Based in Los Angeles, New West, featuring Perry Smith, John Storie, and Brady Cohan, has gained recognition as one of today's premier guitar ensembles. Their original music combines the foundation of jazz with elements of blues, rock, and folk.

Originally a quartet, New West established themselves as a notable jazz group when they were all students at the University of Southern California. As music majors, New West collaborated with USC to become the first group to receive the coveted Thornton Protege Grant. It was during this time that the Los Angeles Sister Cities Committee established the group as the city's musical ambassador. This honor gave them the chance to perform at the 2005 World Exposition in Nagoya, Japan and the 2007 German-American Volksfest in Berlin, Germany. The group has continued to perform in major venues throughout Canada, Japan, Europe, and the United States.

With the release of their new studio album, "Sleeping Lady," New West transitions from a quartet to a trio. This album showcases a different side of New West in that it features all acoustic steel-string guitars built by master luthier Jeff Traugott. "Sleeping Lady" also features renowned vocalist Gretchen Parlato. By continuing to write and arrange nearly all original music, New West creates a new medium of chamber music. While the members are still only in their early twenties, they look forward to a bright future.