Biography
Born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA, the Midwest guitarist McCann pursued studies under Jack Peterson at the University of North Texas and earned his degree there cum laude. He also taught at the institution and contributed to multiple recordings by its celebrated One O’Clock Lab Band (Lab ’87, Lab ’88 and Lab ’89). During 1988 he worked with Dave Holland and Kevin Eubanks at the Banff Summer Jazz Workshop in Canada. Following graduation he relocated to New York, where he assembled his own ensembles—most often quartets or trios—and performed with Maria Schneider’s big band, Bobby Watson’s Electric Band and Jack Walrath And The Masters Of Suspense. Additional collaborators with whom he has appeared and, in some cases, recorded include Randy Brecker, Jon Faddis, the Fast Down Septet, Danny Gottlieb, Pat LaBarbera, Dave Liebman, James Moody, Adam Nussbaum, Pete Petersen, Bobby Previte, oboist Emmanuelle Somer, Ed Thigpen, saxophonist Erwin Vann and Kenny Wheeler.
Commanding virtuoso technique, McCann has shown a steady engagement with current jazz directions. Although traces of guitarists such as Pat Metheny and John Scofield surfaced in his formative work, his ongoing pursuit of personal expression in both performance and composition established him, by the close of the century, as a significant figure. The 1999 agreement with Palmetto Records expanded his reach beyond the settings in which he had previously operated. At once inventive and forward-looking while remaining attuned to the music’s origins, McCann stands as a major talent.
Commanding virtuoso technique, McCann has shown a steady engagement with current jazz directions. Although traces of guitarists such as Pat Metheny and John Scofield surfaced in his formative work, his ongoing pursuit of personal expression in both performance and composition established him, by the close of the century, as a significant figure. The 1999 agreement with Palmetto Records expanded his reach beyond the settings in which he had previously operated. At once inventive and forward-looking while remaining attuned to the music’s origins, McCann stands as a major talent.
Albums
