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Passionate,
driven, and intense are all words that have been used to describe
the music and personality of Jonathan Tristram. Who else would
plan a six month journey to hike the entire 2,100 mile stretch
of the Appalachian Mountains, in order to gain a true inward look
at one’s self? Who else would paddle the entire length of the
Grand Canyon for the sole purpose of becoming more in tune with
its dramatic geological landscape? It is precisely these types
of lifetime endeavors that have given Jonathan a rich palate from
which to create his musical compositions and songs.
Born and raised in the suburbs of New York City,
Jonathan began studying piano at the age of eight. At the age
of seventeen, he picked up a guitar that had been lying untouched
for years in the family attic. Preferring the more intimate relationship
with the strings, he found that the guitar quickly became his
most important musical passion. Now an accomplished fingerstyle
guitarist, Jonathan blends many styles of music into his songwriting
craft, ranging from old school fingerstyle, to blues, to rock,
to country, to urban contemporary folk.
His love of teaching (an elementary school science
teacher) and his constant desire to learn more about the science
of how things work, led him into the world of studio engineering
and producing. In the winter of 2000, Jonathan graduated with
top honors at the Manhattan Recording Workshop (JSM Studios 6th
Ave. NYC) studying with such notable engineers as Jeffrey Dovner
and Jimmy Douglas. The music contained on this website has all
been engineered and produced by Jonathan himself.
His first recording, The Guitar Speaks is a collection
of twelve guitar instrumentals. Several of these compositions
were profoundly influenced by some of Jonathan's travel experiences.
For example, "Theme for a Lazy Day" the opening track,
was written while sitting on a park bench on a quiet Sunday morning
in New Orleans. This track is followed by "Hadrian's Wall"
a piece of music that hearkens back to memories of a childhood
journey that explored the northern reaches of Great Britain.
Jonathan's musical journey then took a major turn
in the road as he began exploring the world of the Hammond organ
where he spent the next ten years with his soul jazz outfit, The
Hub Kings. Their one and only release, entitled "This Way!"
takes a dramatic departure from the world of acoustic finger style
guitar. Taking cues from the Hammond organ greats like Jimmy Smith,
Booker T., John Patton, Shirley Scott, and Lonnie Smith, "This
Way!" is a pure slice of soul jazz heaven.
In recent years, Jonathan's musical musings have taken him back
to the intimate relationship with the acoustic guitar, particulary
during his summer long-distance section hikings of the Pacific
Crest Trail when he carries a backpacking guitar with him. It
is these adventure-filled experiences that have inspired his latest
series of fingerstyle compositions. The Guitar Speaks Volume 2
is a collection of these works, as well as a selection of fingerstyle
arrangements of classical, country, and folk guitar masterpieces
that have all played a part in Jonathan's musical development.
The Guitar Speaks Volume 2 is slated to be released in the spring
of 2026 on both CD and Vinyl. Release details will be forthcoming
in the next few months.
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