Biography
Julian Peterson is in love with the passion and elegance of old soul and blues singers. He pays tribute to many great artists- Ray Charles, Al Green, Otis Redding, Muddy Waters, and Freddie King, with a sound that is fresh and engaging. He describes the music he writes as a mix of old and new; music with bluesy melodic lines and passionate lyrics. Peterson's music is a translation of sorts: what soul sounds like in the high mountains of Colorado.
Peterson is a singer-songwriter who is drawn to simple arrangements with few supporting band members. In his solo performances he incorporates a bass line, percussion & a melody line with his guitar to create a unique listening experience and which he finds more fun to perform. Peterson's compelling stage presence is attributed to his passion for his songs and his desire to connect with the audience. His yearning voice brilliantly delivers the notes to each individual in the audience.
Peterson says of his music, "we all know naked, raw yearning. It is a rush to share it with people. Like Otis says, 'OOOO, open that door baby!' Yearning is big- it has to spill out. I like writing and singing big, without constricting, hiding, anything. I think if you write big, more people can hear you and be moved by your work. You can share more. The blues does that beautifully, like 'Im a Man' by Muddy Waters. Soul does that too, in a more seductive way. Soul is just so sexy, like 'Lets Get it On' by Marvin Gaye. Those are the songs I love. Those are some big songs."
This is perhaps why his music evokes the raw quality of the old soul singers, although he himself is milky white.
One of Petersons biggest songs, 'Hold On,' evokes such palpable desire that it leaves audiences cross-eyed and swooning. The song was inspired by a night with an unavailable girl. Peterson would have done anything just to be around her. We all have been touched by such longing. Its a big powerful emotion. Another song, Father's Condition, describes the days surrounding his fathers diagnosis of leukemia. The sadness, love, and pain are visceral in his music. "Playing this song is hard," says Peterson, but necessary to remind me that life is precious, my dad is precious. Its a song about getting my priorities straight- to stop messing around and love as much as I can."
"I want people to leave my concerts moved, hearing something perhaps familiar but dancing a bit, thinking, 'hey something's there.' I write music for all of us, touching our common experiences of loss, love- what we all go through. Its a way to describe how were related.
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