WELCOME TO THE TOWER RECORDS COMMUNITY – Dann Glenn

Dann Glenn (born May 30, 1950) is an American jazz fusion guitarist and composer, who has published and recorded a catalog of six symphonies, and released numerous jazz and avant garde albums, over the years.

Known for years as a bassist, Glenn became disenchanted playing the bass, and switched his primary instrument to that of electric guitar around 2003-04. Also an accomplished pianist, Glenn's status as a multi-instrumentalist has served him well, on his jazz fusion and modern orchestral recordings.

Beginning in the 1970s, Dann Glenn's career started as a rock musician, who later became a serious jazz player and classical composer. During his formative years he played with such musicians as Blues guitarists Michael Bloomfield and Luther Tucker.

Dann was mentored by jazz bass legend Monk Montgomery (the first to play electric bass on a jazz record, with Lionel Hampton), brother to the legendary jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery and vibraphonist /pianist Buddy. After spending years on the road playing in show bands, Dann returned to Los Angeles in 1977, where he studied the Simandl method with bassist and pianist Herb Mickman.

Dave Liebman came over to Dann’s condo years ago in North Hollywood when Dann was one of the first cats to have a contra bass guitar. Dave jumped up and called Steve Swallow in NYC. "Hey man...you ever hear of a six string bass?" After this Dann played and recorded with many musicians and bands in the LA area, while on the faculty at Musicians Institutes Bass Institute of Technology (1988-1991).

During his time in LA, Dann became close with bassists Jeff Berlin and Jaco Pastorius, who was murdered in 1987. Dann and Berlin went on to become lifelong friends, often associated in the music press because of their views on music education for bass guitar players.

The pair spoke out against popular gizmos such as "hand-grip squeezers," "perfect pitch tapes" and the misinformation sometimes sold to unsuspecting students. Dann and Berlin contended that since music has been the same for hundreds of years in terms of its basic principles, such as harmony, it is music that should be taught - not licks and tricks. They also opposed tablature notation, and constantly encouraged young players to simply learn to read music, instead of wasting time learning what they considered to be a musicial non-language.

Glenn played with guitarists Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson/Jeff Beck) and John Goodsall (Brand X) before leaving Los Angeles for good. Glenn and his wife Francoise (b. May 20 1963, Paris, France) relocated to St. Louis, Missouri in 1993, where he set up his own studio to compose and record his music. In addition to his love for jazz and jazz fusion music, Dann took up orchestral composition, ultimately writing six symphonies by 2007.

He has also written many columns for magazines, and became a published novelist with his first book entitled, Almost a Proverb, an examination of the human condition based on his experiences during the Vietnam War.

Starting and ultimately leaving a band, known as BangTower, Glenn went on to create a new ensemble, the Eleven Eleven Orchestra, which features bass virtuosos Jeff Berlin, Baba Elefante, and renowned drummer Ronnie Ciago. Glenn also collaborated with former Godsticks bassist Jason Marsh, (Also the album's Producer) and Baba Elefante, on a release entitled "dann glenn/Electric." In 2010 Glenn appears in the motion picture "Johnnie Be Good The Movie" alongside Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and many other icons of music.

Dann, who has been compared to Charles Mingus for his temper as well as his musicianship, is known for his speed as a player and his unusual use of time and space as a composer. He has also mentored many younger players over the years, fulfilling a promise he made to his own mentor, Monk Montgomery to help others, as he had been helped.

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