 |
 |
|
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Corey ChristiansenCorey Christiansen grew up in a musical family. His father, Mike Christiansen, has run the guitar program at Utah State University for over three decades. Corey spent a lot of his youth with his dad on campus learning about the guitar and music. After high school, Corey received his bachelor's degree from USU. A year later Corey left for Tampa Florida to study with legendary jazz guitar educator, Jack Petersen. In 1999, Corey received his master’s degree from the University of South Florida and took over the teaching duties of Jack Petersen the next year.From 2000 to 2007 Corey was the senior editor and guitar clinician for Mel Bay Publications. This job allowed him to tour, give clinics, develop products, produce recordings and rub shoulders with the best musicians in the business. For seven years Corey gave countless clinics and performances around the world and developed a fan base not only for his teaching but his playing. "Awakening," Corey's first CD as a leader, was the initial release on Mel Bay Records, the entertainment-recording division of Mel Bay Publications. Awakening spent twelve weeks on the JazzWeek chart, reaching number sixteen in March 2005. The title track, an original composition, consistently receives the most airplay from the recording. His first performance DVD - "Vic Juris & Corey Christiansen: Live at the Smithsonian Jazz Café" - was released in July 2006. Jazzwise-reviewer Mike Flynn gave the recording four stars, noting that "...Christiansen is well versed in the guitar's sonic heritage and his judicious sense of phrasing finds him light-fingered even on the densest of changes and positively euphoric on his ballad work." In 2007 Corey moved back to his native Utah and was the Director of Curriculum for The Music School, a privately funded music program outside of Salt Lake City. During this time he continued an extremely active touring schedule playing all over the US and into Europe. In the fall of 2007 Corey signed with Origin Records by the end of Feb. 2008 had two records in the can. Laden with hooks and grooves, Roll With It is Corey’s debut release for Origin and features Matt Jorgensen on drums, Pat Bianchi on organ and David Halliday on sax. The critically acclaimed recording proved Corey was formidable player, arranger and composer. C. Michael Bailey of All About Jazz reviewed the CD stating that "Corey Christiansen has arrived with one of the most satisfying soul-jazz recordings of the year." His music draws on the tradition of the masters but leans towards the future. Rooted in the tradition of the jazz language but just bluesy and gritty enough to not alienate larger audiences. Corey’s current music follows his first two recordings proving he has the ability to keep the artistic integrity of the music without pushing listeners away. In the fall of 2008 Corey assumed duties teaching full-time at Utah State University. Even with a busy academic schedule, Corey still tours and continues to record. This professional experience enhances his teaching as he is able to bring real-world experiences to the students. Corey Christiansen has a number of publications with Mel Bay and has conducted countless guitar clinics and concerts across the country and beyond including Europe, South Africa and Australia. He has also performed at many notable festivals and venues including John Pisano's Guitar Night in Los Angeles, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy, the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, the Clearwater Jazz Festival, the Daytona Beach Jazz Festival, the Classic American Guitar Show, and the St. Louis Jazz Festival. He has also performed and / or recorded with many outstanding jazz artists including Jimmy Bruno, John Pisano, James Moody, Joe Negri, Willie Akins, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Chuck Redd, Sid Jacobs, Steve Houghton, Pat Harbison, Jack Wilkins, Christian McBride, George Duke, Terri Lyne Carrington, Danny Gottlieb, and many, many others. Check out Corey's WebSite at www.coreychristiansen.com |
|
