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......... JULIAN GARNER


....... Julian Garner [image: jonboyes.com].

GUITAR MAN

In 2008, Julian Garner's main focus is on guitar teaching and his own instrumental guitar compositions and performances. He is able to draw from many valuable and varied musical experiences, going right back to the age of four: he has sung or played the guitar, keyboards or violin in various bands, orchestras, duos and ensembles; he has performed regular headline solo gigs as a singer/songwriter; he recorded four albums of his songs between 1999 and 2006; and he was the singer, keyboard player and main songwriter with neo-progressive rockers Rook and other rock bands in the 1990s.

Although Julian has no plans to perform or record as singer/songwriter and acoustic guitarist in 2008, this creates room in his life to develop other musical interests. He has been increasingly in demand as a guitar tutor. Also, over the last decade, he has become passionate about writing and performing on a wonderful instrument that deserves to be more widely listened to, and is overdue a popular revival - the classical guitar. He aims to perform on classical guitar and teach guitar to the best of his ability, and in doing so encourage people to discover that playing and performing on guitar can be as rewarding as listening to someone else do it!


WAKING LIONS

Julian's 8 years as a singer-songwriter and guitarist began with the release of his first solo album, Wake The Lion, in 1999. He had previously been known as a keyboard player with London-based pop/rock and progressive rock bands Flight, Kick and Rook (a band named after an obscure XTC album track).

While keyboards continued to feature on his solo albums, years of formal classical guitar training then ensured that the guitar gradually became his new main instrument. Acoustic, electric and bass guitar parts blended with keyboards and vocals increasingly on the two albums which followed over the next 5 years, Doublethink and Your Good Self.

Julian with his Lowden acoustic.


HEARTBEAT, INCREASING HEARTBEAT . . .

Open Play, the current album of songs, confirms that Julian Garner's heart lies with the guitar, as it's an entirely acoustic set, recorded with various guitars including his favourite Lowden acoustic, a Taylor 12-string and a classical. This is the album that truly reflects his solo live work as a singer/songwriter. During the far from straightforward years of transformation from keyboard player to guitarist, gigs took second place to albums, but over 50 performances in the two years to February 2008 led to Julian becoming a familiar figure on the thriving Bournemouth acoustic music scene, making many friends. A typical set list would include, alongside plenty of his own material, songs made famous by Squeeze, King Crimson, Sting, Crowded House, Jellyfish, Pink Floyd, XTC and Sparks. Julian's song repertoire has included fine songs you would rarely hear performed as acoustic guitar/vocal arrangements, such as This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both of Us (Sparks), Money (Pink Floyd), Three of A Perfect Pair (King Crimson), Pulling Mussels (Squeeze) and Senses Working Overtime (XTC).


"MR GARNER SHOWS HIMSELF UP..."

As for the recorded work from Julian's singer/songwriter era, you don't have to look far for critical praise. The respected and articulate Dutch Progressive Rock Page wrote in 2005 that “Mr Garner is an exceptionally talented lyricist...", and that: “The playing, arrangements, and compositions on Your Good Self are mostly fantastic, with the title track and Cryptic Love standing out as hallmarks. Mr Garner has a fine sense of atmosphere...”. Classic Rock Society magazine have said: "He is a fine guitarist and all round musician...", referring to his "...strong, expressive voice...". The same publication, a great champion of new, progressive music, described 2004's Your Good Self as "...brilliant...one of the year's best releases".

Meanwhile, as the Progressive Rock & Progressive Metal Internet Zine of Brazil put it in 2005: "Mr. Garner also shows himself up in great style on the lead vocals", which may lose something in the translation but was part of an excellent review which suggests that English-style classic pop/rock with a hint of progressive rock has an appeal way beyond Julian's native Dorset, London, or even Europe. Another well-established review website, Silhobbit, pointed out that: "Garner's 'signature sound' [is] a subtle blend of the best parts of XTC and Sting with a forward velocity that is unique to Garner's talent as an arranger.” Another site dedicated to original and progressive music, the Hairless Heart Herald said that Your Good Self was: "...a pure delight to listen to! Full of little surprises at every turn... This is rich, beautifully layered but nothing is laboured or overblown. The result is absolutely gorgeous.”

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