The Peter Mazza Trio

Peter Mazza-Guitar
Benny Banack-Trumpet & Vocals
Marco Panascia- Bass

Peter Mazza is a jazz guitarist, composer, educator and jazz venue-Music Director born and raised in New York City. He is a Thelonius Monk Competition semi-finalist who earned degrees from The Manhattan School and Music and The Julliard School. Over the last 25 years he has had the opportunity to perform in groups with some of the most respected names in jazz including Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy McGriff, Chris Potter, Joel Frahm, Roy Hargrove, Brad Mehldau, Donny McCaslin, Christian McBride among many others.
He has performed duos with guitarists spanning an array of musical generations, including John Pisano, Gene Bertoncini, Mundell Lowe, Jack Wilkins, Barry Greene, Pete Bernstein, Freddie Bryant, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jonathan Kreisberg, Mike Moreno, Yotam Silberstein and many more.

His trios have performed at Birdland, Dizzy’s Club, Smalls, The Cornelia Street Café and the 55 Bar in New York City, and at jazz clubs throughout the USA, Japan and Israel. He retains a Sunday night trio residency at the Bar Next Door at La Lanterna in Greenwich Village, now in its fifteenth successful year, which currently features Misha Tsiganov on Piano and Thomson Kneeland on Bass, but has included Hendrik Meurkens, John Ellis, Will Vinson, Donny McCaslin, Jon Irabagon, Itai Kriss, Etienne Charles, Hans Glawischnig, Matt Penman, Ben Williams, Joe Martin and Ari Hoenig.His newest CD called Circles and Lines (2014 Urban Flower Records) features his guitar/piano/bass trio performing his fresh arrangements of standards by the Jazz and American Songbook Composers.

Peter is becoming an in-demand traveling guest artist and clinician who has been invited to appear at NYU, MSM, The Peabody Institute, University of Colorado-Denver, University of Northern Colorado, University of Southern California, University of North Florida, Georgia State University and Kennesaw State University.
Just Jazz Guitar magazine said about a recent Peter Mazza performance- “It’s one thing to perform compositions that go through time modulations, meter changes, and reharmonizations; but, to do those things and make it seem effortless and of the highest
musicality is a rarity...”

Jazz Inside Magazinc said about another recent Peter Mazza performance- "A guitarist with an instantly recognizable voice, his original compositions are joyous whirlwinds of thematic expression, rich with emotion and personality. Both vulnerable and commanding, he puts it all on the line and goes for it, the experience is thrilling."