Album Notes

For his fifth birthday, John Lehmann-Haupt received a small nylon-string guitar, and with his father's help he was soon picking out songs by ear. The records he heard at home - of Segovia, Leadbelly, Josh White, Merle Travis, and others - exposed him early to the instrument's extraordinary range. By the age of thirteen, he had advanced sufficiently to put out a limited edition album of folk ballads and blues.

John's formal training came with his intensive study of harmony and analysis under Blanche Moyse at Vermont's Marlboro College, and in private lessons with guitarist Julio Prol in New York City. Master classes under Oscar Ghiglia and Angel Romero and private instruction in Schenker analysis also contributed to his education.

With a firm foundation in musical structure and his instrument's resources, John has built a distinctive repertoire of classical works and fluently voiced original song arrangements. From 1981 until 1993, he performed nightly at Windows on the World atop New York City's World Trade Center, an engagement cited for musical excellence by The New York Times. He has also performed in concerts and clubs throughout the Northeast, and in the homes of such prominent New Yorkers as Tom Brokaw, Madeleine Albright, and Donald Trump.

Of his 1978 record Unsung Guitar (Physical Records), featuring his popular arrangements, Guitar Player wrote: "John Lehmann-Haupt's aptitude is beautifully displayed on this disc." His classical performances appeared on the 1986 compilations Guitar Masters Volumes I and II (AIG Records.)

Since 1982, John has been on the teaching staff of New York's American Institute of Guitar. He has also written extensively on music and the guitar for The New York Times, Acoustic Guitar, Family Life, and several other magazines.