Doran Doran Knoxville Nights CD

16 year-old acoustic guitarist Garrett Doran, musician and composer, a native of rural Oregon, began guitar lessons when he was eight. He is primarily a flat-picker and his list of teachers includes: Ted Hazel (bluegrass), Christopher Woitach (jazz ), Matt Arcara (previous US Flat Picking Champion), Steve Blanchard (rhythm guitar), Gary Mezier (blues), Clyde Clevenger (bluegrass) Terry Robb (finger-style blues), and James “Fester” Reed (flatpick), among others. Garrett plays a Taylor 614ce that he received when he was twelve. In the summer of 2006, he attended the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, on scholarship, as their youngest ever “adult” participant. There, he studied under the experienced eye of Slim Richey, the “most amazing flat-picker” Garret had ever seen. In 2007 he received a full-tuition scholarship from Dreadnaughts Unlimited to the prestigious Steve Kauffman Acoustic Kamp in Tennessee. Additionally, he received a scholarship from the Salem Pops Orchestra to attend the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop again. He was honored with an “Outstanding Soloist” award from his school’s League Jazz Festival in the late spring of 2007.Garrett plays for many community fund-raising events as well as dinner shows, weddings, and concerts. He is currently is a member of the Immanuel Lutheran Contemporary Worship Team in Woodburn, Oregon and the Silverton High School Jazz Band. Garrett recorded most of the tracks for his debut album, “Knoxville Nights,” in the summer of 2007 when he was 15 and finished the remainder in January, 2008 after he turned 16. The album blends elements of the music he loves into original compositions that are unique, energetic and appealing. You will find compositions named after places in the Cascade foothills where he lives, and some that create the feeling of the unpredictable weather found in Oregon. Many feature his incredible flat-picking skill and some are finger-picked, creating achingly beautiful harmonies. Although some tracks are combined so that he plays both rhythm and lead guitar, the sound has not been altered digitally and remains true to Garrett's live musical identity. In his music you will find hints of Celtic, rock, bluegrass, classical, blues, new age, Latin and more . . . all stamped with his personal identity.