29th Annual Jazz Guitar Festival: Bruce Forman

The Department of Music, with support from the Vail Series, presents the 29th annual Jazz Guitar Festival. Bruce Forman will perform on Friday, Oct. 31, and Sheryl Bailey on Saturday, Nov. 1. Both concerts are at 7:30 p.m. in Sharon Martin Hall. This year’s festival showcases two exceptional artists representing the best of the East and West Coast jazz scenes. 

On Friday night, acclaimed guitarist, producer, and arranger Bruce Forman—a respected educator at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music—will take the stage. Forman will be joined on stage by Tony Monaco on the Hammond B3 organ and Reggie Jackson on drums. On Saturday, the spotlight shifts to Sheryl Bailey, a celebrated New York-based jazz guitarist and assistant chair of the guitar department at Berklee College of Music. 

Forman has recorded over 20 albums, toured globally, and played on Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-winning film scores. From bebop to “western jazz” with Cow Bop, to his theatrical solo work The Red Guitar, Forman blends tradition with fearless innovation. An influential educator and cultural storyteller, he continues to shape the American jazz landscape with wit, depth, and soul. 

Bailey is a world-renowned jazz guitarist praised for her sizzling tone, melodic invention, and lyrical mastery. A Berklee professor and Thelonious Monk Competition finalist, she leads the acclaimed Sheryl Bailey 3 and tours globally with top artists. Described as “one of jazz guitar’s current front runners” (Vintage Guitar), she’s released 12 albums and is a celebrated educator and composer. 

Festival Schedule: 

• Masterclass with Bruce Forman:
Friday, Oct. 31 at 3 p.m.,
Eisner Center, Room 144*
• Bruce Forman in Concert: Friday, Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m.,
Sharon Martin Hall
• Masterclass with Sheryl Bailey:
Saturday, Nov. 1 at 3 p.m.,
Burke Rehearsal Room*
• Sheryl Bailey in Concert:
Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m.,
Sharon Martin Hall 

*The masterclasses are open to the public; no tickets required. Musicians are encouraged to bring their guitars.