Too Modern for Me Release Party

Invisible Music Records is proud to announce the September 15th

2018 release of Too Modern For Me, the seventh full-length album by

renowned Maine jazz guitarist Gary Wittner.

This is Gary’s second vocal CD and features 11 songs written and

performed by Wittner, featuring an all-star group of New England jazz

musicians: Matt Langley (tenor sax), Les Harris, Jr. (drums) and Keala

Kaumeheiwa (bass). The songs on Too Modern for Me are influenced

in equal parts by the music of Thelonious Monk, and the wit of Mose

Allison and Dave Frishberg. Some of Gary’s songs are serious, but

most are written for humor – like his ode to turning 60 (“I’d Rather Stay

Home”), his nod to technology (“Too Modern For Me”), and an amusing

look at addictions (“I’ll Quit Tomorrow”). Maine jazz promoter Paul

Lichter, whose performance series Dimensions in Jazz is a Portland

institution, has referred to Gary’s vocal music as “Jazz Cabaret”. The

CD will be available throughout northern New England at all Bull Moose

stores, on the web at bullmoose.com, and digitally at iTunes and Spotify.

There will be a CD release party at One Longfellow Square in Portland

on September 15th.

Regardless of labels, Wittner has created a body of songs within the

Jazz/Blues/Latin spectrum that combine witty, insightful, heartfelt lyrics

with complex post-bop harmonies. Audiences and musicians alike have

been entertained by Gary’s vocal tunes here in the USA, as well as in

South America, Europe and Africa. Originally from New York, Wittner has

lived in Maine since 1986, and since that time has played all kinds of

gigs – high profile, low profile and no profile! Gary has represented the

USA officially 4 times – twice as a Kennedy Center Jazz Ambassador,

and once each as a Fulbright Specialist and a US Embassy Outreach

Artist. He has played all over the world: in major urban markets (New

York City, London, Warsaw, Paris, St. Petersburg, Boston, Capetown),

for tribal royalty in Papua New Guinea and Fiji, jazz royalty (Thelonious

Monk’s widow, Nellie) and at the largest arts festival on the African

continent. In between all that he has played locally and regionally

in Jazz, Latin, and Middle Eastern music settings. An acknowledged

authority on the music and life of jazz icon Thelonious Monk, Gary has

presented concert/lectures/workshops at some of the world’s most

high profile music schools. His book Thelonious Monk for Guitar was

published in 1999, and is still informing guitar players around the world

today. Gary currently teaches guitar at the University of Southern Maine

School of Music and Bowdoin College and keeps an active performing

schedule locally and abroad.