Jane Getter

by Alex HendersonBased in New York, the flexible jazz guitarist Jane Getter has played everything from fusion and pop-jazz to straight-ahead post-bop and hard bop. Getter's influences are far-reaching; Wes Montgomery and George Benson have affected her playing, but so have fusion guitarists like John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, Al DiMeola, and John Scofield (who she studied with). Getter is originally from New Jersey; she moved to the Bay Area to attend San Francisco State University but ended up returning to the East Coast and making New York her home. In the 1980s, the guitarist enjoyed a stint with organist Jack McDuff, but after leaving his employ, she didn't stick to the type of soul-jazz/hard bop that he was known for -- far from a purist, Getter made it clear that she was the sort of musician who could play fusion one minute and straight-ahead jazz the next. After moving to New York, she studied privately with John Scofield, Jack Wilkins, and Chuck Loeb and was employed by artists who ranged from violinist Michael Urbaniak to saxman Joe Lovano and pianist Kenny Barron. In the late '90s, Getter led her own fusion/crossover band, employing such notables as keyboardist Adam Holtzman and bassist Victor Bailey. Both of those musicians appear on Getter's first album, Jane, which came out on Lipstick in 1998.