well, over the years i have been fortunate enough to know some people sat with an astonishing level of talent and ability. every now and then, i even get to see one or two of them find or develop the will to go out there into the universe and show off this talent. i am truly delighted that, after a while (shall we say) of sitting on and stockpiling some material, my old school friend Jonathan, known in realm of music as Jonny Guitar, has taken to performing live and releasing some of his songs to the public.
i haven't actually seen Jonathan since our heady Nunthorpe days, but have been absolutely delighted to be back in contact with him via the grand social network. it has been great, over the last year or so, to see him present some of his music across the net, and indeed hold one or two concerts online via the magnificent Stage It web thing. in regards of that, these images are from his most recent concert, held on this last Sunday.
so what's his music like? to tell the truth, i am battling to get a comparison that both gives you a clue and does not offend him, really. you could always, if i have this link right, find out for yourself by clicking here and trying out this ep, which features one of his greatest songs, Bernie Slaven.
the "safest" comparison i can think of at this stage is the solo career of the legendary Lindsey Buckingham, if in style not so much as sound. for those who do not know what that means exactly, well, Mr Buckingham is usually associated with Fleetwood Mac and has created some incredibly commercially viable and hugely popular songs with a hint of personal things in them, but as a solo artist he delivers what one could call more introverted songs that still carry with them a sense of great, if secondary, commercial and popular success. this is in no way a bad thing, and is meant as the best compliment i can pay.
to expand on that, there is of course the music. his song Bernie Slaven will strike an immediate chord with all from Teesside of course, but yet there remains a universal sense to the lyrics. it is well worth your time trying out this song, and then if you are unaware of the tale going and finding out exactly why Bernie did what he did. in the window of Binns, no less.
beyond that, there's a wide range of songs, covering every emotion (good and bad) that you can think of or would expect. whereas there has yet to be a song he's exposed me to that i have not liked, there are one or two that stand out from the rest. these would include Jo Whiley, A Bad Feeling and indeed, on the darker side of the emotions, The Bed You Burned. his lyrics are always clever, never contrived, and his skills with the guitar certainly leave me in awe.
it really is little or no surprise that, after a bit of exposure for his music, a record label moved in and quickly got him signed up, really. Jonathan is a genuine creative talent, and is very much for those of you who tire of hearing manufactured pop from various "talent" TV shows and rather dull, computer sampled "dance" music.
for the low costs of buying his ep, or even just the time to listen to the streaming samples, any true music lover has absolutely nothing to lose and a considerable amount to reap and gain from giving him a try. i really hope you do!
be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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