Guitarist John Shannon is rooted in Pittsburgh, but his music is taking him all around the world.
Shannon’s debut jazz album, “A Day in Tarifa,” was recorded in Paris for the France-based label Jazzbook Records. But Shannon, a co-owner of Pittsburgh jazz club Con Alma, pays tribute to his roots with songs like “Four One Two,” “Liberty Bridge” and “Allegheny Current.”
He drew on his world travels for the album’s single, “A Day in Tarifa.”
“This song was inspired by Tarifa, a coastal town in southern Spain that has a certain mystique to it,” Shannon said. “You can see North Africa across the water, and it’s also the wind surfing capital of the world. The song represents these different vibes that intermix and travel throughout Tarifa.”
Pittsburgh’s jazz scene also helped to influence the album.
“Being an owner and music curator of Con Alma, I am constantly and happily immersed in the Pittsburgh jazz scene,” he said. “When you are around so many great players, elders and conversations about ‘the music,’ you get inspired in your songwriting to go certain directions. Pittsburgh is always about swinging, and I believe this album swings. It also represents the development of my own unique writing as well.”
Shannon has released other albums in the past, but this is his first that is jazz-centric and for a classic organ trio.
”Recording wise, it’s all about getting one live take in the studio per song, and writing wise I wanted to reflect and honor old school jazz writing and also mix in with some compositions reaching more into the times now,” he said.
Locally, his favorite places to play include Con Alma, City of Asylum and The Space Upstairs.
“Playing live always offers a transcendental opportunity,” he said. “It’s about connecting with the music, your band and the audience at the same time.”
But Shannon has played shows in India, which he called “a deep experience,” and he has a history in central Europe from years of touring with his other group, Waking Vision.
“We spent a week in Senegal and headlined a major festival over there, which is the oldest jazz festival on the African continent,” he said. “It was surreal to be able to present this music that has so much Pittsburgh pride in it in a place and town so much older than Pittsburgh. To make some kind of connection there between the two worlds felt very meaningful to me.”
Shannon filled in TribLive on what else we should know about his music:
Band members: John Shannon (guitar); Cliff Barnes (organ); James Johnson III (drums)
Founding story: We started playing trio at Con Alma while I was working out new material and found there was a real natural chemistry between the three of us especially around music I had just began writing which then became my current album.
For fans of: Jazz, instrumental, guitar-based trios; transcendental music
Influences: George Benson, Peter Bernstein, Grant Green, Jimmy Smith. John Coltrane
Releases: “A Day in Tarifa” album, October 2025
Next show: Vinyl release show, April 9 at City of Asylum, Pittsburgh’s North Side
How to find him: Shannon can be found at his website.
Three other Pittsburgh area bands to check out: David Throckmorton Quartet; Thoth Trio; Tony Grey Trio
Favorite pizza shop: Fiori’s