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Paul Santa Maria

I have been performing / composing and singing as a professional musician since age 12…first gig was for the junior class at the State University of New York at Buffalo for the installation of the newly-elected class President. Since that time, I have performed in literally thousands of bands, shows, etc. I am a multi-EMMY award winner for my children's music composition used by WPBT Miami, fl. I have also been a professional graphic artist and fine artist and have shown in Melbourne as well as other parts of the country. As part of my musical performance in the Pop, Jazz, Funk, Top 40, Latin, Classic Rock, Show Bands, it has been my privilege to be a member of, or a featured musician to such world-famous acts as:

LARRY CORYELL SPIRAL STAIRCASE (“I Love You More Today than Yesterday”) The PLATTERS The DRIFTERS (“Up On the Roof”, “Under the Boardwalk”) The COASTERS (“Charlie Brown”) The MARVELLETTES (“Please Mr. Postman”) MARTHA and the VANDELLAS (“Dancin’ In the Streets”) BERTIE HIGGINS (“Key Largo”) TINY TIM (“Tiptoe thru the Tulips”) THE BOXTOPS (“The Letter”) BILLY J. KRAMER (“Little Children”)

I am presently a free-lance guitarist and bassist for many bands as well as Larry Coryell. I am a private and public tutor of music, guitar and bass, music composition. I have my websites devoted to my art as well as music. (www.artofpencil.com and www.paulsantamaria.com) www.Trickphoto.com is a picture restoration service as well for digital manipulation of any visual material. In addition, I teach music theory, guitar and bass guitar at Guitar Haven, Melbourne, Fl. My true forte is as a lead guitarist and fine artist. I played bass on the Larry Coryell work as there is no other need for a guitarist when Mr. Coryell is around! But I am known as a creative, jazz-fusion type of player and composer. I have 25 CD’s of original material spanning my commercial work to songs for women singers with whom I have collaborated called “Gurl Crazy”, to country songs for my group “Timbercats”. I write scary music under the “Sinister Scores” title and “Mad Scientist” names. “Intellipop” is what it sounds like, intelligent pop music composed over the years that nearly landed me deals with Arista, Columbia, and some are published with various houses. “Latin Musica” is all Latin stuff I produced while living in Miami for 15 years and “Film and TV Scores” covers my work for WPBT Ch.

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Album Review

Paul Santa Maria: Johnny Speaks

Read "Johnny Speaks" reviewed by Scott Andrews


Paul Santa Maria is a jazz guitarist, composer, and longtime bassist and studio engineer for Larry Coryell. In an ode to his 1961 Gibson Johnny Smith, Santa Maria plays eleven tracks of unaccompanied jazz guitar on his self-released 2002 CD Johnny Speaks.

The round tone of Santa Maria's vintage hollow-body guitar shimmers through these eleven tracks. The tunes are mostly short inventions and improvisations, running between one and two minutes each. Santa Maria makes full use of the ...

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Johnny Speaks Paul Santa Maria (2002)

By Scott Andrews

Paul Santa Maria is a jazz guitarist, composer, and longtime bassist and studio engineer for Larry Coryell. In an ode to his 1961 Gibson Johnny Smith, Santa Maria plays eleven tracks of unaccompanied jazz guitar on his self-released 2002 CD Johnny Speaks.

The round tone of Santa Maria's vintage hollow-body guitar shimmers through these eleven tracks. The tunes are mostly short inventions and improvisations, running between one and two minutes each. Santa Maria makes full use of the unaccompanied format by slowing or speeding up the tempo to emphasize the emotional content of the music, as solo classical music performers often do. Most of the tracks include rhythm guitar chording, subtly mixed beneath the melodies. The songs are mellow in the tradition of hollow-body jazz guitar masters like Joe Pass or Wes Montgomery, but Santa Maria's compositions retain a unique flavor.

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Primary Instrument

Guitar

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Rates: $17.00 per half hour in air conditioned studio. I have written my own copyrighted manual called "The Guitar Explained", if that tells you anything! Hours: Flexible from 11 am - 9 pm Mon- Thurs.

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