Joshua Breakstone (USA)

“Fire in velvet. A fitting description of Joshua Breakstone’s jazz guitar,” wrote Paul Weidman in The Sante Fe New Mexican. “His flowing lines on up-tempo cookers are impeccably clean and fiery, bearing the mark of a first-rate improviser, while his chordal work on heartbreaker ballads is the final word in finesse,” has raved Guitar Player Magazine. Japan’s Jazz Hihyo (aka Jazz Critique) recognizes that “The style in which Joshua develops his fluid single-note solos used to be thought of as the Grant Green school, but now this man leads the school.” Charles Alexander wrote in his book, Masters of Jazz Guitar, “With a firm grasp of the bebop language, Breakstone nevertheless avoids its cliches, instead unfolding a storyline in his solos, all the while building interest with economical, elegant lines and sustaining longer notes with a clear, rounded guitar sound.” Steve Day wrote in sandybrownjazz.co.uk that “Joshua Breakstone is a fabulously exciting player to listen to”.

With 24 recordings out as a leader with such greats as Kenny Barron, Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, Pepper Adams, Jimmy Knepper, Jack McDuff, Mickey Roker, Al Harewood, etc, Breakstone tours twice each year in Japan, plays across Europe every year, in Australia, and tours just about everywhere in the US.

On three recent recordings, “With the Wind and the Rain”, “2nd Avenue”, and “88”, Breakstone added Mike Richmond’s cello to his trio to create a unique and exciting quartet: “The Cello Quartet”.

Joshua is also the author of “Jazz Etudes: Studies For The Beginning Improviser” (Hal Leonard Publishing), a standard text at colleges and universities worldwide. He has both performed and presented workshops throughout the world.

As Eric Harabadian wrote in the Feb 2014 edition of Jazz Inside, “Breakstone is, simply, a tasteful and melodic master.”

“Sittin’ on the Thing with Ming”, which he recorded 30 years ago, is just about to be re-released. Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s, the group members are: Kenny Barron (piano), Ray Drummond (bass), Keith Copeland (drums). I will have copies for sale every night in Australia.