Pete McCann

An Eau Claire, Wisconsin native, jazz guitarist Pete McCann has been an integral part of the New York City jazz scene for over 25 years. He has just released Pay For It On The Other Side, his sixth recording as a leader. A sought-after sideman from duos to big bands, with a unique and wide-ranging set of musical skills, McCann has played guitar on over 100 CDs. Pete has performed in every type of venue from jazz clubs to jazz festivals, schools to concert halls and even Carnegie Hall. He has traveled to 18 countries and has played in almost every state in the USA.

McCann has performed and/or recorded with Kenny Wheeler, Dave Liebman, Lee Konitz, Patti Austin, Brian Blade, Bobby Previte, Grace Kelly, the Mahavishnu Project and the Maria Schneider Orchestra. He currently works in groups lead by Melissa Stylianou, Jocelyn Medina, Joe Fiedler, Spin Cycle, Ben Kono, Dan Willis, Pete Mills, Chris Tarry, the Breithaupt Brothers and orchestras led by Migiwa Miyajima and Christopher Zuar. As a commercial recording artist, he has worked on projects for CNN, BBC, Sesame Street and IBM.

Pay For It On The Other Side features John O’Gallagher, Henry Hey Matt Clohesy and Mark Ferber. His earlier CDs have featured Mike Holober, John Hebert, Peter Epstein, Mike Sarin, Tim Lefebvre and Matt Wilson. His solo recordings have received rave reviews:

Pay For It On The Other Side (2018): “Guitarist Pete McCann has been heralded as a convincing voice of the contemporary jazz guitar world, showing skills to combine hard rock, blues and post-bop in a legitimate manner…” — Jazz Trail

Pete McCann: Mild-Mannered Superhero Guitarist

Album Reviews

Pay for It on the Other Side by Glenn Astarita
Range by Roger Farbey
Range by Troy Collins

Interviews

Pete McCann: Looking Forward

Album Reviews

Extra Mile by AAJ Italy Staff
Extra Mile by Mark Corroto
Most Folks by AAJ Italy Staff
Most Folks by Tom Greenland
Most Folks by Michael P. Gladstone
Most Folks by Jeff Dayton-Johnson
Most Folks by Jerry D'Souza
Most Folks by Troy Collins
You Remind Me Of Someone by Todd S. Jenkins
Parable by Glenn Astarita
Parable by Joel Roberts
Parable by Jack Bowers

”This is the fifth album as leader by NYC-based guitarist Pete McCann and demonstrates just what heights the jazz guitar is capable of reaching when placed in the hands of an expert who understands the meaning of balance and finesse.” - Roger Farbey, All About Jazz

“Not an album to pigeonhole, it's an album for today but with many different facets: Gentle ethereal sounds; hard postbop and some wild jazz rock blasts.” - Lance Liddle, Bebop Spoken Here

“Living up to its title, Range makes a compelling case for McCann's manifold abilities, as a crack improviser, a noteworthy composer and a magnanimous bandleader.” - Troy Collins, All About Jazz

“It's a cool effect switching from cerebral, passive engagement to supercharged emotional connectivity.” - Dave Sumner, Bird is the Worm

Primary Instrument

Guitar

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

McCann received his Bachelors of Music from the University of North Texas in 1989. He also studied at the prestigious Banff School of the Arts in 1988. Pete is an adjunct faculty guitar teacher at The New School and City College in New York City. He also teaches at the NYU Summer Guitar Intensive, and the Maine Jazz Camp.

Clinic/Workshop Information

McCann has done several clinics at major universities in the United States, Europe and Canada. One of Pete's favorite clinics uses concepts from "The Lexicon of Symmetric Scales and Tonal Patterns" by Dr