The Rediscovered: Josep Traver

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 Traver was originally profiled in the February-March, 2004 edition of The Undiscovered.

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).

Josep Traver
Spain