What's Hot With Jazz Guitar: Mark Stefani

by Doc Dosco
http://www.docdosco.com

This week we feature jazz guitarist Mark Stefani.

It's time to remind everyone once again about Mark Stefani and Vision
Music. Mark and I have been corresponding lately and I listened to one of
his new tracks. Really nice playing. Be sure to check out his website.

Besides being a marvelous player, Mark Stefani has what may be the
largest and most comprehensive guitar teaching website on the Internet.
VisionMusic.com is the 'jazz guitar central station' of the web for
those who are serious guitar students. The guest faculty reads like the
who's who of jazz guitar (most of whom I have already done columns on).
And, the online lesson material is deep. Enough 'juicy stuff' to keep
any enthusiastic disciple of the guitar busy for years to come.

Mark's Bio:

Mark Stefani, son of noted West Coast jazz trombonist Roy Stefani, has
devoted most of his life to music. He began playing guitar in 1969, and
was inspired by his father along with Bay Area jazz guitarist Eddie
Duran. Mark received his early jazz education while studying with
guitarist Dave Smith, and later began his classical training under the
guidance of George Sakellariou at the San Francisco Conservatory of
Music.

Stefani is a highly eclectic guitarist, though best noted for his skill
in the rhythm & blues and jazz idioms. Throughout his career, his
influences have been guitarists George Benson, Wes Montgomery, and Kenny
Burrell, jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, saxophonists Charlie Parker and
John Coltrane, plus numerous other legends of jazz and blues. On the
acoustic guitar, Mark has amassed a repertoire of over 700 instrumental
classical, popular, jazz, and latin standards. In 1986 he began
composing original music in a variety of styles to match his diverse
background.

Mark has taught music full-time for over 30 years, and his talent as a
music coach has been felt by top professionals the world over. In 1987,
his career was spotlighted in Guitar Player Magazine ("versatile style
on both electric and acoustic guitars" -- "a master's touch"). In 1996,
Mark and saxophonist Dennis Marcellion released a jazz duo CD entitled
"An Evening To Remember," which charted well and sold over 40,000 copies
that year.

In 1997 Stefani combined his early love of writing and art with his long
musical background by designing the highly popular Vision Music
educational website (www.visionmusic.com), now over 800 pages deep and
serving the needs of almost 4000 different players each day. Just one
year after inception, it had already received top magazine reviews and
accolades from numerous professional musicians and instructors.

Besides the valuable lessons and inspiring articles, one of the greatest
features of interest to jazz improvisers is the innovative "Jam Central
Station" page, where players have access to a "virtual" band around the
clock, complete with high-quality rhythm charts shown on screen while
the music plays. Currently there are well over a hundred selections
available.

Shortly after the JCS launch, Stefani began inviting notable guitarists
and educators, such as George Benson, Hank Garland, Jimmy Bruno, Robert
Conti, Joe Giglio, Liona Boyd, Chris Standring, Steve Laury, David
Tanenbaum, Joe Diorio, Henry Johnson, Wolf Marshall, Muriel Anderson,
and others, to share their knowledge at Vision Music's "Teacher Feature"
page.

Nowadays, besides expanding the website, Mark keeps busy performing,
composing, arranging, and teaching in the Portland (OR) area. He also
writes regularly for both Just Jazz Guitar and Jazz Improv Magazines.

Mark Stefani and Vision Music can be found at:
http://visionmusic.com/

Doc Dosco is a jazz guitarist, composer and audio consultant living in Los Angeles, CA. His website is located at http://www.docdosco.com, where you can find more information on the 'What's Hot with Jazz Guitar' columns, audio clips of Doc's playing, and many additional features. Doc endorses Heritage Guitars and is featured artist on their website. He also endorses the new Pignose Valve Tube Amps -- great for jazz (and anything else!)