From left to right: drummer James Johnson III., guitarist John Shannon, and organist Cliff Barnes (summer, 2025)
PITTSBURGH: when it comes to bluesy, soulful, straight-ahead jazz, few American cities swing like Pittsburgh. Guitarist John Shannon, a Pittsburgh native, follows in the lineage of George Benson, Jimmy Ponder, Joe Pass, and Joe Negri — masters, each rooted in Pittsburgh, who carried the City of Bridges’ singular dialect onto the world stage.
Shannon carries that legacy forward on his debut full-length jazz album, A Day in Tarifa, now available on Jazzbook Records. The organ-trio set features Cliff Barnes on Hammond organ and James Johnson III. on drums, and its originals range from hometown landmarks like “Four One Two” and “Liberty Bridge” to the windswept Spanish coast that inspired its title track.
Let’s discover the blues!