Urbanbuzzmag.com
By Nigeria Anderson
Next Gen, Jazz For My Grandchildren
John Stein is a jazz guitarist, educator and author. His music over the course of his career has been consistent with performing jazz. His latest release, Next Gen, Jazz For My Grandchildren, is near and dear to his heart. By request from his daughter, he composed five tracks on his new album dedicated to his five grandchildren. Stein began playing the guitar at seven years old. Before embracing jazz, Stein performed folk music and rock and roll in his formative years. After embracing jazz, he released his first album Hustle Up (1995) on Tightly Knit Records, a subsidiary of Knitting Factory Works. Hustle Up displays Stein’s talents, as a guitarist, composer and artist. John Stein’s passion to play jazz guitar, he enrolled in Berklee College of Music to further his studies and hone his craft. Stein graduated from Berklee College of Music, becoming a great jazz guitarist and educator of our day. He has a career that expands over 30 years. Stein is a retired professor of Berklee College of Music, and an author writing books titled Jazz Standards For Solo Guitar, Composing Blues For Jazz Performance, and Composing Tunes For Jazz Performance. John Stein has performed with some of the world’s finest jazz acts and can cover a spectrum of jazz styles.
At the tender age of 70 years old, there is no stopping John Stein and his passion for playing guitar. Prior to this album release, he had a health emergency that paused his recording career for over a year. Once he was able to recover, he released a new album titled, No Goodbyes (2023). Joining Stein on Next Gen, Jazz For My Grandchildren, are bass guitarist Ed Lucie and drummer Mike Connors. Lucie has performed and recorded with a wide variety of artists, including Buddy Rich, Stevie Wonder, Peter Bernstein and more. Connors has toured internationally with many jazz artists, and performed for several television shows, films and soundtracks. The concept for Next Gen, Jazz For My Grandchildren, is composed with original jazz tracks inspired by each child’s personality. John Stein reveals each song with his sophisticated harmonic and rhythmic sound, supported by his flawless technique. The trio of Stein, Lucie and Connors have played together for four years. You can hear their chemistry on this album. Next Gen, Jazz For My Grandchildren, is another stellar offering by masterful jazz guitarists. Welcome our new KeyPlayer Mr. John Stein. You can connect with John Stein through his website https://johnstein.com/. If you are interested in Jazz, this is an interview you will enjoy. Make sure you support by purchasing your copy on all digital outlets. PUSH PLAY
