Denny Jiosa on Craft, Curiosity, and a Life in Music

For Immediate Release

Dallas, Texas – April 14, 2026 -When Denny Jiosa joined Paula Atherton on The Paula Atherton Show, the conversation unfolded less like a formal interview and more like two seasoned musicians reflecting on a lifetime spent pursuing sound, discipline, and creativity.

For Jiosa, that pursuit began early. Growing up in Huntington, Indiana, he recalls telling his mother at six years old that he wanted to start a band. Her practical response, learn an instrument, first changed the trajectory of his life. The instrument waiting in the family home was an acoustic Stella Harmony guitar. Within a year, his father bought him his first electric guitar and amplifier for $39.95 at a department store. Decades later, Jiosa still owns that instrument.

By age twelve he was writing music. At fourteen he performed his first public concert with a band. From that point forward, music became the central focus of his life.

“I just knew my direction,” Jiosa told Atherton. “It’s all I ever thought about and dreamed about.”

A Lifelong Student of Music

One of the recurring themes in Jiosa’s conversation with Atherton was the importance of continuous learning. Even after decades as a professional guitarist, producer, and recording engineer, he maintains that mastery is an ongoing process.

“If you reach a point where you think you know it all,” he said, “it’s time to quit.”

Jiosa studied production at Anderson University before attending the Guitar Institute of Technology, where he learned from renowned instructors and performers. One memorable moment came during a three-hour lesson with jazz guitar legend Pat Martino in Philadelphia.

During the session, Jiosa realized that although he and Martino were thinking about a musical passage differently, they were ultimately arriving at the same notes.

“It validated that there are many ways to approach the same musical goal,” he explained.

His musical education also included exposure to influential guitarists such as Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour, artists whose styles helped shape his evolving voice on the instrument.

Early Touring and Musical Legends

Like many professional musicians, Jiosa built his early career by accepting virtually every gig that came his way. That approach led him to tour with Troy Shondell’s 1950s rock revival shows, where he shared stages with iconic performers including Bo Diddley and B. B. King.

Meeting King left a lasting impression. The encounter occurred the same day that John Lennon was killed in 1980.

King signed a Harrah’s Lake Tahoe notepad for the young guitarist with the words: “Stick with it.”

Years later, Jiosa wrote a blues song inspired by that message an example of how seemingly small moments can echo through a musician’s career.

Grammy-Nominated Work in the Studio

Jiosa eventually relocated from Indiana to Los Angeles and later to Nashville, a move that surprised some colleagues who assumed the city catered mainly to country music. Instead, the move opened new creative doors.

In Nashville he began working with gospel artist and producer Ben Tankard and renowned vocalist Yolanda Adams. His engineering and guitar work on their recordings earned three Grammy nominations, with an additional nomination coming from an unexpected genre: a polka project.

For Jiosa, genre has never been a limitation.

“Music is music,” he said.

Through his Jazz Cat Studio and his Sonic Canvas record label, he has produced and engineered recordings spanning jazz, gospel, country, and experimental projects.

The Stories Behind the Songs

One highlight of the interview was Jiosa’s story about recording his version of “Sunny,” the classic written by Bobby Hebb.

After rearranging and recording the song, Jiosa discovered that Hebb himself would be visiting his Nashville studio. Nervous but excited, he played the track.

Hebb’s reaction was enthusiastic. He told Jiosa it was “the coolest version of that song since mine” and even stepped into the studio to add spontaneous scat vocals.

For Jiosa, the moment carried deeper meaning. As a young guitarist, he had first learned jazz chords from a songbook that included “Sunny.” Decades later, the song’s creator was collaborating with him in the studio.

A Creative Philosophy

Jiosa describes his musical process using visual imagery. Producing and mixing, he says, feels like painting.

“Every instrument has its own place on the canvas,” he explained.

That philosophy is reflected in his diverse discography. In addition to his solo albums, he collaborated on atmospheric world-jazz recordings under the Ambient Monkeys project, three releases that unexpectedly reached number one on world jazz charts.

Despite those successes, he continues pushing himself creatively. His current projects include a new jazz trio album and a blues record that will feature his own vocals.

Looking Ahead

Jiosa remains active on the live circuit, including appearances at the Dallas International Guitar Festival and performances at Walker’s Jazz Lounge in Wichita. He will also reunite with Atherton for a performance at Fisk University’s jazz festival in Nashville.

After decades in music, his motivation remains the same as it was when he picked up that first guitar as a child.

“I feel fortunate,” Jiosa said. “Some people never find their passion. I knew mine from the beginning.”

And as his career continues to evolve through new recordings, performances, and even a planned book of stories from the road—Jiosa shows no signs of slowing down.

Visit Denny Jiosa @ Jiosa.com

View the full Paula Atherton Show interview here:

Visit Paula Atherton @ Paula Atherton – Saxophonist/Vocalist

Contact:
Communications Department
Keymark Television Network
communications@keymarktelevision.com
www.keymarktelevision.com