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Wayne Krantz (born July 26, 1956 in Corvallis, Oregon) is an innovative American jazz fusion guitarist who has played with names such as Steely Dan, Michael Brecker, Billy Cobham, and others, but currently has a solo act. He released his first album, Signals, in 1991, sporting an array of recognized jazz musicians such as Dennis Chambers, Leni Stern, Anthony Jackson, and others. However, in 1992, he formed a trio with bassist Lincoln Goines and drummer Zach Danziger, and recorded two albums with them; Long To Be Loose, in 1993, and a live album, 2 Drink Minimum, in 1995. In doing so, he began to play periodically at the 55 Bar, a diverse and premier jazz club in New York City. In 1996, Krantz released an acoustic album with Leni Stern, dubbed Separate Cages. Wayne formed a new trio in 1997, consisting of his ferocious guitar skills, complemented by Tim Lefebvre at electric bass and Keith Carlock at drums, new sounds that would change his music's style drastically.
Krantz's first three solo albums were released on the jazz label, Enja Records, which was at the time time also home to frequent collaborator Leni Stern. However, Krantz's last two albums, 1999's Greenwich Mean, and 2003's Your Basic Live were both released from Wayne's private website. Like 2 Drink Minimum, these two albums both are excerpts of various sets at the 55 Bar. These two albums also include more use of effects pedals, and are more unscripted and improvised than the previous three, implying Wayne's tendency towards nonconformism on and off the stage. He contributed to Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen's newest release, Morph the Cat, and participated in touring with Fagen's band in early 2006. Additionally, he is to return to the studio in 2006 to record a new solo album, to be followed by touring. It is unknown whether this new album will feature Wayne's existing trio.
Even with a lack of a record company, and thus an absence of excessive advertisement and sponsorship, Krantz's music still receives acclaim and a worldwide underground fan base, strongest in the New York metropolitan area and England. (I'm not Wayne Krantz...just a huge fan that wants to spread the word)
