Today’s artist feature comes courtesy of Acoustic Tuesday fan Ray R. from Mililani, Hawaii. Ray says, “(He is an) amazing guitarist and song writer.” I agree with Ray here in fact I think you will too. You may have even heard this individual before, but not in this particular context…
His playing is subtle and eloquently sets the stage for his singing. The songs he writes pull you in and grab hold of your collar; whether they are about a lost love or something completely different he has a way of painting a beautiful picture with a palette only containing his 1950’s 000-18 and his incredibly dynamic voice.
John Paul White is the songwriter who gets the spotlight today. You may have not heard of him before, but it is quite possible you have heard him perform because John was part of the powerhouse duo the Civil Wars where harmonies were as regular as the sun rising in the East.
You might think how on earth could John’s solo stuff be nearly as good as what the Civil Wars were putting out, and you would be right to think this because John’s solo albums are not the Civil Wars. His albums are 100% John Paul White from the writing to the playing and in my opinion that is absolutely outstanding.
John’s song writing suits songs of longing, loss, and love as much as it suits swampy, gritty, and dirty tunes. His newest album, Beulah, delivers both of those types of songs quite effectively. The manner in which he writes, plays, and arranges his songs is masterful; both of his solo albums take you on a wonderful musical journey from the every first track to the last.
John has two solo albums to date; Beulah (his newest album) and the Long Goodbye (his first solo effort). Though his solo albums are full of gems, John certainly has a knack for duo performances as his history would indicate so I would also recommend listening to the album “Plays Well With Others” by Lera Lynn where John Paul White makes an appearance on the tune “Lose Myself”
John is an acoustic guitar playing, soulful singing, song writing wonder who is well worth spending some time listening to. After digging into his solo work I think you will be floored at how multifaceted he really is.
John Paul White Links
