composer Steve Dancz. In 1994, he co- founded the Athens/Atlanta based jazz band Squat. The group was a six-time winner of Best Jazz Band at the Flagpole Athens Music Awards and was a featured artist at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, Bel Chere, the Twilight Athens Jazz Festival, the Cherry Blossom Festival, Harvest Midtown, and Athfest. Several of Trey’s compositions with the group have received international airplay and have been featured on Sirius radio and NPR’s All Things Considered.

Trey also performs freelance in the Athens and Atlanta area and has performed with Yellowjackets bassist Jimmy Haslip, John Patitucci, Joe Lovano, Corey Christiansen and Darmon Meader of the New York Voices. Trey’s international performances include the Montreux Jazz Festival; Jazz A Vienne; the Festival of International Theater in Casablanca, Morocco; and the World Sacred Music Festival in Bangalore, India. As a solo guitarist and with his trio, Trey has been a featured performer at the Athens Music and Arts Festival, the Lake Oconee Jazz Festival, and the Atlanta Jazz Festival. In early 2008, Trey began playing with the Georgia Symphony Jazz Orchestra (GSO Jazz).

In December of 2002, Trey completed a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies at Georgia State University and he currently teaches Applied Jazz Guitar, Jazz Theory and Composition, Jazz Guitar Ensemble, Jazz History, Jazz Improvisation, Jazz in Europe and The History of Rock at Kennesaw State University. Trey has also taught at LaGrange College, Gainesville College, the Atlanta Institute of Music and was a Jazz Artist in Residence at the University of Georgia. From 2010-2016, Trey wrote a quarterly column in Just Jazz Guitar magazine and starting in January 2019, Trey will write a monthly column for Jazz Guitar Today.

In 2006, Trey released his first CD Where I’m Calling From, receiving rave reviews and airplay throughout the United States, New Zealand, England, Australia, Germany, Italy, Canada, Luxembourg, Scotland, and the Netherlands. The Trey Wright Trio released Thinking Out Loud in the summer of 2009 on Blue Canoe Records. In 2010, The CD was included in the first round Grammy Nominations for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. In the Fall of 2012, the Trey Wright Trio’s version of Thom Yorke’s “Analyze” was included on the compilation Head Radio Retransmissions: A Tribute to Radiohead on the German label ESC records. Trey’s long-awaited collaboration with Grammy winning saxophonist Mace Hibbard The Hibbard/Wright Project was released to rave reviews in May 2013 and Trey's follow up CD Songs From Oak Avenue was released on Blue Canoe Records in March 2015. Over the past several years, Thinking Out Loud and Songs From Oak Avenue have been featured on Delta Airlines In-Flight Entertainment program.

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5
Album Review

Professor Aucoin & the Jazz Scientists: Mystified

Read "Mystified" reviewed by Jack Bowers


There is a heap of soul, blues, rock, funk and heart on Professor Tim Aucoin's album, Mystified. On the other hand, the jazz content is in rather short supply. The Jazz Scientists are good at what they do, but what they do is more akin to a nightclub act than a jazz performance, at times reminiscent of Sam Butera and the Witnesses but without the luminous personas of Louis Prima and Keely Smith to raise them above the norm. Aucoin ...

571
Take Five With...

Take Five With Trey Wright

Read "Take Five With Trey Wright" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Meet Trey Wright: Trey Wright is a jazz guitarist, composer, and recording artist based in Roswell, Ga. While studying Sociology at the University of Georgia, Trey studied jazz improvisation with pianist and composer Steve Dancz. In 1994, he co-founded the Athens/Atlanta based jazz band Squat. The group is a six-time winner of Best Jazz Band at the Flagpole Athens Music Awards and has been at festivals and clubs throughout the Southeast. Several of Trey's compositions with the group have received ...

157
Album Review

Trey Wright: Where I'm Calling From

Read "Where I'm Calling From" reviewed by Budd Kopman


Trey Wright is another talented musician to add to the must-hear Athens/Atlanta circle of Dromedary and Kenosha Kid. Blessed with a true gift of tuneful composition, Wright fills Where I'm Calling From with strong hooks that will stay with you for a long time. Furthermore, he knows how to arrange and build a track to tell a story, merging music and drama into a seductive mix that maintains a strong grip on your attention. With its mainstream accessibility and distinctive ...

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3

Recording

Guitarist Trey Wright releases solo effort, Begin Again

Guitarist Trey Wright releases solo effort, Begin Again

Source: Karen Frieske

Atlanta's jazz guitar master Trey Wright has released his latest solo effort, “Begin Again". Mr. Wright puts together a moving group of songs inspired by his recovery from a depressive episode in 2016 and dedicated to ex-band mate the late Carl Lindberg (Squat, Grogus, Ok Skool Trio). ”Begin Again" also features Marc Miller (bass: The Atlanta Pops Orchestra), Marlon Patton (drums: John Patitucci, Randy Brecker, Rufus Reid, Wycliffe Gordon), Laura Coyle (vocals: twice featured performer at the Atlanta Jazz Festival) ...

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Recording

Melodic Thinking

Melodic Thinking

Source: All About Jazz

Thinking Out Loud is the latest introspective from guitar-stunner Trey Wright. Mr. Wright assembles a trio for this rendering of eight originals and two bold covers of current rock artists.

Thinking Out Loud captures the magical interplay that drummer Marlon Patton (Universal Music Group's Heavy Mojo) and bass-ace Marc Miller have developed live. The strong melodic bass lines braid through modern jazz/rock drum rhythms and provide a unique, fresh foundation for Mr. Wright's contemplative voice. Recorded mostly live and with ...

“the raw energy and often dark mood of the songs from “Thinking Out Loud” make it one of the more compelling releases this year. It is both dark and hopefully melodic while modern with traditional instrumentation. “Thinking Out Loud” keeps the listener on edge and at the edge of their seat until the end … anticipating more from this rising star” -Karen Frieske, jazzreview.com

“Thinking Out Loud raises the bar for energized, collaborative and highly listenable trio music. Each tuned-in musician contributes highly relevant ideas challenging and complimenting the group. The Trey Wright Trio is an intensely attentive, selfless mix of musicians completely connected to what is going on around them” -Bruce Pulvar, Jazzreview.com

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Primary Instrument

Guitar

Location

Atlanta

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

In addition to teaching private lessons in jazz guitar and jazz improvisation, Trey is a Senior Lecturer in Jazz Guitar and Jazz Studies at Kennesaw State University where he teaches Applied Jazz Guitar, Jazz Guitar Ensemble, Jazz Combos, Jazz Theory and Composition, Jazz History, the History of Rock and Roll and Jazz in Europe.

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Mystified

Self Produced
2021

buy

Begin Again

Blue Canoe Records
2019

buy

Songs From Oak Avenue

Blue Canoe Records
2015

buy

Thinking Out Loud

Blue Canoe Records
2009

buy

Where I'm Calling From

Namaste Records
2007

buy

Me And Einstein

From: Begin Again
By Trey Wright

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