Mile High Jazz Guitar Camp

Frank Vignola is one of the most extraordinary guitarists performing before the public today. His stunning virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Lionel Hampton, Tommy Emmanuel, John Lewis, the Boston Pops, the New York Pops, and guitar legend Les Paul, who named Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists List” for the Wall Street Journal. In 2020, Frank introduced the Big Jersey Guitar Club offering multiple formats for studying guitar with him online including 10-week Learning Clubs™, and Let’s Practice Sessions, plus Song Intensives and Methods.

Jimmy Bruno, born July 22, 1953 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a master jazz guitarist and jazz educator. One of the most critically acclaimed jazz guitarists performing today, Jimmy Bruno came to prominence as a jazz musician in the 1990's, after a successful twenty-year career as a sought-after commercial guitarist and session musician.

"Bruce Forman is one of the great lights of our age.” - Barney Kessel

Bruce enjoys a hectic touring schedule; has eighteen recordings as a leader, including his newest release, Junkyard Duo; countless sideman recordings including Ray Brown, Bobby Hutcherson, Roger Kellaway; soundtrack performances on three of Clint Eastwood’s films—most notably Academy Award-winning Million Dollar Baby; producer, arranger, acclaimed educator, in residence at USC’s Studio/Jazz Guitar Dept.

Deep immersion in American culture inspires Forman to contribute to the traditions that he drew from. Formanism (his trio project); original works like The Red Guitar; his popular podcast with Scott Henderson, GuitarWank; Cow Bop and the “road challenges” down historic byways like Route 66; JazzMasters Workshop; his newest project: Junkyard Duo…these are only the latest answers to the endless question that underlies Bruce Forman’s creativity. His music and life reflect every step of his journey, and demonstrate the awareness of an artist who’s very much at home in the world, and at the top of his form.

Jocelyn Gould has been called “a leader in the next generation of great mainstream jazz guitarists”, and her joyful energy has captivated audiences around the world and her passion for music is infectious. She has absorbed the influences of the jazz guitar greats and has woven them into an exciting personal sound. Her unique ability to connect with audiences always leaves them wanting more.

Jocelyn Gould has performed internationally in the groups of Grammy nominated vocalist Freddy Cole, Trumpeter Etienne Charles and DownBeat Rising Star trombonist Michael Dease. She can be heard on albums lead by Michael Dease, Jon Gordon, Diego Rivera, Randy Napoleon and Will Bonness. She is the 1st place winner of the 2018 Wilson Centre International Jazz Guitar competition. Jocelyn's debut release as a leader, 'Elegant Traveler', was nominated for “Jazz Album of the Year” in the 2021 JUNO awards. Elegant Traveler showcases Jocelyn's warm and inviting sound and melodic compositions with an all star band.

Jocelyn is a professor and Head of Guitar Department at Humber College in Toronto.

Called “the best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my entire life…”by Pat Metheny, Pasquale Grasso, born in Ariano, Irpino, Italy, began playing guitar at a very young age. Grasso’s principle instruction was with Chuck Wayne’s student and jazz guitar innovator, Agostino Di Giorgio. Another extraordinary influence in Grasso’s career has been bebop piano master and world-renowned jazz educator, Barry Harris. In 2008, Pasquale pursued classical guitar studies in the Music Conservatory of Bologna under Professor Walter Zanetti. In 2012, Grasso moved to New York City and quickly made a name for himself in the city’s vibrant jazz scene. Later that year, Pasquale was named a Jazz Ambassador with the US Embassy, going on to tour extensively across Europe, Kuwait, Kazakstan, Cyprus, Lithuania, and Ukraine, among others.

Despite his young age, Grasso has performed with many leading musicians of the international jazz scene. such as: Barry Harris, Charles Davis, Freddie Redd, Frank Wess, Leroy Wiliams, Ray Drummond, Murray Wall, Steve Grossman,Tardo Hammer, Jimmy Wormworth, John Mosca, Sacha Perry, Ari Roland, Luigi Grasso, Chris Byars, Zaid Nasser, Bucky Pizzarelli, China Moses, Harry Allen Quartet, Grant Stewart, Stepko Gut, Nicolas Dary, Dado Moroni, Agostino di Giorgio, Michel Pastre Big Band, Gianni Basso Big Band, Joe Cohn, Oscar Zenari, Luca Pisani and others.

Bassist Gary Mazzaroppi is a veteran virtuoso who enjoyed a long-running association with the late great guitar innovator and raconteur Les Paul. Mazzaroppi has accompanied jazz giants from across the spectrum, ranging from vintage greats Lionel Hampton and Clark Terry, Marian McPartland, Red Norvo & Stan Getz, to fusionists Bela Fleck and Chuck Mangione, and, even Willie Nelson, in his songbook excursions. In addition to his busy playing career, Gary is also in the faculty of the Brookdale Community College School of Music, in Lincroft, NJ

Sean McGowan is a fingerstyle jazz guitarist who combines many diverse musical influences with unconventional techniques to create a broad palette of textures within his compositions and arrangements for solo guitar. His first recording River Coffee won the Best Independent Release of the Year Award (2002) from Acoustic Guitar magazine and music from the recording has been published in Japan’s Acoustic Guitar magazine and Mel Bay’s Master Anthology of Fingerstyle Guitar, Vol. 3 (2005).

As a touring guitar musician, performer, and educator, Vinny Raniolo is best known for his accompanying skills and is a very high demand rhythm guitarist. His dynamic playing has brought him to 14 countries on three continents – and still growing – having performed in some of the world’s most illustrious venues, including the Sydney Opera House in Australia, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, New York’s Lincoln Center and the world’s oldest indoor concert hall, Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy.

While keeping a busy touring schedule in a variety of musical settings, Vinny has also become a familiar figure on Public Television. Featured previously on three popular shows, including the heavily programmed Tommy Emmanuel and Friends, in Frank Vignola’s Four Generations of Guitar as the youngest generation in the lineage of jazz guitarists with veteran Bucky Pizzarelli and in the Music Gone Public series.

Recording credits include soundtracks for HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and Woody Allen’s film Café Society.

Ken F. Smith was born in Florida, USA and grew up in New Jersey and Abu Dhabi. Ken’s musical education includes a B.M. in Performance from Arizona State University. While living in Arizona, Ken worked as a soloist and ensemble member, playing everything from solo classical guitar to theater productions. Ken also began teaching the guitar at this time, creating a unique approach to applying the language of jazz to the fretboard. Since moving to New York City in 1997, Ken has performed and toured in the US, Asia and Europe, as a side man and leader. Ken is currently developing a suite of educational products that document his unique approach to teaching jazz guitar.