"A fabulous guitarist...one of the Twin Cities' best" Dakota Jazz Club Jazz guitarist Jeff Perry has a “personal voice that encompasses the intelligence of jazz with the emotion of the blues and the romanticism of Brazilian music.” Perry’s musical travels have found him playing at top Jazz Clubs, Gospel churches, concert halls, music festivals, for the likes of US Senators, Fortune 500 CEOs, and Chicago Mayors. He has also played at homeless shelters, prisons and on the street in front of Wrigley Field. You could say Perry's blend of jazz, blues, bossa nova, and soul connects with people from all walks of life. Schooled both "on the street" and at the county's top music schools - Berklee College of Music, Boston MA and the American Conservatory, Chicago, IL - the guitarist has been influenced by a wide variety of music including Dixieland, swing, Bossa Nova, be bop, cool jazz and pop and rock music. He skillfully combines these influences to create a unique and inviting sound - a "fusion guitarist in the best sense of the word" according to Blues News magazine. Perry has been recognized for his composing skills by jazz legend and Grammy winner Dave Holland and by the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. In addition to writing his own music, his repertoire includes a long list of jazz standards by the likes of Duke Ellington and Cole Porter, Brazilian songs by Carlos A. Jobim, favorite movie and TV themes, and pop music by Sting and Stevie Wonder. While his playing and composing have been praised by the most accomplished musicians and music organizations, the most important goal of this guitarist is to connect with those he performs for. One of his favorite quotes was not from a music insider but an ordinary music listener at one of his shows who said "Jeff Perry makes jazz fun."