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| Joel Holmes Releases Debut CD Joel Holmes, a traditional jazz pianist from Baltimore, MD, has released his brand new album "Eternal Vision". The CD contains 13 tracks of inspirational music that soothes the soul, taking the listener on an unforgettable journey through jazz standards, arrangements and originals. Joel was born in Arizona on December 6, 1982. His family moved to Virginia where Joel's mother Theresa first noticed her son's early musical talent as Joel would sit at the piano and play tunes by ear. Encouraged by his initiative, his father Dennis, a trumpet player for the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corp in Fort Myer, started off his music education by teaching him all he knew about basic piano. After high school, Joel attended the acclaimed Peabody Conservatory of Music at John Hopkins University. He gained popularity with his fellow students playing impressive performances at various festivals and venues. Joel has studied with Bobby McFerrin, Roy Hargrove and a slew of other respected musicians. He has also taught music and theory at the Rock Junior Academy, the Baltimore School for the Arts as well as given individual private lessons in jazz and classical music. A runner up in the VH1 song of the Year Contest and finalist in the 5th Annual Independent Music Awards in the Song Category under Jazz Orginals, the 23 year old Joel Holmes composes his own style of music blending an array of traditional and contemporary jazz, gospel, R&B, soul, hip-hop, neo soul, funk, classical and pop. "My music is a direct expression of musical influences, spiritual freedom and personal interpretation, " he says. Joel plays a repertoire of over three hundred well-known tunes. He has opened for The Temptations, The Manhattans and Regina Bell among many others. Due to increasing popularity, Joel Holmes is touring extensively throughout the East Coast and Asia. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |