An Eau Claire, Wisconsin native, jazz guitarist Pete McCann has been an integral part of the New York City jazz scene for over 30 years. He recently released Without Question, his seventh 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 20 countries and has played in almost every state in the USA.  

McCann has performed and/or recorded with Kenny Wheeler, Dave Liebman, Lee Konitz, The Manhattan Transfer, Patti Austin, Brian Blade, Bobby Previte, Grace Kelly, the Mahavishnu Project and the Maria Schneider Orchestra. He currently works in groups lead by Kendra Shank, Paul Jost, Joe Fiedler, Spin Cycle, Melissa Stylianou, Ben Kono, Brian Woodruff and orchestras led by Migiwa Miyajima, Sam Blakeslee, Dan Pugach and Christopher Zuar. As a commercial recording artist, he has worked on projects for CNN, BBC, Sesame Street and IBM.  

Without Question features Steve Wilson, Henry Hey, Matt Pavolka and Mark Ferber. His earlier CDs have featured John O'Gallagher, Matt Clohesy, Mike Holober, John Hebert, Peter Epstein, Mike Sarin, Tim Lefebvre and Matt Wilson. His solo recordings have received rave reviews:  

Without Question (2023): "The album title, Without Question, signifies McCann’s bold declaration of self-identity. No longer content to be compared to other guitarists, he asserts his unique sonic identity throughout the album, each track revealing a distinct aspect of his musical uniqueness."  
— Chalked Up 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  

Range (2015): “McCann has such command of his instrument that he can go deep in any setting...” 
— DownBeat  

Extra Mile (2009): “[T]he Eau Claire, Wisconsin native continues to make strong personal statements with his sophisticated harmonic sensibility, blistering chops and improvisational daring.” — Guitar Player  

Most Folks (2006): “This and virtually every tune offered during the performance revealed McCann to be a song writer of considerable gifts.” — Portland Herald Press  

You Remind Me of Someone (2000): “Along with fine playing and breadth, McCann has an underlying artistry....” — Jazz Times  

Parable (1998): “McCann is a multitasking dynamo as he switch hits between blazing guitar pyrotechnics and clear-toned, fleet fingered jazz soloing.” — www.allaboutjazz.com  

McCann received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Texas and has taught at New York University, The New School, City College and the Maine Jazz Camp. He has written articles for Guitar Player and DownBeat magazines and was featured in the NYC Jazz Guitar Summit for the True Fire video series. Pete is endorsed by D’Addario and Planet Waves.

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Jazz guitarist Pete McCann has been an integral part of the New York City jazz scene for over 30 years. He recently released Without Question, his seventh recording as a leader. A sought-after sideman from duos to big bands, he has played guitar on over 100 CDs.  McCann has performed and/or recorded with Kenny Wheeler, Dave Liebman, Lee Konitz, The Manhattan Transfer, Patti Austin, Brian Blade, Grace Kelly, Bobby Previte, the Mahavishnu Project and the Maria Schneider Orchestra. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Texas and has taught at New York University, The New School, City College of New York and the Maine Jazz Camp.

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