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Trefor Owen Welsh recording and teaching jazz professional Custom built Lusso 17 CES (See
Product Review)
Trefor Owen believes that jazz should be both beautiful and communicative and accomplishes these qualities
in his own playing, with his superb sound, fluid melodic lines and punchy rhythm.
Trefor is a self-taught guitarist who took up the instrument at the relatively late age of 18.
At that time, he was aware of a certain sound in his head, but without knowing what he was hearing, until one night he
heard Benny Goodman's Rose Room featuring Charlie Christian on guitar and realised that the sound was jazz. From then onwards,
jazz has been his life. Charlie Christian, and also Johnny Smith, Mundell Lowe and Wes Montgomery have inspired Trefor's
playing continuously since those early days, and in recent years Pat Martino and Louis Stewart have been a highly significant influence.
Trefor Owen has toured and played extensively with a host of leading British and American guitarists such as Martin Taylor, Louis Stewart,
Mundell Lowe, Ike Issacs, his good friend Adrian Ingram, Dave Cliff, John Etheridge, Jim Mullen, Peter Leitch, Jimmy Gourley and Sal Salvador.
Also, he has acted as a sideman for numerous horn players; Dave O'Higgins, who appears on this album, Ian Carr, Peter King, lain Ballamy, Spike
Robinson, Warren Vache, Alan Skidmore, Harry Allen, George Masso, Ali Ryerson, Bill Perkins and many others. In 1993, he toured the UK and appeared
at Cork International Jazz Festival with International Guitar Spectacular -- a four-guitar combo in which he featured with Mundell Lowe, Louis
Stewart and Doug Raney.
A series of nationwide tours; with the legendary Mundell Lowe, the Trefor Owen Quartet's presentation A Tribute to Wes
Montgomery and Paris-based US guitarist Jimmy Gourley followed in 1995 and 1996. Trefor also appeared with Howard Alden at the Arlington Guitar
Show, Texas, USA. In May 1997 Trefor appeared at the New York Guitar Show alongside many jazz guitar greats.
In October he again toured the UK with the legendary Mundell Lowe, performing both concerts and workshops. Highlights of the
tour included a broadcast for BBC Radio Scotland and appearances at the renowned Pizza Express jazz clubs in London and Glasgow.
An exciting beginning to 1998 saw Trefor playing again with Mundell Lowe at Papashon's Restaurant, Encino, Los Angeles,
appearing with John Pisano at the LA Jazz Guitar Weekend and representing Mapson Guitars at the Los Angeles NAMM show. Trefor Owen has
considerable experience in tutoring clinics and workshops. Among the many he has conducted include Cork International Jazz Festival, London's
Guitar Institute and the Zinc Bar, New York.
"As I have long had particular leaning towards the Bossa-nova rhythm, it is natural that I produce an album that is of a
Latin flavour. I present you with seven of my original compositions. Antonio Carlos Jobim is one of my favourite composers so it is fitting to
include two of his pieces, Corcovado and Wave." - Trefor Owen, December 1997
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