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Jonathan Epley

Guitarist currently living in Baltimore, MD

About Me

I grew up playing guitar in the mountains of East Tennessee. An initial interest in the instrument came from my uncle, well known Martin historian and luthier John Arnold. There were many excellent guitarists in and out of John's shop I met at an early age, including Norman Blake and Doc Watson. The unique opportunity of watching some of the world's greatest acoustic guitar players in the world in such an intimate atmosphere proved to be too much to resist, and soon I had picked up a guitar of my own and started hacking away. I have melded this Bluegrass/Folk upbringing with Jazz, Electric Slide Guitar, Blues, and Progressive Rock to create a sound that is unique yet hopefully identifiable.

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My Jazz Story

I love jazz because it embodies self-expression and deep communication working together for a greater purpose. This combined with the frailty and immediacy of the human condition that I hear in great jazz records and live performances gives me chills every time. I was first exposed to jazz as a teenager. Mike Stern was a big gateway for me into the world of jazz in my late teens. I met Pat Metheny in my mid twenties after one of his shows I attended and was blown away by his musicality and set list choices. The best show I ever attended was The Kurt Rosenwinkel Group live at The Village Vanguard during the week his group recorded the album, The Remedy. My advice to new listeners is to keep an open mind when listening to any music.