Born: June 13, 1953 Primary Instrument: Guitar
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. 2 in Miami as well as corporate work for RC Cola, Times/Mirror publications, Discover channel, HGTV channel and the award-winning short film scores I did for Ft.Lauderdale and Miami film festivals, some of which also played the Melbourne and Sundance festivals. Add to this that for 9 years I have been a Professional Composer of Music for WPBT Ch.2 Miami, which is the 3rd largest PBS station in America. My job is composing musical styles ranging from KIDVISION (a program born at WPBT which has now licensed to many other PBS stations throughout the U.S., and has won numerous awards for the in-house produced spots, which 85% of utilize my original music as opposed to “needle-drop” or “canned” music) to Show intros, Radio spots, Weather reports, etc. The same studio that is in my home to compose, produce, arrange and record the finished music that I turn over to WPBT, (without the services of any other musicians, players, composers or other technical personnel) which is then broadcast from Key West to Vero Beach and the west coast of the South Florida peninsula is what I utilize to create the tracks I recorded for the Coryell / Hendrix material. Since my music is “broadcast quality” for WPBT, it is sonically perfect for all uses.
Awards:
EMMY (multi, for children's music)
Last Updated: December 8, 2008
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.
His playing is skillful and evocative, without ever being flashy or tawdry, like so many current fusion guitarists. The tone is simple and classic. Johnny Speaks was recorded in November 1984 and mastered to CD from analog cassette, according to the liner notes, but the slight tape hiss never detracts from the tonal range of Santa Maria's guitar.
Most of the tracks on Johnny Speaks are now available on Santa Maria's 32-track CD Invention, including several new collaborations with Larry Coryell. Fans of traditional jazz guitar should definitely check out Paul Santa Maria.
Visit Paul Santa Maria on the web.
Track listing: 1. Steam Bath; 2. Espana; 3. Autumn Dance; 4. Brewings; 5. Raintime; 6. Observations; 7. Observations 2; 8. Striptease; 9. Past Love; 10. Liberation Day; 11. The Last Word.
Personnel: Paul Santa Maria -- guitar.
Style: Mainstream/Bop/Hard Bop/Cool
Published: November 25, 2004
As Leader
Invention
Handbird
2004
32 Tracks
Personnel: Paul Santa Maria: Guitar. Larry Coryell: Guitar. Michael Bianco: Guitar.
As A Side Musician
Voodoo Crossing, Gypsey Blood
Larry Coryell
Comet Records
2002
Purple Haze, House Burning Down
Personnel: Larry Coryell: Guitar. Paul Santa Maria : Bass Guitar
Disclaimer: All About Jazz is not responsible for the accuracy of the discographical data at the website(s) provided. If a link is no longer valid, please contact discography@allaboutjazz.com. Thank you.
Primary Instrument:
Guitar
Location:
Melbourne, FL
Willing to teach:
Advanced students 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.
Too much...mostly Gibson, Korg.
