Josep Traver
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Acoustic Bluegrass From Barcelona, Spain
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Pure acoustic guitar enjoyment is what you'll hear on Josep Traver's CD-R collection entitled Personal Project. Taking influences such as Clarence White, Doc Watson, Norman Blake and Tony Rice, this versatile professional guitarist from Spain offers beautiful, country/bluegrass style original tunes ("Turkey", "EMB", "Balada") interlaced with bluegrass standards such as "Whiskey Before Breakfast", "Nine Pound Hammer" and ""I'm A Pilgrim". Just to show he's no one-trick pony, Traver includes two tracks (one original) done in the style of Django Reinhardt - nice! He recorded the tracks using his Taylor 414 CE acoustic guitar using flat-pickin' and fingerpickin' techniques - there's even some Nashville tuning and a little slide. Hopefully Traver can land a recording contract, or place some of his original tunes in movie soundtracks, because he's got wonderful technique and a super attitude - great job!
Josep started playing the guitar at the age eight. Upon turning eighteen, he began studying harmony, arranging and guitar technique at the Escola de Musica de Badalona (EMB). By 1991, Josep was working as a professional guitar player while also teaching guitar at the EMB. Later, he studied classical guitar and obtained his masters degree from the Conservatori Professional de Badalona. During his musical career Josep has worked as an electric and acoustic guitarist in the styles of jazz, blues, country, bluegrass, funk, folk, Dixieland, gypsy swing, pop and rock. From 1999 to 2003, Josep's guitar work could be found and heard on fourteen CD recordings, and he has played concerts such as the Birmingham Jazz Festival, the EWOB Bluegrass Festival and France's Tolouse Country Festival.
At present Traver is involved with several different bands, including the Wild Turkey Band (bluegrass), Django's Castle (gypsy swing), James Lynch (rock 'n' roll) and Andana (folk).
Contact Information
Josep Traver
Marti i Julia, 45 Ent.
08911 Badalona
Barcelona
Spain
E-mail:
Josep Traver
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Mika Luoto
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Finnish Guitarist Releases Rock Demo
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Guitarist Mika Luoto, from Ouiainen, Finland, mentioned in the letter accompanying his eight-song demo that he used a drum machine on the tracks. Frankly, the drum machine rhythm sound will bring tears to your eyes - Luoto should definitely not be distributing his demo in this form because it makes it more difficult to evaluate the music when the production is quite basic, and the rhythm is being brought down by a budget beat box. Luoto can really wail on the guitar through, and he has a good rhythmic feel, but his compositions need to be structured better in order to make the listener sit up and take notice. There are some vocals here and there, which should also not be included on future demos, since Luoto is not a singer. Luoto should concentrate on his guitaristic strengths, and get outside production, engineering and rhythmic help to make his demos more impressive. These problems are fixable - don't give up!
Mika was born in 1973 and received his first guitar on Christmas of 1987, and ever since then he has been crazy about it. He counts among his influences players such as Steve Vai, Dream Theater, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and Brent Mason. Mika has played in many styles and plans to play in many more. He has logged time in bands such as Nightmare, Undead (speed/thrash instrumental metal), Nappulaliiga (rock/pop/jazz), Luoto & Knit (blues/rock), Epidemia 5 (punk), E5 (punk/metal), Coralia (Finnish dance music) and the Heavy/Rock/Blues Project (heavy/rock/blues, well, what did you expect?) Mika's hobbies include music, computer, and Sony Playstation, just to name few. At the moment he is not a member of a fully functional band, but he is very eager to get one.
Luoto hopes to go into the studio soon to record a full band demo.
Contact Information
Mika Luoto
Merijarventie 511
86300 Ouiainen
Finland
E-mail:
Mika Luoto
Web site:
www.kotinet.com/mika.luoto
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