Peter Janson

"perhaps the leading acoustic fingerstyle guitarist today"
~ Randy Alberts, NAR
"sophisticated and clever enough to keep you on the edge of your seat"
~ TJ McGrath, Dirty Linen
"remarkable artistic vision... a consummate acoustic guitarist"
~ Bill Binkelman, Wind & Wire
INFO & BIO
Peter Janson offers original contemporary acoustic fingerstyle guitar concerts and workshops. Artistic, heartfelt and passionate, his music rises from a unique and compelling fusion of stylistic influences, but more importantly, as one reviewer says, “Although Peter Janson has been influenced by some of contemporary music’s greatest artists, his style remains his own.” At a Peter Janson concert you will hear exquisite world class solo guitar music ranging from country blues and folk, to Celtic, to contemporary, and even inspired moments of guitar tapping and scatting.
Hailed as “perhaps the leading contemporary acoustic fingerstyle guitarist today” by Randy Alberts of NAR magazine, Peter Janson has received numerous fantastic reviews. According to Wind & Wire magazine, “Peter Janson is one of the best acoustic guitarists recording today…a true artist’s soul.” His Beautiful Day recording was the 2006 NAR Lifestyle Music Awards winner for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. His newest CD, Winter Gifts, has received critical acclaim such as: “undeniably beautiful” (Carol Swanson, ChristmasMusic.com), “perfection...beautiful and highly creative” (Anne Williams, NAR magazine), “...filled with an artist’s brushstrokes” (Kirk Albrecht, Minor 7th.com), and RJ Lannan (NAR Reporter 2007 Holiday Reviews) says “the album is subtitled Seven Songs for the Season and I wish it were seventy. This is one you can play all year long.” His discography includes five domestic and two international albums, and he has been on four international compilation albums.
An experienced performer, Peter Janson has been a featured performer at such venerable venues as The Mozaic Room in Avon MA, Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland RI, The Attic in Santa Cruz CA, The Living Room in New York NY, and the Healdsburg Guitar Festival, Montreal Guitar Show, and the Newport Guitar Festival. And he’s shared the stage with a variety of acoustic artists including guitar luminaries Alex de Grassi, Ed Gerhard and Chris Proctor, singer-songwriters Brooks Williams, Greg Greenway, Raymond Gonzalez and Tim Harrison, Celtic artists Aine Minogue, Aoife Clancy, Robbie O’Connell, and more...
Introduced to guitar playing as a kid, his earliest musical influence was his father. “My dad played solo guitar that reflected his love of the music of Chet Atkins, Django Reinhardt, Les Paul and Andreas Segovia. From as early as I can remember I would just sit and listen to him for hours at a time.” As he enhanced his musical sensibility through exposure to many styles and techniques Janson further honed his skills through formal training; eventually studying early guitar techniques with David Leisner at the New England Conservatory of Music where he was awarded a Master’s of Music.
Guitar workshops, master classes, or clinics can be a wonderful added feature to a Peter Janson concert. He has been teaching for nearly 20 years and currently teaches and directs guitar studies at The University of Massachusetts Boston. In addition, Peter is a key endorser for G7th Capos and Tippin Guitars, and is often requested to demonstrate these fine instruments at national and international guitar festivals. Recently he has been asked to perform on guitars built by Michael Bashkin, Mario Beauregard, David Berkowitz, Bob Laughlin, and Ervin Somogyi. He has conducted workshops all over the country at stores, universities, festivals, and concert venues. Peter loves to share the secrets of playing, writing, and arranging for the acoustic guitar with guitarists of all levels - helping each along their own path to better guitar playing.
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As an independent artist, Peter owns and operates his own record label, EWM Records, which has helped Peter's music garner some impressive statistics, including:
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album (NAR 2006); Eight months of NAR Top 25 Radio Charts; Two unsolicited First-Round Grammy Nominations (2004); Over 50,000 BMI verified radio plays across the US and more (unspecified) in Canada and Europe; Favorable music and CD reviews in over thirty-five national and regional publications including Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Dirty Linen, and Boston Globe; Regular rotation on the nationally syndicated "Echoes" radio in US, and "Galaxie" radio in Canada; Numerous live on-air performances and interviews including the syndicated Echoes Living Room Concerts, PRI and NPR stations, KLCC-FM Eugene OR, KZYX-FM Willits CA, WUMB-FM Boston MA, KRFC-FM Fort Collins CO, WICN-FM Worcester MA, WFIT-FM Melbourne FL, WSAR-AM Fall River MA, as well as numerous cable TV programs; and much more...
