“Musicians like guitarist Adam Rogers perform with exquisite control and grace.” - Jack Kroll, Newsweek
“...easily one of the best jazz guitarists in New York...the next step in the tradition of swinging mainstream players in the lineage of Pat Martino and George Benson.” - New York Times
“...his skills as a pure player are absolutely mind-boggling, with long lines and phraseology extending the lineage of Martino, Montgomery and Benson... With Art of the Invisible, he’s accomplished nothing less than raising the bar for all of mainstream jazz guitardom." - All About Jazz
“Rogers is a mainstream guitarist of the first rank.” - Downbeat Magazine
“Adam Rogers specializes in a turbocharged, sleekly designed, ultimately armored brand of postbop. His compositions, with their harmonic and rhythmic feints, can suggest complex spring-loaded devices.” - New York Times
"In terms of melodic and rhythmic clarity, Rogers has few peers on the instrument, but his staggering technique is matched by musical sensitivity and a finely honed rapport with his quintet." David R. Adler, Jazz times
A native New Yorker, Adam Rogers has been the guitarist of choice for an array of the some of the greatest names and in jazz, pop and world music: Michael Brecker, Joe Jackson, Cassandra Wilson, Walter Becker, Chris Potter, John Zorn, The Gil Evans Orchestra, The Mingus Orchestra, Norah Jones, Paul Simon, John Patitucci, The SFJazz collective, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, George Coleman, Ravi Coltrane, Brian Blade, Kenny Barron, Marcus Miller, Regina Carter, Phillip Bailey, Christian Mcbride and Billy Childs to name just a few. Since May 2022 Adam has been a touring member of Steely Dan.
He has appeared on over Two hundred and fifty albums and toured extensively as a leader and sideman throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, South America, The Middle East and Russia. He has been singled out for praise in Downbeat, The New York Times, The Boston globe, The Village Voice, Jazz Times, Jazziz, Newsweek, Jazz Hot, All about Jazz and The Chicago Sun Times, among numerous other periodicals worldwide.
Adam has co-led the innovative and acclaimed group” Lost Tribe”. The group released three albums.
He has also been a featured member of the rhythm section with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in the Met premieres of Terrence Blanchard's operas"Fire Shut Up In My Bones" in 2021 and "Champion" in 2023 as well as being a featured soloist with the Dresden Symphony Orchestra in 1999 and performing with NYC's The Public Theater and Great Lakes Theater Company.
His debut CD, “Art of the Invisible,” was released in 2002 to critical acclaim on Criss Cross Records. Offering up a definitive statement as a composer with eight of his own tunes, the quartet featured on this recording includes Ed Simon on piano, Scott Colley on bass and Clarence Penn on drums. His second album featuring exclusively original compositions, “Allegory”, also on Criss Cross, was released in September of 2003 and features the same group with the addition of Chris Potter on saxophone. His mostrecent CD, Apparitions, with the same lineup continues to showcase Adam’s unique compositional and improvisational abilities. “Time and the Infinite”, also on Criss Cross featuring Scott Colley and Bill Stewart was released in April 2007. “Sight” featuring John Patitucci and Clarence Penn was released in May 2009. His co-led outing with David Binney - R&B - of all standard repertoire, was released in 2015.
Currently Adam is focusing on two projects that feature his original music. The power trio, “Dice” - featuring Fima Ephron on bass and Nate Smith on drums - highlights the influence of funk, rock and blues prevalent in Adam’s musical development. Their debut recording was released to critical acclaim in June 2017. Additionally, Adam’s new acoustic quartet focuses on compositions along the lines of his previous outings.
(Photo Jonas Bostrom)