cds
NOW AVAILABLE!!!...
Opportunity Knocks (a brand new release, hot of the presses!)
PERSONNEL
Pete Smyser guitar
Mike Boone upright bass
Byron Landham drums
Sid Simmons piano (on 3 of the 10 tracks)
Buy it now at CD Baby (audio samples available here)
Coming soon to itunes, Rhapsody, Napster, etc.
ALSO BRAND NEW!!! my debut solo guitar CD...
 Pete Smyser - Solo Guitar (Jazz on the Classic - The Bethlehem Guitar Festival Program)
Sound samples and digital downloads are available at Digstation
Coming soon to CD Baby, itunes, Amazon.com, Rhapsody, Napster, etc.
The following CDs are also available for purchase...
Pete Smyser & Larry McKenna (CAP960)
TRACK LISTING /sound samples
PUBLISHED REVIEWS
“This is a `must' record, not only for contrasting two important stylists, but also for the enjoyment to be had from the music. Smyser's performances on this release are marked by a reflective, pensive quality. … a flowing quality that is extraordinarily pleasant. Smyser's playing makes for easy-swinging, melodically charming music that is engaging, warm, and spontaneous. This is a lush album.” -Johnny Adams/ KNRY RADIO California
"...pure, swinging sounds ...simply wonderful listening." -Curt Yesky/ Trenton Times
“Delightful overtones of the golden age of jazz. A fine new CD featuring time-tested standards. McKenna is nothing less than a Philadelphia living legend on tenor sax. Smyser's artful playing fits perfectly with the understated perfection of McKenna" -Don Van Deusen/ Philadelphia Metro
“Oh my, my…artists at work. Everything in this recording is just absolutely superb. …a very fine album, …wonderful musicians, …smooth, …a great group.” -Dr. Jack Buerkle/ WRTI Temple Public Radio
“This quaint recording is unashamedly retro. …a sweet, swing-based style. …elegant, …velvet. A fireplace should be crackling nearby when you play this disc. A tuxedoed suaveness carries the day.” -Karl Stark/ Philadelphia Inquirer
PERSONNEL
Pete Smyser 7-string guitar
Larry McKenna tenor saxophone
Steve Beskrone upright bass
Mike DeMonte drums
The Scene is Clean (CAP944) (back to top)
TRACK LISTING /sound samples
PUBLISHED REVIEWS
“This guitarist has a defined palette of jazz that goes way beyond the `guitar only' crowd. The playing is directly in the pocket, distinct and clear. This is jazz guitar as witnessed during the best of the `30's, `40's and `50's. ...Herb Ellis meets Barney Kessel style… a hint of Jim Hall… Chopping Block (a Smyser tune) hints at the Benson/ Wes' sound while ever speaking to us from the originality of the composer himself. ...finger-style picking that comes close to Joe Pass mixed with Martin Taylor. Pete's playing shines here. No doubt we will be hearing more from Pete Smyser.” -Jazz Improv Magazine
“Refreshing! …most expressive! …technical brilliance! ...nothing but good, tasteful jazz! A delightful mixture of new music and a fresh look into the past. The title cut [The Scene is Clean] is a gem and reflects Smyser's maturity and creativity in painting a musical picture.” -Curt Yesky/ The Trenton Times
“A great player. His acoustic sounding guitar meshes well with the timbres of this large group, the homogeneity of which suggests real teamwork. Highlights include a beautiful arrangement of Bess, You is My Woman Now, a deliciously nostalgic Too Marvelous for words, and the Montgomery-influenced Chopping Block. As a project, The Scene is Clean marks a major move forward in Smyser's musical development.” -Just Jazz Guitar
PERSONNEL
Pete Smyser guitar
Ted Lis tenor & baritone saxophones
John Swana flugel horn
Paul Butler clarinet & bass clarinet
Jim Ridl piano
Darryl Hall upright bass
Byron Landham drums
Out of Nowhere (15887-2)
This was my debut CD in 1996. It received regular airplay in the Philadelphia area and helped create a lot of new performance opportunities for me. The music is straight ahead jazz with a mix of original compositions and standards. (back to top)
TRACK LISTING /sound samples
PUBLISHED REVIEWS
“Smyser has a great tone, impeccable time and a seemingly natural flare for jazz improvisation. His lines are interesting, well developed and firmly in the bebop vernacular. Smyser's straight-ahead electric guitar playing is superb.” -Just Jazz Guitar Magazine
“Pete Smyser may have come Out of Nowhere with his debut CD, but one thing is for sure: He's here to stay. He displays a maturity and ease in his playing… reminiscent of the legendary Wes Montgomery.” -The Trenton Times
“There is something refreshingly warm in Smyser's fret work. Something actually human. And that's always the very best jazz offers at it's core.” -The Morning Call
“With the chops and confidence to open some ears, jazz guitarist Pete Smyser brings a sly sophistication to the structural integrity of standards that's equal parts feisty extroversion and playful fantasy.” -The Times Herald
Three and a half stars. “Swings without sounding like he's working hard. The playing is tight. Smyser is a good careful guitarist who shows promise as a composer. This jazz record should make the cut. It stands out from the rack.” -The Philadelphia Daily News
“Pete Smyser demonstrates that he is certainly more than able. Smyser plays long, well-paced bop-influenced lines that demonstrate ample technique but never lapse into showboating.” -Cadence Magazine
PERSONNEL
Pete Smyser guitar
John Swana trumpet and flugel horn
Bob Howell tenor and soprano saxophones
Darryl Hall upright bass
Byron Landham drums
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