San Francisco, California based solo instrumentalist, Lawrence Blatt is among a diverse group of independent musicians named as finalists in the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards. Guitarist and Composer Lawrence Blatt has been performing his finger-style-guitar compositions for over 30 years. His release: Out Of the Woodwork is the culmination of that history in layers and organic part writing. With thirteen soothing guitar melodies, many of which are played in open tunings, the collection can be called 'acoustic solitude. After spending years studying classical music as a violinist, Blatt's melodic yet intricate interaction of moods that lay beneath his alternate tunings are balanced by careful dynamics and intonation. Out Of the Woodwork was named as one of five finalists for IMA album of the year in the New Age category.

IMA Finalists will now advance to the final round of judging by a distinguished group of influential artists and industry insiders. The Judges who will determine this year’s IMA Winners include Suzanne Vega; Snoop Dogg, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers; Les Claypool of Primus; Ray Davies of The Kinks; Susan Tedeschi, Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance; blues legend Charlie Musselwhite; Judy Collins; Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis, MTV Music Supervisor, Carrie Hughes, Kevin Lyman of Vans Warped Tour and many others. IMA Winners and Finalists winners will appear in the 10th Anniversary edition of The Musician’s Atlas 2008, on sale December 18, 2007. Regarded as the industry’s most comprehensive contact directory, The Atlas is used by independent musicians and entrepreneurs to market and sell music more successfully. Developed and coordinated by Music Resource Group, publisher of The Musician’s.

Atlas, the Independent Music Award program delivers a variety of premiums to Winners including: Year-long marketing campaigns, partnerships and distribution alliances, that will place the Winners in front of millions of music fans and industry decision makers around the world. The IMA Winners CD compilation will be distributed to 10,000 music fans and industry at events such as SXSW, Ozzfest, The Warped Tour throughout the year and promoted to more 650 US & Canadian college & public radio stations. eMusic will promote IMA Winners to millions of their subscribers throughout 2008. Borders Books & Music will promote IMA Winners more than 11 Million of their customers. Exposure to nearly 10 million viewers of ManiaTV.com and Havoc TV. Music fans will be casting their votes for their favorite IMA Finalists at www.IndependentMusicAwards.com at the IMA Vox Populi Jukebox.

For more information on the Musician’s Atlas and the Independent Music Awards contact Joelle Caputa ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) at 973-509-9898.
 

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 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.