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 rooted in the Steel City who carried its singular dialect onto the world stage.
Shannon carries that legacy forward on his debut full-length jazz album, A Day in Tarifa, out October 3 on CD, November 28 on digital platforms, and December 5 on vinyl via Jazzbook Records. The organ-trio set features Cliff Barnes on Hammond organ and James Johnson III on drums. Its originals range from hometown landmarks like “Four One Two” and “Liberty Bridge” to the windswept Spanish coast that inspired its title track.
“This is actually my debut jazz record,” Shannon explains. “I’ve put out other records, but this is the first one where the writing is jazz-centric and for a classic organ trio.”
The music ties his Pittsburgh roots to southern Spain and his search for sound in nature. It’s both a return home and a new beginning — shaped on the road, tested onstage, and distilled into his own voice.
From Pittsburgh to the World
Shannon began shaping that voice early. His debut American Mystic (2008) was praised for its intimacy, followed by Songs of the Desert River (2011) and Time Was a Lie (2012). In 2021 he produced State of Mind for Con Alma Records, capturing Pittsburgh’s scene during the pandemic.
He picked up guitar at six and by high school was performing around Pittsburgh, studying with bassist Dwayne Dolphin, saxophonist Eric Kloss, and organist Mike Ross. At Berklee, he trained with Mick Goodrick and Wayne Krantz, alongside classmates Hiromi Uehara, Bob Reynolds, Walter Smith III, and Kendrick Scott. In 1999, he formed Waking Vision with drummer Martin Valihora and bassist Mitch Cohn, touring Europe before he turned twenty. Soon after, he stepped in on guitar with Hiromi’s Sonicbloom, subbing for David Fiuczynski on international dates.
Through the 2010s, Shannon expanded into new territory: the rock trio theSHIFT’s 7th Direction (2015); SweetPro, the Reggie Watts-created ensemble behind Louie; Louis C.K.’s film Fourth of July (2022); and his own albums Guitar Improvisations (2018) and Waking Vision’s The Breathing Earth (2023). In 2022, he signed with Jazzbook Records, making A Day in Tarifa his first statement for the label.
Rooted in Pittsburgh Swing
Though his career spans jazz, rock, and film, Shannon has remained grounded in Pittsburgh. “They call it the Pittsburgh quarter note,” he explains. “If you don’t swing, you’re not really accepted as part of the scene.” He points to Roger Humphries — drummer on Horace Silver’s Song for My Father — and bassist Dwayne Dolphin, whose credits include Wynton Marsalis and Fred Wesley. For Shannon, they embody the soulful, working-class feel carried forward by Benson, Ponder, Pass, and Negri.
A Day in Tarifa reflects those roots while opening outward. Tracks like “Four One Two,” “Liberty Bridge,” and “Allegheny Current” are grounded in Pittsburgh’s landscape. The spacious, hypnotic “Marseille” nods to the late pianist and fellow Pittsburgh native Ahmad Jamal. The title track evokes Tarifa, Spain’s southern tip:
“There is an inspiring mystique in Tarifa. You can see across the water to North Africa, and it’s also the windsurfing capital of the world,” Shannon says.
Other pieces — “Golden Wave,” “Sunrise,” “Star Travel,” and “Slipstream” — draw inspiration from the sounds of wind, trees, and rivers.
The Organ Trio Tradition
Choosing the organ trio format is itself a statement. Guitar, Hammond organ, and drums — rooted in the soul-jazz tradition of Jimmy Smith and the guitar lineage of Grant Green — remain one of jazz’s most recognizable settings. Shannon leans into that heritage with Barnes’s organ voice and Johnson’s deep-pocket groove.
“I love the sound of the organ trio,” Shannon says. “It has such a trance nature to it.”
Their interplay gives A Day in Tarifa its identity: straight-ahead and hard-bop in feel, with the soulful drive that defines Pittsburgh jazz.
Songs with Spirit
For Shannon, the album also reaffirms the importance of songwriting. “All the greats in jazz were also great songwriters,” he says. “That’s where players develop their sound — on their own music. It’s about the communication of a song.”
A spiritual strand runs through his work — meditation, vision-quest, and engagement with devotional traditions. Ravi Shankar’s Chants of India (1997), produced by George Harrison, remains a touchstone, echoing his practice of finding the mystical in sound.
Beyond the Stage
Since 2019, Shannon has co-owned and curated Con Alma, one of the only musician-owned jazz clubs in the U.S. He programs local stalwarts alongside touring artists, fosters a listening-first space, and works to reawaken Pittsburgh’s jazz consciousness. “Con Alma is more of a vision than a dream,” he says. In 2021, Esquire named Con Alma one of the “Best Bars in America,” and through OH! Jazz streaming, the club carries Pittsburgh’s sound worldwide.
With A Day in Tarifa, Shannon makes his first full jazz statement. Tours are planned in Central Europe, Texas, and India, alongside appearances at home. In his hands, the guitar becomes a bridge — linking Steel City’s swing tradition to his own voice.
Tracklist – A Day in Tarifa
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Four One Two
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Liberty Bridge
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Allegheny Current
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Marseille
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A Day in Tarifa
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Golden Wave
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Sunrise
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Star Travel
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Slipstream
