Reno De Stefano is an active guitarist-composer on the Montreal jazz scene.
His Quintet was nominated for the General Motors Grand Jazz Award and the Galaxie Rising Star Award of the CBC at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, 2008. The members of the Quintet are Kevin Dean (trpt), André White (pno), Alec Walkington (bs), Dave Laing (dr). He has shared the stage with American virtuoso guitarists Joe Diorio and Sid Jacobs and has performed with many Canadian musicians including James Gelfand, Michel Donato, Lorraine Desmarais, Norman Lachapelle, Ron Di Lauro, Jean-François Groulx, Luc Beaugrand, Muhammad Abdul Al-Khabyyr, Brian Hurley, Skip Bey and many others.In 2002 he performed at the prestigious Place des Arts in Montreal, in a concert featuring himself and the legendary Michel Donato on bass. During the last few years his work and development as a jazz guitarist and composer have culminated in a series of important concerts for the Montreal jazz association "Dialogue with the Artist" series at Upstairs, Salle Claude Champagne "Ce soir on jazze" and "Montreal Jazz", UQAM "Drum-Fest", Maison de la Culture Frontenac, Stewart Hall, etc. His first recording as a leader entitled «De Stefano & Donato» Matters of The Spirit, features original compositions and standards with bassist, Michel Donato. His compositions and performances have been featured on many jazz radio programs including CBC Radio. His second CD «Reno De Stefano Quintet : Mimi's Dance» will be released in 2008.Reno De Stefano is presently associate professor of jazz studies at the Université de Montréal. He holds a Ph.D. and a Masters degree in jazz musicology (Université de Montréal) and a Bachelor of music in jazz performance (McGill University). He has taught at the Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Montréal and McGill University before accepting a full-time tenure-track position at the Université de Montréal.Dr. De Stefano has published over 30 articles on jazz improvisation, jazz history and composition in specialised periodicals for the International Association of Jazz Educators, for the award-winning International Dictionary of Black Composers, and is a regular contributor to the magazine Just Jazz Guitar.
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".........offers a confident, relaxed melodic approach to standards..........""...........straight-ahead, firm intellectual approach to every tune..............""........Canada is slowly gaining her much-deserved credit for a number of new standout jazz guitarists, and Reno De Stefano should be counted among them. Here is a credit to academia- a performance professor with a "Spirit" for performing."............(Just Jazz Guitar)
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_" .............An impressive display of De Stefano's harmonic invention and thorough skill as a guitarist............."".........De Stefano's rich harmonic sense is evident throughout as he builds layers of possibility into each tune.............."(Planet jazz)"..............he's got an appealing way with harmonies............"(Cadence)"...................Un musicien attachant qui manie la guitare avec beaucoup d'émotion............un musicien touchant"(Jazz Chroniques & Coups de Coeur)".............an absolutely wonderful CD, .............Talk about someone who walks the talk.........all of his original works have a delicate, poetic sound that makes great use of full chords in the spirit of Wes and Joe Pass..........."JazzWax.com (2007)______________________________________________________
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(Montreal International Jazz festival 2008).............."In the Jazz Guitar department, Montreal’s own Reno De Stefano put on a free show that delighted music fans, and of course Jazz Guitar players/fans, with an hour long set comprised of his own compositions. Reno played some great straight-ahead style tunes that featured his strong chops alongside some of the heaviest players on the Montreal and International Jazz scenes. I had heard nothing but great things about Reno and was finally glad to see him play. I look forward to seeing more of this local artist and he will also be featured in a Jazz Guitar Life interview in the not too distant future. If you get the chance definitely check him out. ..............(Lyle Robinson, Jazz Guitar Life, 2008)_______________________________________________________
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Just Jazz Guitar magazine has released a new CD featuring a performance and a composition by Reno De Stefano.____________________________________________________
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