CONCERTS
Performances at concert venues throughout the US and Canada including:
A Cuppa Tea Cafe, Berkeley CA
Acoustic Cafe, Nederland CO
Bayside Expo Center, Boston MA
Blackstone River Theatre, Cumberland RI
Blackthorne Tavern, Easton MA
Cozmic Room, Eugene OR
First Universalist, Salem MA
Orange County Convention Ctr, Orlando FL
INATS West Trade Show, Denver CO
Living Room, New York NY
Maha Center Concert Series, Bridgewater MA
Mozaic Room Coffeehouse, Avon MA
Old Methodist Meetinghouse, Wareham MA
Orpheum Theatre, Foxboro MA
Rose Garden Coffeehouse, Mansfield MA
The Attic, Santa Cruz CA
University of Massachusetts, Boston MA
and many more
FESTIVALS
Healdsburg Guitar Festival
Montreal Guitar Show
Newport Guitar Festival
Sirius Rising - Brushwood Folklore Festival
Mansfield MA Music & Arts Festival
Easton MA Annual Harvest Fair
SHARED STAGES WITH
Alex de Grassi
Ed Gerhard
Chris Proctor
Raymond Gonzalez
Ken Bonfield
Tim Harrison
Aine Minogue
Brooks Williams
and many others
AWARDS
2006 NAR Lifestyle Music Awards, WINNER, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
2006 NAR Reviewer Picks: Best of 2006
2004 Grammy Awards, 1st round, Best New Age Album of the Year Nominee - Firelight Moonlight
2004 Grammy Awards, 1st round, Best Engineered Album (non-classical) Nominee - Firelight Moonlight
2004 KTEP-FM, El Paso TX - Top 20 for the Year - Firelight Moonlight
2003 KTEP-FM, El Paso TX - Essential Audiosyncracy Collection - Across the Bridge
2002 NAV Music Awards, Best New Age Album of the Year Nominee - Sometimes From Here
2001 KTEP-FM, El Paso TX - Top 20 of the Year - Sometimes From Here
2001 KRSC-FM, Tulsa OK - top 20 for the Year - Sometimes From Here
2000 NAV Music Awards, Best Acoustic Instrumental Album of the Year Nominee - Across the Bridge
2000 KGOU-FM, KROU-FM Norman OK, Best of 2000 - Across the Bridge
FACTOIDS
*"Beautiful Day" is currently in rotation on the nationally syndicated "Echoes" radio in US, and "Galaxie" radio in Canada
*favorably reviewed on over thirty publications including Acoustic Guitar and Dirty Linen magazines
*feature articles in The Boston Globe - South Weekly, as well as regional magazines and local newspapers coast to coast
*featured in Toronto weekly television magazine show "York Region Living" - concert hailed as "Tonight's Hot Spot!"
*live performances and interviews including NPR stations KLCC-FM Eugene OR, KZYX-FM Willits CA, and folk giant WUMB-FM Boston MA
*verified for airplay by BMI over 50,000 times in US and more in Canada and Europe as of last accounting
*aired on over 250 stations across the US, Canada and Europe
*radio rankings on individual monthly charts included 15 stations at 1; 147 in the Top 10: 267 in the Top 20
*Beautiful Day was ranked 3 on National Top 100 Radio charts in September, 4 in Oct, 13 in Nov, 24 in Dec '06, 25 in Jan '07, 28 in Feb '07 as reported to Lazz Promotions (Toronto)
*Sometimes From Here was ranked 2 on National Top 100 Radio charts in June, July and August 2001 as reported to Lazz Promotions (Toronto)
Instrumentation
Peter Janson - solo fingerstyle guitar concerts and workshops
also, recent performances with:
* Peter Janson & Friends Band: Steve Hunt - piano, keys; Bertram Lehmann - african and eastern percussion; and Chris Lopes - acoustic bass, fretless electric bass
* Duo performances with bassist Henrik Bridger
* "Artistry of the Guitar" performances and workshops with Ken Bonfield and special guest performers
(call EWM Records at 508-238-3270 if you're interested in booking Peter Janson, the Peter Janson & Friends band, or to set up an "Artistry of the Guitar" event)
Discography
2007 - Peter Janson - Winter Gifts
2006 - Peter Janson & Friends - Beautiful Day
2005 - Peter Janson - A Clear Stillness export licensed to THETA Music, Sweden
2005 - Peter Janson - Firelight Moonlight export licensed to Orange Music, Singapore
2004 - Peter Janson - Firelight Moonlight
2004 - wrote and performed on "Waiting For Winter" on Jamie Bonk's NAR Lifestyle Award winning album "My World"
2004 - Various - En Stamningsfull Stund - from THETA Music, Sweden
2004 - Various - Amingsro - from THETA Music, Sweden
2003 - Various - Sounds of New England Vol 1
2001 - Peter Janson - Sometimes From Here
1999 - Peter Janson - Across the Bridge
All Peter's albums have received national and international airplay and have national and international distribution
TO BOOK A PETER JANSON CONCERT:
*Simply send an email and submit a proposal, or,
*call EWM Records at 508-238-3270, or,
*call Jeffrey Gosian at 774-210-0255
If you like Peter Janson's music, you'll love his live performance because it's bigger than his recordings!
Thanks!
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