Joe Wagner

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JOE WAGNER

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Music For All Occasions

Joe Wagner is an inventive guitarist, educator, and composer who leads several jazz ensembles comprising some of the most talented musicians in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Wagner’s most recent recording is entitled Wagner Marino Live at Sellersville Theater, showcasing a jazz duo with the legendary Tony Marino. The album features electric archtop and nylon string guitar work from Wagner as a counterpoint to Marino’s unmistakable upright bass. The duo employs familiar jazz tunes as a vehicle to embark on impressionistic journeys in the improvisations. The powerful performance evoked a standing ovation from the crowd and established Wagner as one of the theater’s favorite acts.

Wagner performs also as a solo jazz guitarist, and leads a traditional jazz trio, a quartet, a gypsy jazz group, and an improvisational fusion band. Various distinguished musicians have appeared live with Wagner, including Tony Marino, bass. (Dave Liebman), Paul Rostock, bass, (Frank Sinatra Jr) and Rodney Holmes, drums, (Santana).

Wagner is a sought after guitar instructor. He has led master classes with Jim Weider (the Band), and master classes by Wagner have focused on improvisation, traditional jazz, and gypsy jazz styles. He was a Founder’s Scholar at Moravian College, where he earned a degree in music composition and was the first graduate of the Martin Guitar Finger-Style Guitar Program. Wagner studied privately with the iconic Pat Martino and holds a Master’s degree in Jazz Studies at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. His thesis proposed an original compositional system, presented in the form of an update to the Gradus Ad Parnassum of 1725.