Influenced by guitar greats such as George Benson, Russell Malone, Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Antonio Carlos Jobim and João Bosco, Akron-local guitarist Dan Wilson has traveled the world with his axe - entertaining crowds from Brazil to Germany to Russia.
A touring sideman with Grammy award-winning jazz saxophonist, Eric Marienthal, Wilson has also shared the stage with jazz juggernauts Joey DeFrancesco, Christian McBride, and Les McCann to name a few.
Catch Dan at BLU Jazz+ as he leads his funky 3-piece group for a hauntingly hip Halloween hang!
BIOGRAPHY
Music has been an integral part of Dan Wilson's life since his beginnings in gospel music. Upon hearing a Wes Montgomery record in a relative's basement, Dan decided to pursue a a career as a musician. Since then, he has spent more than a decade honing his craft. Dan received his Bachelor's Degree in Music & Liberal Studies from Hiram College in 2006. His passion for Brazilian music led him to the city of Rio De Janeiro in 2007 to conduct research for his Masters Thesis which he defended successfully at Youngstown State University in 2009.
Dan has had the privilege of touring Russia with Eric Marienthal and Germany with the Golden Gospel Singers in the winter of 2011. Over the years, he has enjoyed the honor of sharing the stage with many jazz greats including Joey Defranceso, Russell Malone, Les McCann, Christian McBride, and Dave Stryker. Dan also teaches jazz guitar and improvisation at Cuyahoga Community College and leads a group of talented musicians from the Northeast Ohio/ Pittsburgh area. These musicians can be heard contributing their full creativity on the 2012 album entitled To Whom It May Concern.
