Laurence Juber
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Laurence Juber |
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Laurence Juber is an English-born guitarist living in California. Born 12 November 1952 in Stepney, East London, he was raised and went to school in North London. Often considered most famous for playing lead guitar in Wings from 1979 to 1981, he has since had a distinguished career as a solo fingerstyle guitarist.
Biography
By his own account, Juber began playing guitar the week that "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles was released.[1] Beginning on a cheap acoustic guitar, he learned to read music early, figuring out the system of music notation for himself. He began to earn money playing the guitar at 13, and began to study classical guitar at the age of 15. Enraptured by the sounds on records of the mid- to late-60's, he set his sights on becoming a session guitarist in London's music studios. He earned his music degree at London University (Goldsmith College) where he expanded his horizons playing the lute. Upon graduation, he immediately began work as a session guitarist, working on his first project with producer George Martin on an album for Cleo Laine.
Juber gave up a lucrative and highly successful studio career when invited to join Paul McCartney and Wings. He played on recordings that were to become Back to the Egg, as well as the subsequent tour. From these sessions he garnered his first Grammy Award, winning Best Rock Instrumental for the track "Rockestra Theme" from Back to the Egg. He was miscredited as Lawrence Tuber on the album sleeve. From this period dates his first solo album Standard Time (only released on vinyl) on which ex-fellow Wings members Paul McCartney and Denny Laine also played along on the track Maisie[2].
When Wings disbanded, Juber moved to the United States of America. In New York City he met his future wife, Hope, and soon moved to her native California. He subsequently resumed work as a studio musician and played guitar for numerous television shows, including Happy Days and Family Ties, and for movies, perhaps most famously playing the James Bond theme for the movie The Spy Who Loved Me.
In 1990, he released his second solo album, Solo Flight. During the next decade he would begin to explore altered tunings. In 2000, Juber released the solo album LJ plays the Beatles and The Collection and in 2003 the album Guitarist was released to critical acclaim. Juber's credentials as a top-tier fingerstyle guitarist continue to grow. Having been voted "Guitarist of the Year" by readers of Fingerstyle Guitar magazine as well as one of the top acoustic players of all time by Acoustic Guitar magazine, Juber is an ambassador for his instrument as well as his own music. He has released fourteen critically acclaimed CD's to date, and has earned a second Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental for his solo guitar arrangement of "The Pink Panther Theme" on the CD Henry Mancini - Pink Guitar. Juber has also released a series of instructional CD's that teach basic music theory and arrangement techniques for guitarists.
In addition to his own recording and performances, Laurence Juber has produced and played on Al Stewart's albums Between the Wars (1995), Down in the Cellar (2000), A Beach Full of Shells (2005) and Sparks of Ancient Light (2008), and occasionally performs with Stewart.
Discography
- 1982: Standard Time
- 1990: Solo Flight
- 1993: Naked Guitar
- 1995: LJ (Remastered and reissued in 2002)
- 1997: Winter Guitar
- 1997: Groovemasters
- 1998: Mosaic
- 1999: Altered Reality
- 2000: LJ Plays the Beatles
- 2000: The Collection
- 2001: Different Times
- 2003: Guitarist
- 2004: Pink Guitar (2005 Grammy Award-winning compilation of Henry Mancini songs, compilation)
- 2005: One Wing
- 2006: I've Got the World On Six Strings
- 2007: PCH
- 2008: Pop Goes Guitar
- 2009: Wooden Horses