Guitarist Stowell was one of the first U.S. musicians to play for the general public in the former Soviet Union in 1984, in a quartet led by flautist Paul Horn. His resume includes travel to Europe and South America as well as frequent tours of the U.S., which take him away from his home in Portland, Oregon, for nearly 200 days each year. He was recently the subject of an Artbeat profile on OPB television.
A valued clinician renowned for his advanced harmony and chord-voicings, Stowell has taught internationally for 30 years in every educational setting. His clinics are informal, hands-on and in addition to music theory and guidelines for improvisation, John shares his experience with the business of music. He has performed with vocalists such as Nancy King and with such legendary players as Art Farmer. His work appears on numerous CDs, including five as a leader and seven albums with his former partner, the bassist David Friesen, His latest solo release is Resonance, his latest quartet CD, Streams of Consciousness, with Jay Thomas, and his latest duo recording is Transgression, with guitarist Mike Pardew.