Introduction
Multi Emmy Award winning Brian Tarquin is an established top rate composer/guitarist. He has won 3 Emmy's for “Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series” and has been nominated for an Emmy 6 times. In 2019 Tarquin received a Global Music Gold Award for his release Orlando In Heaven for “Best Album.” Three years in a row (2016-2019) Tarquin received “Best Album Of The Year” nominations from the Independent Music Awards for his releases Guitars For Wounded Warriors, Orlando in Heaven and Guitars for Veterans. On which, Tarquin shows his guitar prowess along side such world-class shredders as: Steve Morse, Larry Coryell, Mike Stern, Billy Sheehan, Gary Hoey, Bumblefoot (Guns N’ Roses), Reb Beach (Whitesnake), Hal Lindes (Dire Straits), Chris Poland (Megadeth) and Chuck Loeb (FourPlay). In 2006 SESAC honored him with the Network Television Performance Award. Tarquin has graced the Top Billboard Charts with such commercial releases as: This is Acid Jazz, Vol. 2, Sweet Emotions, and Bossa Brava: Caliente on Instinct Records, followed by several solo jazz albums, which charted Top 10 at Smooth Jazz Radio R&R and Gavin charts. Brian has appeared on 38 releases, selling over 140,000 records in his career.
In 2017 Tarquin composed, produced and performed on two top 20 charting radio albums for Cleopatra Records Orlando In Heaven, which was #6 on the Relix Jam Band Charts and Band Of Brothers, which was #21 on the Metal Contraband Charts. Orlando In Heaven was a special project featuring an incredible cast of musical virtuosos playing their hearts out for the Pulse victims in Orlando. The album showcases Tarquin's guitar prowess on every song along side such world-class players as guitar icon Larry Coryell, Grammy jazz guitarist Mike Stern, fretless bass extraordinaire Tony Franklin (Jimmy Page), Chris Poland (Megadeth), Hal Lindes (Dire Straits), Will Ray (The Hellecasters), jazz keyboardist Bobby Baldwin, Denny Jiosa and vocalist Phil Naro (Talas, Julian Lennon). Band of Brothers, features singer Phil Naro with guest appearances by Jeff Scott Soto (Journey, Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Steve Morse (Deep Purple), Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal (ex-Guns N' Roses), Trey Gunn (King Crimson), Jeff Watson (Night Ranger), Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake) and Gary Hoey.
In 2006, Tarquin opened his own boutique record label called BHP MUSIC/GUITAR TRAX, specializing in instrumental guitar music. The label releases the Guitar Master Series featuring legends: Jeff Beck, BB King, Santana, Jimmy Page, Joe Satriani, Zakk Wylde, Steve Morse, Billy Sheehan to name a few. The releases were composed, compiled and produced by Tarquin, receiving rave reviews from Guitar Player, Guitar World and Vintage Guitar Magazines. He produced and engineered virtuoso bassist Randy Coven’s last record, Nu Groove featuring Leslie West in 2010. Tarquin also owns Jungle Room Studios where he records many of the releases for his record label. Jungle Room is an extensive analog/digital studio located in the beautiful New York Catskill mountains featuring a classic 1980’s British Trident 24 recording console, an Otari MTR 90 2” Analog Tape Machine, a vintage Ampex 440c 1/4” 2 track analog tape machine, Pro Tools, Logic Pro X, Final Cut Pro, a plethora of plug-ins and a collection of classic outboard gear as, the Neve Compressor 33609, Rupert Neve Designs Portico II Master Buss Processor, Neve 1074, Chandler ltd Germanium Compressor and a host of other gear including an array of microphones, guitars & amplifiers. Jungle Room Studios has been featured in Mix, Guitar Player, Vintage Guitar, Progression and Recording magazines.
Some of his other accomplishments include, custom-composing music for Ellen, CSI, 24, 20/20, Pawn Stars, Cajun Pawn, Extra, TMZ, ABC’s All My Children, Alias, MTV (Road Rules Themes) and films, The Watcher and Chill Factor, (see full credits below). For over 25 years, he has composed/produced 30 CDs for such music production companies as First Com, Sonoton, Megatrax, One Music and Zomba Music. And if that’s not enough, Brian also has a radio show called Guitar Trax on WFIT 89.5FM on the Florida Space Coast, which can be streamed on www.wfit.org. He hosts in depth interviews with world-renowned guitarists every Monday night from 10pm-Midnight.
Tarquin is also an award-winning Author of the following published books.
• Survival Guide For Music Composers (2017-Hal Leonard)
• Guitar Amplifier Encyclopedia (2016-Allworth Press)
• Stomp On This: The Guitar Pedal Effects Guidebook (Cengage Publishing) - 2015 USA Best Book Winner Award in Performing Arts
• Insiders Guide to Home Recording (Allworth Press) - 2015 USA Best Book Winner Award in Performing Arts
• Guitar Encyclopedia (Allworth Press) - 2014 USA Best Book Winner Award in Performing Arts
• Insiders Guide To Music Licensing (Allworth Press) - 2014 USA Best Book Finalist Award in Business
• Recording Techniques of the Guitar Masters (2012-Cengage Publishing) featuring interviews with Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Zakk Wylde, Ted Nugent, Billy Sheehan, Larry Carlton, Stanley Clarke, Steve Morse and Jeff Beck—a total of 30 outstanding players in all.
Media Quotes:
“Tarquin crafted cinematic soundscapes that opened things up for the guitars to be much more than just solo instruments.” Guitar
Player Magazine
"...while Brian can play with speed of Steve Vai, he can play with the kind of grace and melody someone like Jeff Beck is known for."
Tape Op Magazine
"He's a very good guitarist-The Godfather of Fusion gives him an A+!" Larry Coryell
"A supreme maestro of the Gold Top and Marshall Stack, Brian Tarquin is one of the most ridiculously gifted and flawlessly talented
guitarists on the scene today. Hal Lindes (Dire Straits)
“The world’s greatest shredders doing what they do best—melting faces and taking numbers! Top notch.”
Guitar World Magazine
Discography
