Paul Musso

Paul Musso is an Associate Professor and Director of Music Performance in the Music and Entertainment Industry Studies (MEIS) Department at the University of Colorado Denver, where he has taught for 36 years. He also serves as Performance Program Director for the MEIS Jazz and Commercial Guitar programs.

Paul has composed music for several Hollywood films, including the short film Shiny, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016 and won Tropfest, the world’s largest short film festival, in Australia. He is the author of six instructional texts in jazz guitar and music theory published by Mel Bay Publications, the world’s largest publisher of guitar method books. His best-selling title, Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar: Teaching Your Guitar to Walk, has been translated into Japanese.

In addition to his work as a composer and author, Paul is an accomplished performer who has toured throughout Europe, Mexico, and the United States. Jazz guitar legend Jim Hall praised his playing as “beautiful, with great tone and melodic surprises.”

Paul’s most recent album, Songs From the Pier—described as a “love letter to Southern California”—features nineteen original compositions performed on acoustic guitar.

Awards

Citysearch Denver’s Best Guitarist of 2000

Gear

• Gibson ES 350T - 80s
• Cort Larry Coryell LCS 1
• Cordoba GK Studio Negra, nylon
• YULONG GUO Soloist, nylon
• AER 60
• DV Mark Jazz amp

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