Wayne Krantz

All Music Guide:

Fiery fusion guitarist. Krantz is an excellent multi-dimensional player, as likely to rock like Hendrix, or play duets with Leni Stern.

Wikipedia:

Wayne Krantz (born July 26, 1956, Corvallis, Oregon, United States) is an American jazz fusion guitarist. He has played with top artists such as Steely Dan, Michael Brecker, Billy Cobham, and others, but is most active as a solo performer.

Biography [edit]

Krantz released his first album, Signals, in 1990, sporting an array of recognized jazz musicians such as Dennis Chambers, Leni Stern, Anthony Jackson, and others. However, in 1992, he formed a trio with bassist Lincoln Goines and drummer Zach Danziger, and recorded two albums with them; Long To Be Loose, in 1993, and a live album, 2 Drink Minimum, in 1995. In doing so, he began to play periodically at the 55 Bar, a diverse and premier jazz club in New York City. In 1996, Krantz released an acoustic album with Leni Stern, dubbed Separate Cages. Wayne formed a new trio in 1997, consisting of his ferocious guitar skills, complemented by Tim Lefebvre on electric bass and Keith Carlock on drums, new sounds that would change his music's style drastically. On June 28, 2007, Krantz played his final regular Thursday night gig at New York's 55 Bar. In an announcement by Krantz to his mailing list notifying his fans of the change, he stated a desire to move towards a "louder thing" requiring "bigger rooms, with stages and sound systems to pull it off."

Krantz's first three solo albums were released on the jazz label, Enja Records, which was at the time also home to frequent collaborator Leni Stern. However, Krantz's last three albums, 1999's Greenwich Mean, 2003's Your Basic Live, and 2007's Your Basic Live '06 were both released from Wayne's private website. Like 2 Drink Minimum, these two albums both are excerpts of various sets at the 55 Bar. These two albums also include more use of effects pedals, and are more unscripted and improvised than the previous three, implying Wayne's tendency towards nonconformism on and off the stage. He contributed to Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen's newest release, Morph the Cat, and participated in touring with Fagen's band in early 2006. In another rare sideman role, Krantz was featured on tenor saxophonist Chris Potter's 2006 release, Underground.

Krantz signed with record label Abstract Logix to release his first studio record in over fifteen years. Krantz Carlock Lefebvre (2009) features the core trio of Keith Carlock on drums, Tim Lefebvre on bass, and Wayne on guitar. In 2012, Krantz released Howie 61, which featured vocals more than any of his other albums.

Equipment and sound [edit]

Krantz is most identified with a Stratocaster-type electric guitar, his early favorite being a 1973 Fender Stratocaster – which he, ironically, has said is "not a particularly good guitar". Recently he has played a model manufactured by James Tyler Guitars. Earlier releases such as "Signals" feature a chorus effect commonly associated with fusion guitar. Within several years, however, his sound became more organic, featuring analog effects such as overdrive, wah-wah, and a Moogerfooger ring modulator. For amplification, Krantz has used both Fender Deluxe Reverb and, more recently, Marshall amplifiers, namely a Marshall 2553 with a Bogner 2x12 cabinet, for a heavier sound. He's also said in a Guitar Player interview that he used a Tyler JT46 amp during the Howie 61 sessions.

Personal life [edit]

On May 22, 2004, Krantz married smooth jazz vocalist Gabriela Anders. Together they live in New York City with their daughter Marley.