Music is a form of expression, and Chad Coe has always felt that he expresses himself best through music. For Chad, there was never anything he was more passionate about than the guitar. Born and raised in Mississippi, he absorbed and was fascinated by the rich musical heritage of the delta blues. He picked up the guitar at age 11 and has never put it down.
Chad gained facility and performance experience touring with various bands throughout the southeast while pursuing an Associate degree. He then began studying Jazz guitar, constantly pushing himself to grow and improve as a musician. Always giving 100%, Chad threw himself into Jazz and never looked back. He earned a BM from the University of North Florida and moved to NYC to study at the Manhattan School of Music. After graduating with his Master’s degree in Jazz Guitar Performance, Chad joined the faculty at the prestigious Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn, teaching guitar and Jazz techniques, and arranging for and leading student Jazz ensembles.
Between 2005 and 2015, Chad struggled with a severe wrist injury that required three surgeries and extensive rehabilitation. During this time, even as he was faced with an uncertain future as a musician, Chad immersed himself in the music of his idols, both recorded and live, and recorded and released an album of duo guitar with jazz guitar virtuoso Peter Leitch. Today, audiences can view Sympatico (2011) as a time capsule of Chad's musical ideas and development during that period, and as a testament to his friendship with Leitch, with whom he had studied privately.
Chad has dedicated himself to regaining the strength, dexterity, and facility he had lost, and his playing reflects the maturity acquired through listening, practice and performance. Today, he is excited to be a member of the Peter Leitch New Life Orchestra and is featured on their album on acoustic guitar, New Life (2020). Chad is grateful for every day and is focused on expressing his love of jazz through the guitar.