Half & Half by John Taglieri

Picking up a guitar at age five was the first step for John Taglieri, and he hasn't looked back since. He has been playing and recording music professionally since the age of 15. He has released independent albums with past groups, toured on local, regional, and national levels, and received airplay from many local radio stations. Music is a way of life to him. With a degree in Audio Engineering from The Center for the Media Arts in New York City, and many recordings under his belt, he is well aware and very capable of what it takes to perform in the studio. With well over 1500 performing dates, he knows what it takes to put on a show. He has shared bills with some of the most famous players out there and has played some of the best venues in the country. He has been a lead guitar player, lead vocalist / frontman, drummer, percussionist, bassist and keyboard player. His vocal talent has been used in every project he has ever been involved in, be it as a lead or background vocalist. His ability to play many instruments has insured that he has kept busy at all times. He has also been involved in many recordings in his home area, working occasionally as a studio musician.

Since the release of Leap Of Faith, critics have fallen for this artist with numerous positive reviews. On the strength of an ever-growing press kit, and with his name becoming a regular among the press, John was asked to do numerous feature interviews. He was also featured on the cover of several magazines and television shows. This led to solid sales of over 5,500 units as an independent artist. Sales climbed and momentum grew due to a constant tour schedule, taking John all around the country during a two-year period. Boosting CD sales, and gaining many fans and notoriety during the tour, John attracted the attention of A2 Records and Ovation Guitars. Not long after the tour, John was signed to a one record worldwide licensing deal with A2 Records and an endorsement deal with Ovation Guitars. He has also signed an endorsement deal with ING Strings.

Following the success of Leap Of Faith, John Taglieri is back with an album of wide-open acoustic songs. With half of the record being live and the other half being new studio cuts, this CD is a tour de force showing the growth of this dynamic artist. The live cuts show off the raw power of Taglieri's solo performances, full of energy and emotion. The studio cuts are a mix of older and newer songs from Taglieri's arsenal of hooky, rootsy pop songs. Showing his diversity, with a solid balance of ballads and uptempo songs, the growth and direction of Taglieri's writing is evident from the first spin of the disc.

Most of the live cuts were recorded at the infamous Bottom Line in NYC, where Taglieri was invited to open for legendary guitarist/singer Rik Emmett, and the rest from a live radio show performance. With an ever-increasing fan base, and demand for his concerts growing, Taglieri increased his touring schedule, performing all around the US in 2002 & 2003 to increasingly larger crowds. With a solid foundation and fantastic new material, it seems that the consistent upwards climb is going to continue. Sharing the stage regularly with acts such as Hootie & The Blowfish, Edwin McCain, Sister Hazel, Butch Walker, and many other top name acts, he is becoming an in demand performer.

What does the future hold for John Taglieri?? Only time will tell, but so far, thing are going in one direction...upwards!

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