MUSIC LIBRARY

All CDs are $15 plus shipping and handling.

Old Smooth is a comprised of remakes of hit songs from the 60’s 70’s and 80’s performed in a Smooth Jazz format. It includes songs like: “We’re In This Love Together,” “Say Yes,” “Your Song,” “ The Tracks of My Tears” and more. This CD continues to be my best selling CD to date primarily because of the popularity of the material. Music has the power to take people back to the exact point and time when they first heard the song. This CD has sentimental value which is a feature that a CD that is made up of  original material cannot do.     

Old Smooth II takes over where Old Smooth left off. It is comprised of old school hits from the 90’s into the 2000’s. It includes songs like: “Don’t You Know That” “Before I Let Go” “I’m Only Human” and “That’s The Way Of The World” and more. This CD has been described as “Music that makes you want to pucker your lips and move you hips” Old Smooth II is the right mixture of R&B and Smooth Jazz. A welcomed addition to anyone’s music collection. 

Summer Nights John produced, engineered, arranged and played nearly every instrument on his CD. The songs on this CD fall into three jazz styles, Smooth jazz, Latin jazz and Cool Jazz. The CD contains twelve original compositions, plus a moving rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Man In The Mirror.” John put this CD together with three goals in mind: 1) This project has to display the type of playing excitement generated in his live performances; 2) Most of the songs must be original compositions and display a variety of styles; and 3) Every song has to have a strong melody. This thirteen-song collection is John’s best work to date. 

Going Up Yonder This CD is comprised of some of the most heartfelt spirituals ever written. John dedicated this CD to the Loving memory of his Mother (Marjorie Lawrence) It includes songs like: “Jesus You Are The Center Of My Joy”, a contemporary Jazz version of “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” “Yesterday” and John’s popular rendition of “Going Up Yonder” which is quickly becoming his signature song. This CD is guaranteed to touch your soul.

Best Of John ELawrence  I have personally selected sixteen of my favorite songs to be included in this collection. I have often been asked the question: “Which of my CDs is my favorite one” and my reply is always the same. “I like them all because, each one has something special to offer that is unique.” This body of work spans fifteen years and I truly feel that this is my best work to date and the next time someone ask me “Which CD is my favorite” I can say without a doubt “The Best Of John E. Lawrence”. I hope that you will enjoy listening to this compilation of music as much as I did recording it.

All By Myself is a solo guitar project. It features John E. Lawrence primarily on acoustic guitar performing with no other instruments and no overdubs. The CD highlights John’s unique style of playing chords, melody, and walking bass lines simultaneously. He introduces a style he developed, called “Polyrhythmic Percussive Funk”. This style utilizes the guitar as a percussion instrument as well as a melodic and rhythmic instrument. The songs that feature this style are Black Orpheus, “Birdland,” and “I Wish.” There are some beautiful ballads on this project: the title song, “All By Myself ” (an original composition), “America the Beautiful” and “The Theme from M.A.S.H.” This CD separates him from other guitarist and illustrates his mastery of the instrument.

A Tribute to Stevie Wonder When I came up with the idea of recording a tribute to Stevie Wonder album I knew that I wanted to keep the Stevie Wonder magic in every song, yet keep the musical elements that make me unique as a guitarist. In other words I wanted it to be different and the same simultaneously and I’m proud to say that I have done it. 

 

This CD has been twenty years in the making and the hardest part of the project was deciding on which songs not to record. This is why I have decided to make this a CD project that is made up of 23 songs. It is difficult to omit a song when there are so many great ones.  I want to thank Stevie Wonder for such an unlimited reservoir of music to choose from. His music not only inspires musicians, vocalists and music lovers worldwide and has set the bar so high, that he gives all songwriters and musicians something to aspire to.

A Solo Guitar Christmas is a CD for the guitar aficionado that  enjoys an intimate listening experience with a guitar virtuoso. John performs two four song medlies of traditional Christmas music. Song titles include: “What Child Is This,” “O’ Tannenbaum,” “My Favorite Things,” “We Three Kings” and more… There are two bonus tracks, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and a beautiful original composition entitled, I’ll Remember Christmas.

Merry Christmas from John E. Lawrence is a Christmas gift to all who enjoy the Christmas season. The CD starts off with a rockin’ version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” It is high-energy and is masterfully executed. John reached back into his childhood memories and  brought back “The Chipmunk Christmas” and a song from the Charlie Brown Christmas special and put together an adult version of “ Christmas Time is Here” which features a dynamic saxophone solo by his teacher and mentor, Dr. Morris J. Lawrence Jr.

Winter Wonderland is a CD that has put together made up of holiday favorites that are sure to bring in the Christmas joy. The project includes songs such as: “Jingle Bell Rock,” and “Do You Hear What I Hear.” Listen to classic jazz renditions of “Winter Wonderland” and “White Christmas.” 

 

The guitar solos on “Jingle Bells” and the timeless classic “ The Christmas Song” (Chestnuts) are simply breathtaking. The Winter Wonderland project is a CD that music lovers will be listening to for generations to come.