SUMMER 2026 INTENSIVES
Guitar Mastery Workshop: A Summer Intensive Program, is led by TWO of the world’s leading jazz guitar voices.
Kenny Wessel & Bruce Arnold
Join us for an unforgettable experience at our Guitar Mastery Summer Intensive Workshop, where you will have the opportunity to learn from two world-renowned guitar masters: Kenny Wessel and Nate Radley.
Kenny Wessel, a graduate of Berklee College of Music, has performed and recorded with a wide range of musicians, including Ornette Coleman and Donald Fagen. His teaching style emphasizes creative exploration and expression through the guitar, and he has been a beloved faculty member at the New York Jazz Workshop for many years.
Throughout his impressive body of work over the past 20 years, Bruce Arnold has deftly pulled together a myriad of musical influences ranging from Messiaen, Schoenberg and Webern on the contemporary classical side to Bill Frisell, Pat Metheny and John McLaughlin on the modern jazz guitar side. Furthermore, he has laid out his ideas in clear, concise fashion in the 52 instructional books that he’s written on ear training, theory and technique.
Together, Kenny and Bruce will guide you through a 4-day intensive program that is designed to help you fine-tune your improvisational skills, expand your knowledge of harmony, and improve your technique. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn from special guest, Marc Mommaas, a saxophonist and educator who has taught at prestigious institutions around the world.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced guitarist, this workshop is the perfect opportunity to take your skills to the next level and learn from some of the best in the business. Don’t miss out on this incredible experience!
Dates:
July 28 to 31 (4 days)
Topics:
-Chord Voicings
-Comping rhythms
-Modal Positions
-7th Chord voicings
-Melodic Minor Modal Positions
-Scalar Exercises
-Voice leading Chord Tones
-Communication
-Duo playing
Prerequisites:
-Previous experience playing guitar and a willingness to learn
-Instructors may ask for a recorded sample before admission
-At least 17 years of age
-The Guitar Summer Intensive is better suited to intermediate and advanced musicians with a minimum of a few years on their instrument. More details can be discussed during registration.
About Kenny Wessel & Bruce Arnold.
Kenny Wessel, a versatile, sensitive and soulful guitarist and composer, has performed in 27 countries. He toured with revolutionary jazz artist Ornette Coleman for over 12 years as a member of Prime Time, Ornette’s groundbreaking ensemble. Kenny can be heard on Coleman’s CD, Tone Dialing. Performing Ornette’s “Skies of America,” Wessel has appeared with Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic and London’s Philharmonia Orchestra. A vital and personal voice on the jazz guitar, he has also worked with Donald Fagen (featured guitar soloist on Fagen’s Morph the Cat), David Liebman, John Abercrombie, Karl Berger, Debbie Harry, Gloria Lynne, Adam Rudolph and others from the jazz, pop and world music spectrum. A dedicated jazz educator, Wessel currently teaches at LIU, CCNY, and Western Connecticut State University, in addition to leading ensembles at the New York Jazz Workshop. Kenny Wessel´s Bio
Guitarist Bruce Arnold’s passionate pursuit of new ideas and applications for his beloved six-string instrument has taken him from the minimalist landscapes of Sioux Falls, South Dakota to the bustling city of Boston, where he studied and later taught at the Berklee College of Music, to the hallowed halls of Princeton University, where he taught for 30 years, retiring in 2019. Along the way, the music educator and author has managed to document his innovative ideas for guitar on a series of potent recordings that explore the notion of applying highly complex 12-tone theoretical constructs and serial methods to modern American improvised styles. As he wrote in the liner notes to his ambitious 1996 debut recording, Blue Eleven: “All of the work reflects my goal to achieve a balance between emotional expression and formal exploration.”
GUEST: Marc Mommaas – Marc made his debut as a leader in his 1999 recording Global Motion Trio with Nikolaj Hess (piano) and John Hebert (bass). In 2001 the acclaimed drummer Tony Moreno joined the group which became Global Motion. In 2003 after an extensive tour in Europe including a 5 day hit at the Pompoen in Amsterdam, the band returned to NYC and recorded Global Motion, released by Sunnyside Records. This release earned critical acclaim in Downbeat, Jazztimes, Jazzimprov, All About Jazz and numerous online platforms. This record was followed by another well received Sunnyside release titled Balance (2006), a long anticipated duo recording with pianist and longtime friend Nikolaj Hess. In 2010 he jumped into a new project born out of his extensive collaboration with drummer Tony Moreno. It became “Landmarc” the guitar project, a band with three guitars, sax, drums and no bass. The touring band included two guitarists, Vic Juris and Nate Radley. In 2013 Marc finished his solo Saxophone project “Irreversible Momentum” which started in 2009, this will be released in the fall of 2013 and in the fall Marc will record as co-leader a Ballads record with Nikolaj Hess. Marc Mommaas´ Bio
Tuition and Registration
Tuition:
Tuition:
$585 Early Bird – for registrations and payments received before March 31th
$625 for registrations received from Apri1st
10:00am – 12:00pm: Morning Sessions
1:00pm – 4:00pm: Afternoon Sessions
Registration:
To sign up for this Summer Intensive, fill out this brief registration form.
General Information
For more info regarding our summer program, housing, travel, and more, visit our Summer Workshop General Information page. For a more in-depth experience, inquire about adding a private lesson with someone from the NYJW Faculty during your visit. Learn more about how you can combine Summer Intensives to create a customized Summer Jazz Packages. Feel free to reach out via email at info@newyorkjazzworkshop.com with any additional questions.
KENNY WESSEL:
BRUCE ARNOLD: