Corey Christiansen returns to Broadway Music School!  His 2007 and 2008 appearances at BMS with Ken Walker and Todd Reid delighted everyone.  As part of his new CD tour, he’ll conduct an improv workshop and play in concert with Denver bassist Bijoux Barbosa and with Seattle drummer Matt Jorgensen featured on the new CD “Roll With It.”

Corey will be available for a limited number of private lessons in addition to his workshop at BMS.  Call 303-777-0388 to schedule.

Corey’s most recent ablum, “Roll With It,” is his debut release for Origin and features Matt Jorgensen on drums, Pat Bianchi on organ and David Halliday on sax.   His music draws on the tradition of the masters but leans towards the future. Rooted in the tradition of the jazz language but just bluesy and gritty enough to not alienate larger audiences. Corey’s first two recordings Awakening and MB3: Jazz Hits vol. 1 received ciritical acclaim and found large success on North American radio again proving he has the ability to keep the artistic integrity of the music without pushing listeners away.

Corey is one of the most prolific jazz guitarists /educators today.  He has over forty publications with Mel Bay Publications, Inc. and has conducted countless guitar clinics and concerts across the country and beyond. This highly productive output may sound extraordinary, but it is no accident that he plays and writes with such facility. Corey began playing the guitar at the age of five and has been perfecting his technique ever since.

Corey Christiansen grew up in a musical family. His father, Mike Christiansen has run the guitar program at Utah State University for over three decades. Corey spent a lot of his youth with his dad on campus learning about the guitar and music. After high school, Corey received his bachelor’s degree from USU. A year later he left for Tampa Florida to study with legendary jazz guitar educator, Jack Petersen. In 1999, Corey received his master’s degree from the University of South Florida and took over the teaching duties of Jack Petersen the next year.  In this position Corey became well versed in the abilities and needs of jazz guitar students and ensembles.  From 2000 to 2007 Corey was the senior editor and main guitar clinician for Mel Bay Publications. This job allowed him to tour, give clinics, develop products, produce recordings and rub shoulders with the best musicians in the business. For seven years Corey gave countless clinics and performances around the world and developed a fan base not only for his teaching but his playing. In 2007 Corey moved back to his native Utah and was the Director of Curriculum for The Music School, a privately funded music program outside of Salt Lake City. In the fall of 2007 Corey signed with Origin Records. In the fall of 2008 Corey assumed duties teaching full-time at Utah State University and will part-time at Indiana University where he’ll be pioneering the jazz guitar program. Even with a busy academic schedule, Corey still tours and continues to record.

Recently Corey had the opportunity to visit Australia for a two-week tour of stores and conservatories. He has also performed at many notable festivals and venues including John Pisano's Guitar Night in Los Angeles, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy, the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, the Clearwater Jazz Festival, the Daytona Beach Jazz Festival, the Classic American Guitar Show, and the St. Louis Jazz Festival. He has also performed and/or recorded with many outstanding jazz artists including Jimmy Bruno, John Pisano, James Moody, Joe Negri, Willie Akins, Chuck Redd, Sid Jacobs, Jack Wilkins, Christian McBride, George Duke, Terri Lyne Carrington, Danny Gottlieb, and many, many others.