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John Stein

Jazz guitarist John Stein was born and raised in Kansas City where he took up his instrument at a very early age. His talent for and love of music eventually brought him to Boston and the renowned Berklee College of Music where he has guided aspiring musicians for many years.

John has performed as a sideman or a leader with some of New England's finest jazz acts and he associates with the cream of Boston's jazz musicians, including Bill Pierce, John LaPorta, and Bob Freedman. His expanding list of credits includes onstage performances with some of the world's finest jazz musicians, including David "Fathead" Newman, Lou Donaldson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Johnny Vidacovich, and Idris Muhammid. John's compositions and performances cover the spectrum of jazz, from Blues to Bebop to Bossas to Swing. John has concertised in Europe as well as in the United States, conducting tours in Germany, France, and Switzerland.

John's debut CD, Hustle Up!, KFW 172, was released in 1995 on Tightly Knit Records, a subsidiary of Knitting Factory Works. The album is a unique musical presentation where John displays his many talents: as a leader, composer, arranger, producer, soloist, and ensemble performer. John is also featured on the wonderful recording, Ron Gill Sings the Songs of Billy Strayhorn, which was released in December, 1997, by WGBH Radio in Boston. The Ron Gill band, with John on guitar, was video-taped by WGBH Television for airing on its program, Basic Black in 1998, and is regularly re-aired.

John's recording, Green Street, on A-Records, AL 73158, featuring reed-playing legend David "Fathead" Newman, was released in 1999 to critical acclaim. Green Street received much radio exposure in the United States, soaring very high in the Jazz Charts, and introduced John to a nation-wide audience.

John's third release, in 2000, was Portraits and Landscapes, Jardis Records, JRCD 20029, which featured Larry Goldings on piano and organ, Bill Thompson on reeds, Keala Kaumeheiwa on bass, and Greg Conroy on drums.

John's fourth release as a leader is Conversation Pieces, Jardis Records, JRCD 20140. Released in January, 2002, it is John's second collaboration with David "Fathead" Newman, and documents John's continuing evolution as a composer, leader, and extraordinary guitarist. As the title suggests, the music is conversational and swinging, beautifully written, played, recorded, and produced. Conversation Pieces is also John's second release on Jardis Records, Europe's premier jazz guitar record label, and his recordings are an important part of that label's growing catalogue.