MP3 Life Goes On - JAZZ: Jazz Vocals

Neil Lamb is a TRIO OF ONE: whether fingerpicking a traditional jazz tune or one of his pop, rock, or blues influenced originals , when he plays his seven string jazz guitar you hear pulsing bass , rhythmic comping and lyrical melodies and he sings.

11 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Jazz Vocals, JAZZ: Bossa Nova



Details:
Life Goes On

On his latest solo recording, Life Goes On , Neil Lamb juxtaposes some lovely arrangements of familiar jazz standards with his own blues, rock, and pop influenced jazz compositions. His tunes are honest, mature and anyone who has been in a relationship for more than five minutes will connect with them. The music of Life Goes On is jazz with a singer/songwriter vibe, and a pop sensibility. Neil Lamb wants to reach people. Although he often plays âleadâ, ârhythm â and âbassâ simultaneously , connecting with an audience through the shared enjoyment of sounds and emotions is more fun and ultimately more important than trying to be a clever guitar player. He is a romantic (in the classical sense) preferring music that is often pretty with clear singing melodies, and his lyrics distill a relationship down to its essence with a few carefully crafted phrases.


Background

Neil Lamb was born in Brunswick, Maine in 1950 and began piano lessons at the age of 10. After seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show, he switched to the guitar and has never looked back.
In 1973 Lamb earned a B.A. in music at the University of York, Heslington, England. At York he studied modern composition with Wilfrid Mellers and Pulitzer Prize winning composer Bernard Rands. While in England, he studied briefly with London jazz guitarist Derek Bailey, whose musical aesthetic has heavily influenced the New York free jazz scene. Bailey premiered Lamb's "Heartspace", an original work for solo guitar, at the University of York.

During the 1970's Lamb was fully immersed in the free jazz scene performing throughout England in a jazz trio with avant-garde pianist Steve Beresford and drummer Dave Herzfeld.

When he returned to the US, Lamb shifted focus and began studying the 20th century mainstream jazz masters . He concentrated on solo guitar, discovering seven string pioneer George Van Epps in the process, and developing his own guitar style from there. Lamb has a strong foundation in the American Jazz language and an ability to connect with jazz audiences across a broad continuum. He has combined his varied musical experiences, which include contemporary classical techniques, free-form improvisation, Americana, and traditional jazz with a dash of rock & roll and a pinch of country, to create a style that is very satisfying. It is rhythmic, melodic and with just a touch of quirkiness to continually surprise the listener with its inventiveness. Recently, he has started formal voice studies and now, when the setting is appropriate, adds vocals to his guitar programs.

In addition to performing, Lamb is a prolific composer and has released four albums of original compositions: New Tunes for Jazz Guitar (IM-2019), Reach for the Light, Sparkling Holiday, and Instant Movies. To facilitate his work as a composer, Lamb built a private recording studio and he currently divides his time between performing, composing, and working on recording projects for himself and other musicians. He also plays lead guitar in the alternative country group, The Clayhill Band, led by singer/songwriter Michael Mahan.