Garrison Fewell
The guitarist formerly known as one of Boston's most eloquent inside players has become one of its leading experimenters, writes Boston Phoenix's Jon Garelick, who included Fewell's ensemble, the Variable Density Sound Orchestra, on his best of 2009 list. Fewell, a professor at Berklee College since 1977, has toured the globe for more than 35 years as one of the jazz world's premier performer/educators. He has released 13 recordings for Soul Note, Koch, Splasc(H), Boxholder, Accurate, Nubop and CNM Records. For the past decade, he has collaborated with such renowned avant-garde musicians as John Tchicai, Steve Swell, Roy Campbell, Khan Jamal, Borah Bergman and Curtis Clark. The Variable Density Sound Orchestra, founded in 2008, released three recordings on Creative Nation Music, and balances both aspects of Fewell's musical personality by showcasing the melodic accessibility and sturdy framework of his compositions as well as the unbridled freedom of free improvisation.
A renowned jazz educator Fewell has taught at European Conservatories including Rotterdam, Maastricht, Amsterdam, Graz, Cologne, Leipzig, Warsaw, Krakow, the American School of Modern Music in Paris, and at McGill and Laval University in Canada, and conducted workshops for the International Association of Jazz Educators in New York City, Toronto, and the Montreux Jazz Festival. He taught at the Polish Jazz Society Summer Workshops, the New School (NY) at Veneto Jazz, Italy, and is the ear training and guitar instructor for Global Music Foundation at seminars across Europe.
Read moreTags
Album Review
- Call Porter by Angelo Leonardi
Book Review
Multiple Reviews
- Garrison Fewell: Flawless Dust / Unbroken Circuit
- Garrison Fewell: Invisible Resonance Trio, Inverso
General Articles
Live Review
Album Review
- Variable Density Sound Orchestra by Lyn Horton
- Variable Density Sound Orchestra by John Sharpe
- Red Door Number 11 by AAJ Staff
- City of Dreams by AAJ Staff
October 14, 2020
Jazz Musician of the Day: Garrison Fewell
October 14, 2019
Jazz Musician of the Day: Garrison Fewell
October 14, 2018
Jazz Musician of the Day: Garrison Fewell
October 14, 2017
Jazz Musician of the Day: Garrison Fewell
October 14, 2016
Jazz Musician of the Day: Garrison Fewell
October 13, 2015
Jazz Musician of the Day: Garrison Fewell
October 14, 2014
Jazz Musician of the Day: Garrison Fewell
October 14, 2013
Jazz Musician of the Day: Garrison Fewell
October 14, 2012
Jazz Musician of the Day: Garrison Fewell
October 14, 2011
His beautiful tone and effortless, fluid lines draw the listener in as only a select few have done...a fine guitarist who appeals on the sublime, emotional level of a Bill Evans or a Jim Hall. -James Rozzi, Wired
His active imagination is restless; his musical intelligence is acute; his standards are high.-Thomas Conrad, DownBeat
Continually surprising change-ups in phrasing, technique and timing, along with a perceptive balance between forward linear motion and shifting horizontal timbres are the hallmarks of Fewell's style.-Milo Fine, Cadence
With phrasing that is simply flawless he digs into harmonies with a clear and unique style, free of clich.-M