Thursday, February 18, 2010

Ramzi Khoury releases album

www.ramziguitar.com

There are a lot of people who should be grateful for Ramzi’s high school crush. Because without that half-remembered girl from all those summers back, Ramzi might never have picked up a guitar and the world might never have heard a debut album as compelling and accomplished as Color.

From serenading would-be sweethearts to playing trumpet and guitar in rock bands, jazz bands and orchestras, to writing his own album, Ramzi’s musical journey has been long and eventful.

A California native living in New York, it is perhaps apt that his music encompasses every aspect of the great American folk tradition – it is universal yet personal, hopeful yet real, uplifting while at times melancholy. Inspired by modern greats such as Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson as much as the songwriters of the past like James Taylor and Paul Simon, Ramzi’s songs are still very much his own, with his words and music coming from his heart.

Like all great songwriters, Ramzi is a story-teller first and foremost. And more importantly, his stories strike a chord in each of us, telling our story as much as his, immediately feeling warm and familiar.

Even while he worked as, of all things, a computer engineer, Ramzi’s passion for music never faded. He has seen the world both as an artist and a run-of-the-mill nine-to-fiver. Perhaps that’s why his songs seem so earthy, so real and so human.

From the haunting opening of ‘When I Go’ to the impossibly catchy ‘Blows Like The Wind’, this album runs the full range of musical emotion. But throughout it all, Ramzi remains a man with a guitar, clearly doing what he loves.

His singing, guitar picking and ability to conjure melodies that are genuinely infectious seem effortless, while his lyrics are poignant and personal. The listener experiences the rare joy of hearing someone perform in his rawest, almost naked state.

That’s why Ramzi’s music touches the soul. That is why the man will be a star. And that is why Color is an album for anyone who loves their music straight-up and real.

Color is out now on CDBaby and iTunes. A follow-up EP – Champagne and Cigarettes – is due in mid 2010. Don’t miss out!

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