Born in 1990, PJ Rasmussen ....

Born in 1990, PJ Rasmussen entered a world where jazz seemed reserved more for intellectuals than real people. Picking up the guitar at age 10, he spent more time learning Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton than working his way through the Real Book. While his passion for rock and blues never waned, his eclectic taste and exploratory spirit never stopped looking for new music to learn; soon enough he was practicing Joe Pass and Yardbird alongside Slowhand, under the watchful eye of Andrew Light.

A great guitarist in his own right, Andrew introduced PJ to the wide world of jazz. He has never looked back, studying Jazz Performance at William Patterson University as well as with performers like Bucky Pizzarelli, Paul Meyers, and Gene Bertoncini. These experiences have recently resulted in his Avionics EP, recorded with the PJ Rasmussen Quartet.

The recording features Rasmussen’s bebop capabilities married to a bluesman’s aversion to the abstract, his sensitive touch and scorching runs shining in a group setting. The album also featured two original tunes, “Avionics” and “Waltz for Someone,” highlighting his abilities as composer. Rasmussen is also a capable solo performer, utilizing the full range of his seven-string guitar to create the illusion of an ensemble performance as well as in duo or trio performances, where he has played with Bucky Pizzerelli, Steve Laspina, and Jack Wilkins. PJ's ensembles have also shared the stage with such luminaries as Ben Allison, Mulgrew Miller, and Terell Stafford.

PJ is also a busy composer, and he brings together his diverse musical background in surprising ways. He has written for many different settings, including recent commissions for the NY theater. In "The Gambler," based on the gripping novel by Dostoyevsky, Rasmussen was asked to bring together styles as diverse as classical string quartet, tango, and 1960's post bop and funk. In "L'illusion Comique," he was commissioned for charts that included classic ragtime, and orchestral scores that demonstrated "Tim Burton's version of 1916 New Orleans." Based on it's recent success in NY, the show is scheduled to visit New Orleans itself as part of it's annual "Fringe Festival," in November of 2012.