Bossa Nova Guitars

Bossa Nova Guitars - Nate Najar & Phill Fest at The Palladium August 3, 2017

An unforgettable evening of Bossa Nova classics, Brazilian Choro and exciting Samba Jazz featuring the talents of two renowned Latin jazz artists. Palladium favorite Nate Najar is an American acoustic guitarist, composer and producer whose sophisticated and often innovative artistry has placed him in many of the world’s most prestigious music venues and produced many superb recordings.

Currently, "What Would Ola Mae Do?" from the album "This Is Nate Najar" is a featured track on the JazzTimes homepage. (Just visit www.jazztimes.com for your free download!) Based in South Florida, Phill Fest is an accomplished Brazilian guitarist and composer who has recorded four albums with his acclaimed father, jazz artist Manfredo Fest. Najar and Fest will be joined by Alejandro Arenas on bass and drummer Mark Feinman.

Jazz Guitarists Nate Najar and Chip Henderson

Jazz Guitarists Nate Najar and Chip Henderson present SWING GUITARS in St. Petersburg June 16, 2017

Guitarist Nate Najar and Nashville-based guitarist Chip Henderson present SWING GUITARS – an exciting, swing-filled evening celebrating the music of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Django Reinhardt, Benny Goodman and more. Joining Najar and Henderson are John Lamb on bass and Mark Feinman on drums.

In an industry that likes to conveniently pigeonhole even its most adventurous artists, Palladium favorite Najar has stood out with his full embrace of the great possibilities of jazz. Inspiring growing numbers of fans with his distinctive approach of playing jazz on the acoustic classical guitar with right hand classical technique, the multi-faceted composer and performer has performed hundreds of trio dates throughout the U.S. and Europe, scored a Top Ten Billboard Jazz single with Melba Moore (“Groove Me”) and recorded tribute projects to his idol Charlie Byrd and the music of Brazil.


Henderson has been regularly performing in musical settings ranging from traditional Dixieland to chamber orchestras since the mid-1990s and has performed with notable entertainers and jazz artists Michael Feinstein, Bernadette Peters, Seth McFarlane, Karrin Allyson, James Williams, Donald Brown, Mulgrew Miller, Ron Eschete, Mundell Lowe, Wayne Newton, Peter Bernstein, Bucky Pizzarelli, and Howard Alden. Henderson teaches jazz guitar at Middle Tennessee State University (Murfreesboro, TN). Along with his teaching duties in the Nashville area, Henderson is also a freelance writer/arranger with over fifteen books available through Hal Leonard. Last September Alfred Publishing released Henderson’s “Charlie Christian: Selected Solos from the Father of Modern Jazz Guitar” – a book of more than 30 transcriptions and analysis of the playing style of the electric jazz guitar pioneer.

Larry Coryell & Nate Najar in Concert

A staple on the music scene since the 1960s, guitarist Larry Coryell is one of the pioneers of jazz fusion. He brought what amounted to a nearly alien sensibility to jazz electric guitar playing, a hard-edged, cutting tone, phrasing and note-bending that owed as much to blues, rock and even country as it did to earlier, smoother bop influences.

Coryell has recorded more than 100 albums, including collaborations with Gary Burton, John McLaughlin, Charles Mingus, Herbie Mann, Sonny Rollins and dozens of other luminaries.

Nate Najar is one of the few contemporary musicians playing jazz on the classical guitar. His Candid Records release Blues For Night People - The Nate Najar Trio Remembers Charlie Byrd introduced him to the international stage, including performances at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and the 2013 London Jazz Festival.