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Jim Tozier is an award-winning acoustic fingerstyle guitarist who performs traditional Celtic tunes and original compositions inspired by his Irish heritage and his surroundings--both along the Chesapeake Bay in Southern Maryland, and more recently, Lake Lanier and Sawnee Mountain in Georgia.
Jim has released three CDs on Solid Air Records, a Grammy-winning label that specializes in solo acoustic guitar music. Celtic Guitar is a collection of traditional Irish and Scottish tunes, while Solo Guitar and Jim's newest release, Guitar Pieces, feature original, contemporary compositions. He also has an independently released CD, Castlerea.
In addition to his recordings, Jim has published a songbook, Celtic Guitar Solos: Traditional Songs and Airs of Ireland and Scotland, which features transcriptions of the tunes from his Celtic Guitar CD.
He has also contributed track to three other Solid Air Records projects: Poppin' Guitars, a tribute to the songwriting team of Robert and Richard M. Sherman ("The Slipper and the Rose Waltz"), Delovely Guitar, a tribute to Cole Porter ("Begin the Beguine"), and the upcoming tribute to The King, A Guitar for Elvis ("Are You Lonesome Tonight?").
Jim's guitar playing is marked by an expressive touch, a strong sense of melody, and a rich, warm tone. Dirty Linen magazine praises Jim's "devotion to melody and to the guitar as a story-telling instrument," and Grammy-winning guitarist Amrit Sond says Jim's music is "some of the most beautiful and enjoyable playing I have heard in a long time." Noted critic Art Edelstein describes Jim as "a lyrical, taste-conscious performer with considerable chops," while Guitar Nation calls Jim "one of the most eloquent Celtic guitarists in the world."
Jim is also a winner of the prestigious Individual Artist Award for Solo Instrumental Performance from the Maryland State Arts Council. The Individual Artist Awards are grants that are reviewed anonymously and determined solely on the basis of artistic merit.
In addition to his musical pursuits, Jim finds time to hold down a job teaching American Literature at West Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia. He is entering his 14th year of teaching and has no plans to stop anytime soon.
He enjoys turning young people on to reading great books, and finds that his love of music allows him to connect students to literature in unconventional ways. He also figures that being a musician keeps him in the students' good graces even after he forces them to learn a gazillion new vocabulary words and how to diagram compound-complex sentences.
Jim and his wife, Marilouise, reside in Cumming, Georgia, with their four children--twins Owen and Erin (10), Shannon (6), and Ryan (3).
In his spare time (ha!), Jim enjoys playing chess, reading, and rooting for his (new) hometown teams: the Atlanta Braves, Thrashers, and Falcons. He has also become quite fond of naps (sometimes while concurrently pursuing his other "spare time" interests).
Find out even more about Jim by reading the FAQ.
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