Guitarist Jason Ennis is an exciting voice in the world of jazz guitar. His unique sound, deep groove and sensitive feel, along with a diverse background in jazz, blues, Brazilian music and classical music have made him highly in demand as a soloist, sideman, bandleader and musical director. A graduate of Middlebury College (BA in music), Jason attended Berklee College of Music (Boston) and The San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Ennis has performed and/or recorded with Karrin Allyson, Tessa Souter (Motéma Music), Charles Neville (The Neville Brothers Band), Paul McCandless (Oregon, The Paul Winter Consort), The Sonya Kitchell Band (Velour Music, Starbucks Hear Music), Vanderlei Pereira and Blindfold Test, actor and musician Joe Morton, Mary Ann McSweeney’s Urban Fado Project, The Ramón Ángel-Rey Trio, Samirah Evans and Her Handsome Devils, Choro da Manhá, The Julio Botti Quintet, Pablo Ziegler and others. Ennis transcribed and edited a collection of solo guitar arrangements by his friend and mentor, Gene Bertoncini, which was published in 2012 by Hal Leonard Publishing.
Ennis will be releasing his debut recording as a leader, Jota Sete, in June of 2022, which features his original compositions and arrangements of brazilian and jazz classics. He co-leads the world jazz trio, La Voz de Tres, which has released two CDs: La Voz de Tres (2010) and Sueños y Delirios (2014). He co-leads the Sprague/Jaffe/ Ennis trio with pianist Miro Sprague and bassist Marty Jaffe and the world music collective Mukana, is a member of The Thomas Bergeron Ensemble, and is co-composer and musical director for En Diablada, an original music project by Chilean vocalist Natalia Bernal.
The core ensemble of Jota Sete is a quartet comprised of Ennis, saxophonist Michael Zsoldos, bassist Michael O’Brien, and drummer Conor Meehan. On selected tracks, they are joined by three special guests: pianist Michael Eckroth (of Orquesta Akokán), flutist Paul Lieberman, and percussionist Marcelo Woloski (Snarky Puppy, Band Magda, etc). Together, these impressive musicians deftly navigate the wide stylistic range of this project; The 11 selections include 4 original compositions, 2 jazz standards (John Coltrane’s Moment’s Notice and Tadd Dameron’s On a Misty Night), compositions by three legendary Brazilian composers (Guinga, Garoto, and Antonio Carlos Jobim), and one rarely covered piece by the great Ralph Towner, all crafted to offer a variety of textures, elements of surprise, and drama, drawing the listener into the exhilarating group interaction and improvisation.
Jason Ennis, seven-string guitar
Michael Zsoldos, tenor and soprano saxophones
Michael O’Brien, bass
Vanderlei Pereira, drums
Tickets: General Admission – $18 ($20 at-the-door)
Seating/ Bar: 6:00 PM
COVID-19 Guidelines: All guests must wear a mask when not actively eating and drinking/ provide proof of vaccination at-the-door.
This event is indoors.
