Master Guitarist, Writer
With a career spanning over three decades, multi-talented jazz guitarist, composer, novelist, poet, activist, and educator Anson Wright "may not be a household name, but he should be."(All About Jazz). Anson has three feature jazz CDs, the last of which, internationally acclaimed Only Love, contains all original music from Anson and pianist Jasnam Daya Singh. His fourth CD is a spoken word CD, The Sky At Our Feet, featuring Anson's poetry and the music of guitarist John Stowell.
Anson has also authored three books. Elmore Magazine called the writing in his novel, Jericho, "seminal and profound." Anson has performed throughout the United States and abroad, including India. After graduating with honors from Princeton, he studied at Columbia before beginning his pursuit of both music and literary careers.
Anson has studied with Howard Roberts, John Stowell, and Jerry Hahn, and he has performed on the West Coast with Nancy King, Mel Brown, John Stowell, Glen Moore and many others. He has read poetry at Wordstock, Powell's Books, Annie Bloom's Books, Pacific University, and Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Anson has taught at numerous schools, including New York University, Pacific University, and Portland Community College. Since 2006 Anson has led the Chaco Alliance, a citizens' group dedicated to protecting sacred lands in the Southwest.
"Wright may not be a household name, but he should be." — All About Jazz
"Saying that Anson Wright is diversely multi-talented is like saying that the sun is hot. This true Renaissance man … draws numerous comparisons to Jim Hall." — Something Else Reviews
"The quality of his playing is exceptional ... Mr. Wright imparts a powerful stature to everything that he plays." — JazzdaGama
"Wright's ability to balance technical prowess with beauty is truly the pearl within." — Jazz Sensibilities
"With three books to his credit, including the seminal and profound Jericho, Wright is an acclaimed novelist as well as a poet." — Elmore Magazine
"I liked the bottom of the sea level of your writing. Don't worry about discipline or guidance." — Anais Nin
Anson Wright Reading at the Salem Poetry Project | September 26, 2024
Anson Wright - "Rahway Blues"
Anson Wright - "Maddie in New York"
More about AnsonNew Publications
December 2022
Four additional chapters of his novel, Sixteen Dreams, have just been published in Golden Handcuffs Review. It is once again Anson's honor to be included in this excellent publication with so many distinguished writers.
Please click the image below to visit Golden Handcuffs Review #33.
November 2021
Three chapters of his novel, Sixteen Dreams, have just been published. It is Anson's honor to be included in this excellent anthology with so many distinguished writers.
Please click the image below to visit Golden Handcuffs Review #31.
New Album (released December 2019)
Order digital downloads here:
What critics are saying about Only Love:
"Only Love is a strong outing for this multi-talented
guitar player. He is gifted in writing music and literature,
which gives his music a unique flow and focus. With a bright
acoustic guitar sound and an ear for melodies, Wright is on his
way to being a favorite for the guitarist.
Only Love will please any jazz fan, and the guitarist
certainly wants to check this one out and listen deep."
read full review
— Steven Miller, Sound in Review
"Writ large across Only Love, Wright's guitar work is
undeniably cool and stylish, clearly a product of the Jim Hall
school. Nevertheless, there is a selfless quality to this
quartet that's impossible to ignore ... Only Love is
not pretentious. It doesn't walk around with its nose in the
air, despite its graceful confidence and sophistication. It is,
indeed, jazz for the common man."
read full review
— Peter Lindblad, Elmore Magazine
"The quality of his playing is exceptional on this extraordinary
album ... In sheer color and variety, in the depth of its
characterization and the exceptional range and refinement of his
guitar playing, Mr. Wright imparts a powerful stature to
everything that he plays ... All in all this is music that is
ravishingly subtle with emotions evoked as few can even hope to
try."
read full review
— Raul da Gama, JazzdaGama
"Wright is thoughtful in his writing and on the guitar he can
articulate seamless, fiery ideas. He can also express great
tenderness. Wright may not be a household name, but he should
be. Only Love is worth the exploration." Four Stars.
read full review
— Geannine Reid, All About Jazz
"Each player adds character to each composition with a penchant
for group interaction. Compelled by their counterpart to press
forward with potency. Only Love is a superior listen with enough
variance in writing to establish a compelling listen
throughout."
read full review
— Jeff Becker, Jazz Sensibilities
"Richly swinging and sophisticated guitar tones akin to vintage
Herb Ellis are rendered by Anson Wright ..."
read full review
— George Harris, Jazz Weekly, March 30, 2020
"Swinging mightily as he leads his crew, classic jazz guitar
fans have a bottomless sundae with a magnificent cherry on the
top here. Killer stuff."
