Here is a mini interview that I'm conducting with various jazz guitarists that are listed on this site. Some of the same questions are presented to every guitarist.

Joe Finn

Born in Hartford Connecticut, the son of an amateur pianist and composer, guitarist Joe Finn was surrounded by music from the very first. By age ten he was playing his first guitar and giving lessons to kids in the neighborhood. After high school he got a Bachelor’s Degree in Music at Plattsburgh State and had the good fortune to play and study with Roy Burns, Paul Winter, Chuck Mangione and James Spaulding. After college he spent ten years criss crossing the United States and Canada playing the guitar in a wide variety of situations. Finn has now settled in upstate New York where he concentrates on local performances and teaching. His CD entitled Straight Ahead has received critical acclaim as well as extensive national airplay. His quartet’s appearance on the BET network’s Jazz Discovery Showcase won their 1998 award in the jazz instrumental category. A second CD called Guitar Signatures & Duets was also very well received and features Joe’s vocals along with his solo guitar impressions of the styles of several well known and significant players. Finn reassembled his award wining quartet in 2002 for his newest CD Blue Tomorrow in which he revisits and revitalizes jazz standards such as ESP and Up Jumped Spring as well as premiering two of his new original compositions Early Maria and Blue Tomorrow.

The Interview (April 2003)

(JazzGuitarResources) As a Jazz guitarist who where you early influences?

(JF) The very first guitar player I heard was Oscar Moore from the old Nat Cole Trio recordings that my Dad used to listen to when I was a kid. As I grew up I came to realize how special that stuff really was for me. Later on I became aware of Monk, Duke, Basie and a lot of big band stuff along with singers like Sinatra and Bennett; again through my Dad's record collection.  

When I finally heard Wes; that was it. He knocked me out. I also listened closely to Martino, Benson, Burrell and Joe Pass.  I transcribed them, appropriated as much of their styles as I could, and played along with their records. For me these guys walk on water.

(JGR) What about jazz drew you to the form?

(JF) Jazz really spoke to me like classical never could. Jazz just gave me a certain feeling I couldn't find anywhere else. The Kind of Blue recording and some of Monk's stuff was real important for me too. As a kid I was able to pick up a lot of that material by ear and play it on guitar. Actually being able to play something like So What or Misterioso by ear was a real kick. That stuff could be so simple and yet so elegant. That's what I fell in love with.  

(JGR) Do you see any commercial potential in jazz?

(JF) As a musician I have to look at things like this. I get paid to play jazz. I have a few private students and do a clinic now and then but it doesn't amount to much in terms of income. I look at it this way: If you are passionate about something you'll find a way to be around it as much as possible. In this way opportunities just seem to emerge for me, so I've been quite fortunate. To me that's commercial potential. Anyway, I believe that a person can turn anything that they are trully passionate about into a viable career.

(JGR) For all the guitarists with GAS out there what is you current gigging setup?

(JF) I play and endorse Heritage guitars. My main guitar is a blonde Golden Eagle with a floating Benedetto pickup. For me it's a great guitar since it's full scale. It also has a beautiful acoustic sound that seems to blend well with the amplified tone. I play through all kinds of amps and sound systems but when I can actually use my own amp I'm partial to this old Polytone Mini Brute II of mine. It's a really good match for the Heritage. When I record I generally prefer to go straight to the board with the pickup while putting a mic on the guitar and feeding that to a second channel. I'd rather listen through headphones than use an amp on a recording gig.

(JGR) What current projects are you working on?

(JF) I'm about to record a follow up cd to my Blue Tomorrow album. Blue Tomorrow was very well received last year so I guess I should hurry up and get another cd done before people forget who I am. The new one will be a quartet with the same basic line up of piano, bass, drums and guitar. The recording will include some Wayne Shorter material and other selected jazz standards and originals. I may also include a solo selection and possible a vocal or two.  The working title for the new project is Destination Blue.

I've also got some festivals lined up as a sideman for this summer and I'll be teaching and hopefully performing at the Litchfield Jazz Festival as well. I'll also be appearing at the Saratoga Guitar Show this year.