Ted

Lis Pete

Smyser “Jazz guitar as witnessed during the best of the `30's, `40's and `50's” –Jazz Improv Magazine

“Talented saxophone artist Ted Lis adds a welcome dimension of beautiful solos reminiscent of Stan Getz.” -Just Jazz Guitar Magazine

www.smyser.com pete@smyser.com tel. (610) 287-4280

Pete Smyser (virtuoso 7-string guitarist) and Ted Lis (saxophonist) perform a vast repertoire of well over 700 songs centered around the "Great American Songbook" (melodies by the likes of Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, etc.). These are the songs of stage and screen that defined popular American music from the 1920’s through the 1960’s. Hits made famous by such icons as Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Sinatra, Dean Martin, The Andrews Sisters, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and other legendary entertainers.

Pete and Ted’s performances exude pure joy and romance with a healthy dose of nostalgia. The smiles beaming on their faces reveal that love what they do and thrive on connecting with their audience. The duo has been performing together for 19 years providing music for concerts, jazz clubs, restaurants, corporate gatherings, country clubs, weddings and other public and private functions. The duo currently provides music regularly at Shannondell (Audubon, PA), The Hill at Whitemarsh (Lafayette Hill, PA), Jenner’s Pond (West Grove, PA), Meadowood (Blue Bell, PA), various ACTS communities and The Café (Bethlehem, PA).

Smyser is the professor of jazz guitar studies at Moravian College (Bethlehem, PA), and he is listed among greats in the book - “The Jazz Guitar, Its Evolution, Its Players and Personalities Since 1900” (Ashley Mark Publishing Co.). Smyser was on the Artist Roster of the Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour (PennPAT) from 1997-2004 and has released 8 CDs as a leader. The song “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” from Pete’s latest CD (An Affair to Remember ...celebrating the songs of Harry Warren”) was #1 for three weeks in a row on WRTI’s “Hot 11 Countdown.” The song was on the chart for 13 weeks in a row. His 2012 release, The Jerome Kern Concert ...LIVE!, soared to the top 50 of the jazz radio charts and stayed there for several weeks. Smyser has appeared on television and radio shows in addition to countless performances at festivals, jazz clubs, universities and churches. He was invited to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra for the televised 2005 Marian Anderson Awards Show. Smyser has over 25 years of professional experience both as a performer and as an educator. Visit Pete’s YouTube Channel to see and hear him perform a variety of styles in a variety of settings… including duo with saxophonist Ted Lis.