— Chris Spector, Midwest
Review
"Anson Wright's Only Love is a wonderful album of stellar
compositions with first-class artists who know how to deliver on
Wright's vision for the music. Beautiful compositions,
beautifully performed."
— Travis Rodgers, Jr., The
Sentinel
"Anson is truly a master guitarist and composer ... I give Anson
and all his players a Most Highly Recommended rating."
— Dick Metcalf, Contemporary Fusion Reviews
"Anson Wright isn't any an ordinary jazz guitarist ... it's all
about the images, memories and emotions evoked."
—
Marc Philips, The Vinyl Anachronist
National charting: Only Love has charted in the top five jazz albums at Roots Music Report for eight consecutive weeks through May 30, 2020, peaking at #1 and charting at #2 for three of those weeks. It has charted nationally for 13 consecutive weeks on Roots Music Report's Top 50 Jazz Albums, and it peaked at #3 after seven weeks on the Top 30 Jazz Charts in the North American College and Community Chart (NACC).
#1 on Roots Music Report's Top 50 Jazz Albums for the week ending May 30, 2020
Longer Bio
Master guitarist, composer, novelist, poet, and educator Anson Wright spent his formative twenties in New York City. A graduate of Princeton, Anson left post-graduate studies at Columbia to pursue his creative visions far from cloistered academia. Living in the East Village and frequenting performances by Charles Mingus at the Five Spot, Anson composed and performed music for finger-style guitar as well as immersing himself in the vibrant literary and alternative education scenes. In addition to pursuing his musical career, Anson completed his novel, Jericho, drove taxi, taught guitar and creative writing, ran a trucking company, and built cabinets.
Anson's early jazz studies began in clinics with the legendary jazz guitarist Howard Roberts. Later teachers on the West Coast included John Stowell and Jerry Hahn, as well as Charlie Parker protege Bob Newman and veteran pianist Harry Gillgam. Anson has performed throughout the United States and abroad and has worked with numerous jazz luminaries, including Nancy King, Mel Brown, John Stowell, and Glen Moore. With a style often compared to Jim Hall's, his playing has been lauded as combining "unbridled passion and elegant restraint," demonstrating what one reviewer calls a "finely honed musical intelligence." Anson's original guitar compositions have been choreographed and performed in modern dance, and his poetry has been set to modern dance and to music. He has taught at numerous schools, including New York University, Pacific University, and Portland Community College.
In addition to his CD releases, Only Love, State of Grace and Ukiah's Lullaby, Anson is the author of three books. He is one of the small number of jazz artists who have received critical acclaim as writers as well as musicians. Author Anaïs Nin praised the prose in his novel, Jericho: “I liked the bottom of the sea level of your writing. Don't worry about discipline or guidance.” The National Endowment for the Arts provided the funding for his second book, Openings. Anson's first full-length poetry book, Sandstone Monastery, was released in 2004. Poems from Sandstone Monastery were set to music by guitarist John Stowell in the 2008 spoken-word CD, The Sky At Our Feet.
In 2012, Anson Wright's novel, Jericho, was released as an e-book. This book is available for download on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iBooks and on your computer with iTunes. Click on this link to learn more and purchase. Jericho iBook. A Kindle Edition is also available, click Jericho Kindle
"Written by Anson Wright at the beginning of his multi-faceted
career, Jericho is a towering novel that holds an
important place in the pantheon of American letters ... a
masterful and transforming work."
— Michael Coffin, Informed Publishing
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