Passionate, driven, and intense are all words that have been used to describe the music and personality of Jonathan Tristram. Who else would plan a six-month journey to hike the entire 2,100 mile stretch of the Appalachian Mountains, in order to gain a true inward look at one’s self? Who else would paddle the entire length of the Grand Canyon for the sole purpose of becoming more in tune with its dramatic geological landscape? It is precisely these types of lifetime endeavors that have given Jonathan a rich palate from which to create his musical compositions and songs.
Born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, Jonathan began studying piano at the age of eight. At the age of seventeen, he picked up a guitar that had been lying untouched for years in the family attic. Preferring the more intimate relationship with the strings, he found that the guitar quickly became his most important musical passion. Now an accomplished fingerstyle guitarist, Jonathan blends many styles of music into his songwriting craft, ranging from old school fingerstyle, to blues, to rock, to country, to urban contemporary folk.
His love of teaching (an elementary school science teacher) and his constant desire to learn more about the science of how things work, led him into the world of studio engineering and producing. In the winter of 2000, Jonathan graduated with top honors at the Manhattan Recording Workshop (JSM Studios 6th Ave. NYC) studying with such notable engineers as Jeffrey Dovner and Jimmy Douglas. The music contained on this website has all been engineered and produced by Jonathan himself.
His first recording, The Guitar Speaks is a collection of twelve guitar instrumentals. Several of these compositions were profoundly influenced by some of Jonathan's travel experiences. For example, "Theme for a Lazy Day" the opening track, was written while sitting on a park bench on a quiet Sunday morning in New Orleans. This track is followed by "Hadrian's Wall" a piece of music that hearkens back to memories of a childhood journey that explored the northern reaches of Great Britain.
Jonathan's musical journey then took a major turn in the road as he began exploring the world of the Hammond organ where he spent the next ten years with his soul jazz outfit, The Hub Kings. Their one and only release, entitled "This Way!" takes a dramatic departure from the world of acoustic finger style guitar. Taking cues from the Hammond organ greats like Jimmy Smith, Booker T., John Patton, Shirley Scott, and Lonnie Smith, "This Way!" is a pure slice of soul jazz heaven.
In recent years, Jonathan's musical musings have taken him back to the intimate relationship with the acoustic guitar, particularly during his summer long-distance section hikings of the Pacific Crest Trail when he carries a backpacking guitar with him. It is these adventure-filled experiences that have inspired his latest series of fingerstyle compositions. The Guitar Speaks Volume 2 is a collection of these works, as well as a selection of fingerstyle arrangements of classical, country, and folk guitar masterpieces that have all played a part in Jonathan's musical development. The Guitar Speaks Volume 2 is slated to be released in the spring of 2026 on both CD and Vinyl.
