Take Five With Jacob Wise

Meet Jacob Wise:

A native of Austin, Texas, guitarist Jacob Wise began playing in blues and jazz bands while a student at the University of Texas. His warm, contemporary guitar sound has been featured with a wide variety of Texan jazz artists. He is currently working on a master's degree in jazz performance at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. As a member of UNT's renowned One O'Clock Lab Band, he has performed with Lyle Mays, Pat Metheny's longtime collaborator and keyboardist, and John Mosca, the leader of the Village Vanguard Orchestra.

Instrument(s):

Guitar.

Teachers and/or influences?

Influences: Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino, Ed Bickert, Vic Juris, Pat Metheny, Adam Rogers, Lage Lund.

Teachers: Fred Hamilton, Bruce Saunders, Steve Geraci.

I knew I wanted to be a musician when... I played my very first gigs with blues and funk bands—it was a lot of fun, and I knew I wanted to keep performing and learning.

Your sound and approach to music: I strive for a warm, focused sound, and to have as much or more technique than I need to execute the music, without letting the technique overshadow the musical content.

Your teaching approach: When teaching jazz, I like to focus on fundamentals—voicings, scales, arpeggios, repertoire, time feel, and reading, as well as listening to the masters. I've also written my own guitar method book.

Favorite venue:

As a new jazz player, I learned a lot playing at the Elephant Room in Austin. The community of musicians who played there and the vibe from the audience definitely inspired me to keep playing and growing.

The first Jazz album I bought was: Miles Davis, 58 Sessions.

CDs you are listening to now:

Myron Walden, To Feel (Demi Sound);

Will Vinson, The World Through My Shoes (19/8);

Alex Sipiagin, Generations (Criss Cross);

Seamus Blake, Bellwether (Criss Cross).

Desert Island picks:

Wes Montgomery, Smokin' At The Half Note (Verve);

Pat Martino, El Hombre (Prestige);

Pat Metheny, Trio 99/00 (Warner Bros.);

Peter Bernstein, Stranger in Paradise (Venus);

Alex Sipiagin, Hindsight (Criss Cross).

What is in the near future? CD release shows in Texas: at Cezanne in Houston, Elephant Room in Austin

By Day:

Grad student / Teaching Fellow at UNT in Denton, TX.

Photo Credit

Courtesy of Jacob Wise.