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 new age, adult contemporary, soundtrack flavors and occasionally fringes on alternative sounds. But ultimately, he just plays. When speaking about his latest release "Fibonacci's Dream" Blatt explains "I did not set out to make an album in any particular genre. My music creates a personal oasis and space of solitude in a busy life." Blatt's music has strong roots in classical theory, the product of an artist who spent years studying classical music as a violinist. He weaves in modern flavors and the tapestry that emerges is an intricate interaction of melody.
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.”
This solo artist has been playing acoustic guitar for over 30 years. He is currently performing his original compositions for finger-style-guitar in the San Francisco Bay area. His music has been called heartwarming, soothing, and relaxing. His music consists of layers of guitar work decorated with luscious melodies and percussive moods. He often plays in open tunings with a single guitar used to create the rhythm, bass and lead melody all at once. His latest project "Fibonacci's Dream" is a compilation of thirteen original pieces and is available at CD Baby, Amazon.com, iTunes, Tradebit, Musicishere and other fine retailers.
"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.."
.. from Mark Tucker's review of "Out of the Woodwork" published in the Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange.
The complete review can be found at :
http://www.acousticmusic.com/fame/p04141.htm
"Lawrence Blatt’s "Out of the Woodwork" has been a real treat! Some of the thirteen original pieces are solo guitar and some are layered with electric bass and various percussion instruments, all played by Blatt. The meticulous liner notes give insight into the inspiration for the individual pieces, and also name the specific guitars being played and how they are tuned. The music indicates a variety of influences from folk to classical to jazz guitar, and most of the songs are relaxing yet upbeat and optimistic. Both traditional and highly innovative, this is a great album on several levels."
.. from Kathy Parsons review of "Out of the Woodwork" published in Solo Piano Publications.
The complete review can be found at:
http://www.solopianopublications.com/reviews/blatt.htm
Lawrence Blatt albums are available at CD Baby , Amazon.com , iTunes , MusicGremlin , eMusic , Napster , Rhapsody and other fine retailers.
Download/Purchase CD from iTunes
Here is a beautiful video made by Andre Castel that utilized my song "I'm leaving Now". Check it out!