Will Sumner (4)

Ocean Street is the latest, highly anticipated work to be released from renowned jazz guitarist, composer and producer, Will Sumner. With nine CDs now in his multi-layered portfolio, the first single titled, Building Castles from this new album has been a breath of fresh air. After a year of chaos in all of our lives, Will focused his talent in 2021 on creating these mostly upbeat tunes with his signature complex modulations.

Born in Los Angeles, attending college for music in Boston and then spending his young adult life in Minnesota, Will played the clubs and led jazz bands for decades as he worked toward composing his first album, Tropic Zone released internationally to critical acclaim in 1980. Working alongside Prince, Yanni, The Peterson Family and many others on the Minneapolis music scene at the time, he started to receive industry recognition for his lush, heartfelt themes played over hot Latin rhythms, beautiful slow grooves and, of course, funky, driving electric riffs.

Eventually, a move  back to Southern California brought with it the opportunity to dive into film scores, trailers and commercial work, but his heart soon brought him back to his first love, jazz guitar.

The So Cal vibe inspired him to launch his next few CDs including: Tracks and Yuletide Jazz, followed by Coast Drive, Pier Groove, Endless Sumner and Ride the Wave, just to name a few. All have been extremely well-received by the smooth jazz scene and are still getting airplay today on radio, iTunes, smoothjazz.com and numerous other music outlets.

The first symphony composed by Will was performed live by the Riverside, CA Philharmonic in an outdoor amphitheater at the beautiful South Coast Winery in Temecula, CA. Will counts the amazing experience of sharing his music with, not only the audience but an orchestra of his peers, as one of the highlights of a diverse career.

A virtuoso on guitar, piano, and violin, Will still works with other musicians on occasion and teaches music to both children and adults near his home in Carlsbad, CA. He continues to perform at venues throughout So Cal on both guitar and drums and is always evolving his talent as he lays down rich jazz tracks with ease and finesse.

Welcome to Ocean Street!