Justin Thompson combines cool jazz vocals with hot swing guitar and timeless song writing. His smoky voice has been compared to Harry Connick Jr. and Sting, while his guitar playing echoes the virtuoso passion of Django Reinhardt and the swinging l [+] Justin Thompson combines cool jazz vocals with hot swing guitar and timeless song writing. His smoky voice has been compared to Harry Connick Jr. and Sting, while his guitar playing echoes the virtuoso passion of Django Reinhardt and the swinging lyricism of Wes Montgomery. As a songwriter, he crafts beautiful ballads and clever up-tempo swing numbers that sound as if they were written fifty years earlier. But, Justin is more than just a traditionalist. His latest compositions point to a new direction for jazz in popular music. He also has a sense of humour which is evident by the only cover song on his c.d. -- the Britney Spears mega hit -- "Baby One More Time". However, because of the strong musicianship, the song actually works as a jazz tune rather than a novelty number. (Justin is quick to add that he is NOT the "Weird Al" of jazz.)
There is no doubt that the critics take Justin seriously. He won Nashville's "Starving Artist Award" for best male artist of 2002 and 2003, and Nashville's Rage Magazine named Tasty Puddin' as one of the top ten CDs of 2002. It also received a five star review from DiscoveringArtists.com.
Although Tasty Puddin' is his debut as a solo artist, Justin is well known in Nashville as one of the city's top guitarists; performing with John Hartford, Riders in the Sky, David Grier, Mandy Barnett, Greg Garing, Kathy Chiavola, The Nashville Mandolin Ensemble, Annie Sellick and the Gypsy Hombres. As an Hombre, he was voted "Best Jazz Musician of Nashville (2001)", performed nine concerts with The Nashville Chamber Orchestra and had two best selling CDs (Cafe Strut and Django Bells) at Tower Records. In 2002, Django Bells was picked up by Merless International Records and received critical acclaim from around the country including four stars from Down Beat magazine. It was also chosen as the season's top pick by The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and NPR's "All Songs Considered."
A graduate of the Berklee College of Music, Justin supplements the highly lucrative income of a jazz musician by writing instructional guitar books and teaching privately. He has written six transcription books for Mel Bay Publishing for legendary guitarists such as Doc Watson, Tony Rice and David Grier. He is also one of Nashville's
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