John Shannon is a visionary guitarist, composer, and sonic mystic whose music is a bridge between worlds—earth and sky, tradition and innovation, the seen and the unseen. Born in Pittsburgh, PA, John began playing guitar at the age of six and soon found himself immersed in a lifelong path of musical and spiritual discovery. As a teenager, he studied under local masters of various instruments deepening his awareness of tone, space, and the power of improvisation as a channel for transcendence.
During his time at Berklee College of Music he formed the group Waking Vision Trio, blending jazz fusion with expansive, cinematic soundscapes that earned the group acclaim across Europe and beyond.
While living in NYC John released 3 albums with revered indie-jazz label ObliqSound, showcasing his original fingerstyle techniques, alternate tunings, and a lyrical, spirit-driven songwriting style that felt as ancient as it was fresh.
Eventually came the formation of theSHIFT, a power-rock trio whose high-octane performances, radio success in South America, and fearless message embodied a fusion of raw electricity and consciousness.
John’s new album A Day in Tarifa captures his latest chapter: a meditative sun soaked suite of jazz compositions both inspired by not only the jazz legacy of his hometown but also the windswept edge of southern Spain—Tarifa - a place where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, and where sound becomes a vessel for light.
