John Macey -

John Macey (November 18, 1949 — December 23, 2008) was an American jazz-rock guitarist who made the 1981 album Eclipse on 51 West Records. He formed his own label, G-String Records, for the 1984–92 albums Meltdown and Metalbopblues from Mars.

Background

John Macey taught guitar at P&T Music in West Orange, New Jersey. In 1977, he formed a jazz-rock quintet with keyboardist Lou Argese, bassist Rich Acciavatti, drummer Dave Bauer, and reedist Eddie Bishop.

Argese studied accordion with his uncle, club bandleader Gary Baccaro, and became a keyboardist. He played alongside his brother, jazz guitarist Lenny Argese, at the Tap Room in Clifton and later at Gulliver’s in West Paterson, where they teamed with guitarist Bob DeVos in the group Bioya.

The John Macey Band mixed originals with pieces by Jean-Luc Ponty, Chick Corea, and Larry Coryell. By November 1977, they secured a booking at Drew University Pub in Madison, billed as recent contract signees.

Macey retained Acciavatti, Bauer, and Argese for his debut album Eclipse, issued in 1981 on the CBS label 51 West Records & Tapes.

Discography:

Eclipse (1981)
Meltdown (1984)
More Notes for Your Money (EP, 1987)
Metalbopblues from Mars (1992)

References and notes

John Macey — Artist entry identifies John Stephen Macey, the November 18, 1949, birth date, and the New Jersey association. (Discogs)
The Drew Acorn — November 4, 1977 — Page 6 pub calendar lists the November 8 booking, quintet personnel, original material, and Ponty–Corea–Coryell repertoire. It reports a recent record contract but does not identify the label. (Drew University)
John Macey — Eclipse — Original sleeve and label photographs confirm the 1981 CBS/51 West edition and participation by Acciavatti, Bauer, and Argese. (Plaid Room Records)
John Macey — Eclipse: former-student comments — Adam Stern recalls guitar lessons at P&T Music in West Orange in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The background uses his firsthand account, not the album review. (The Metal Files)