Chuck Loeb and The Fantasy Band

A skillful guitarist capable of playing any style of music, Chuck Loeb's own solo projects have generally been commercially successful crossover jazz, which has been classified through the years as "contemporary" or "smooth" jazz. He started playing guitar when he was 11, discovered jazz when he was 16, took lessons from Jim Hall, Pat Metheny, and Joe Puma, and attended the Berklee College of Music. Loeb freelanced in New York (with Hubert Laws, Chico Hamilton, and Joe Farrell, among others) and then in 1979 joined Stan Getz's group for two years. Back in New York, Loeb worked on jingles and soundtracks both as a player and a composer. He spent 1985-1987 with Steps Ahead and in more recent times has produced recordings by Donald Harrison, Nelson Rangell, Larry Coryell, George Garzone, and Warren Bernhardt, among others. As a performer, Loeb was part of Petit Blonde (a group featuring saxophonist Bill Evans) and Metro and the Fantasy Band, plus played with Gary Burton, Dave Samuels, and many others; in addition, his compositions have been recorded by quite a few pop/jazz artists. Chuck Loeb made his first solo record in 1988, recorded extensively for DMP and switched to Shanachie in 1996. Over the next seven years he released six albums for the label, beginning in 1998 with The Moon, the Stars and the Setting Sun, followed by Listen in 1999. Loeb remained active in the 21st century, releasing In a Heartbeat in early 2001, All There Is in 2002, and eBop one year later. The guitarist wrapped up his tenure with Shanachie in 2005 with When I'm with You, and signed up with Head Up International, a division of Telarc. His first outing for the label was Presence, released in 2007.