Ryan Meagher

Ryan Meagher (pronounced Marr) is a jazz guitarist and composer who grew up in San Jose, California. Perhaps best-known for his compositional acumen, he is also well-known for his flexibility and range. He is truly in his own space when exploring his thought-provoking original material with exciting and sensitive sidemen, but he has also accompanied a pool of incredibly diverse artists. He can lay down traditional harmonic and rhythmic framework for vocalists like Rebecca Kilgore, trumpeters like Terell Stafford and Randy Brecker, and bassist John Clayton. But he can also stretch and provide color like he has alongside very adventurous artists like trumpeters Cuong Vu and Taylor Ho Bynum, bassist David Friesen, and the poll-winning ensemble Mostly Other People Do the Killing.

It was during the period that he lived in New York City when launched his debut album Sun Resounding announcing his arrival on the modern jazz scene. Shortly after the success of his second album entitled Atroefy on Fresh Sound New Talent Records he attended the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) to attain his master of music degree in pursuit of a career directing his own college jazz program. His third album Tone was recorded in NYC in between his studies at UNR and it received international critical acclaim. After the completion of his master of music degree Meagher relocated to Portland, Oregon where he quickly became a recognizable force in the creative music community there. Along with releasing his fourth record Tango In the City of Roses he has been instrumental in expanding the scene. He is a co-founder and the Programming Director of the Montavilla Jazz Festival, the Director of Operations of the Portland Jazz Composers’ Ensemble, Director of PJCE Records, was previously Editor of the Jazzscene Magazine, and teaches at a number of institutions in the Portland metropolitan area. His fifth album from 2016 is called Mist. Moss. Home. on the PJCE Records label. The two most recent albums, Lost Days and Evil Twin were both released in 2018.