Home » Jazz Musicians » Lawrence Blatt

Lawrence Blatt

San Francisco's Lawrence Blatt delivers piercing, original compositions played on acoustic finger-style guitar. His unique sound stems in part from his fusion of classical and modern performance techniques. Blatt shares a little about his mode of playing to create his distinctive sound. "As a solo instrumentalist, I have to let my guitar be my voice. I try to create moods and express feelings by using alternate tunings, by careful attention to musical dynamics and intonation and by layering percussive sounds behind the main voice of the guitar. Sometime playing a phase softer or louder can have a significant impact on what is communicated. In some cases, being a solo instrumentalist is difficult since I cannot use lyrics to directly express my thoughts and feelings. In another sense, this is highly cathartic as my music can communicate in any language and I can create new patterns of communication through sounds and rhythms."

Blatt performs in a variety of styles, "My music ranges from soft contemporary compositions to mysterious pieces that could be set in the 18th century." Blatt's music unfolds in a variety of genres, including acoustic, adult contemporary, jazz flavors and occasionally fringes on alternative sounds. But ultimately, he just plays.

When speaking about his latest release "Emergence," Blatt explains, " I became intrigued by the biological applications of emergence several years ago and I have now utilized the underling tenants of this theory to produce my new musical project. For each composition, I wrote the basic guitar part by strictly adhering to musical rules of chord progression and scale theory. For the solo instrumentalist's that played on the album, no written music was given to individual performers. Instead, I instructed them on the “allowable” movement based on guidance from musical theory and practice. What emerged from this exercise was far greater than I could have ever imagined…"

Any discussion of Blatt's music must include mention of his instruments. When recording, Blatt can be heard playing two “very special guitars.” One is a custom steel-string guitar crafted by Edward Dick. “This guitar has a spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides. It's slightly bell-shaped body produces a warm deep sound. I waited almost eighteen months for this guitar to be completed and I worked very closely with Edward during the construction to build the guitar to my exact specifications.” The other guitar is a small-bodied 12-fret parlor guitar made by Kathy Wingert. It was built with a German spruce top and Brazilian rosewood back and sides. “This tiny guitar packs a powerful punch and was the inspiration for the title track for my first solo CD “Out of the Woodwork.”

Read more

Tags

244
Album Review

Lawrence Blatt: The Color of Sunshine

Read "The Color of Sunshine" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose


The magical ability of music, not just to entertain the senses but to touch the auditory nerves and to trigger a flood of emotions, has never been in doubt. Some music can lay claim to unlocking the mysterious ingredients that strike such subliminal chords. To do it with unabashed grace is also rare. Somehow Lawrence Blatt found this and brings it to the fore on The Color of Sunshine. Of course, it helps that Blatt is a ...

Read more articles
"Lawrence Blatt is a fingerpicker much interested in the more progressive aspects of the instrument within a purely instrumental milieu. He possesses a polished style glowing with light and introspective intelligence but also casting defining shadows.." .. form Mark Tucker's review of "Out of the Woodwork" published in the Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange.

Music

Videos

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.