Album Notes

"I recorded I could be the one in 1994. At the time I had already been performing as a soloist for six years, honing my skills as a singer-guitar player. I wanted a richer sound for the songs that I had been writing, so I called in some great players and musicians. I love this record, it has a timeless quality and people that I haven't seen in a while will come up and tell me that my cd is still in their disk changer! That means a lot!"

bio-

A.J. Swearingen is an up and coming talent whose original sound reflects the vitality of performers like Van Morrison, Paul Simon, and James Taylor. With his rich baritone voice and driving acoustic guitar work, AJ's poetic artistry is quickly finding radio airplay and gaining label attention. A.J.'s music has an international audience as well; A.J. has sold CD's via the Internet to fans in Germany, Belgium, Japan and Spain.

A.J. Swearingen is from Bethlehem, Pa. Inspired at the age of thirteen by "Simon & Garfunkel's - A Concert In Central Park", AJ decided he wanted to be a songwriter, sing, and master the acoustic guitar. A.J. devoted his time to lessons and endless rehearsals to develop his talent. In his late teens this passion became his profession. AJ started out as a solo artist in local clubs in the PA and NJ area. After years of perfecting his ability to cover the songs by the artists that inspired him, A.J.'s songwriting was starting to reflect the essence of the greats that preceded him. His first album "I Could Be The One "recorded in 1994, marked the beginning of his career as a talented recording artist. With an extensive fan base, A.J. now performs his compositions for audiences in his hometown and throughout the Northeast region. A.J. has shared the stage with recording artists such as Steve Forbert, John Gorka, Ellis Paul, Tom Rush, Susan Werner, and the Strawbs.

His first three albums: "I Could Be The One", "Within Without", and "Paper Walls", are requested and played on WXPN, in Philadelphia, and WDIY in Bethlehem PA. His song, "Paper Walls" took second place in the JPFolks Music Awards New Folk Song category with 140,000 entries from 85 countries, and he took third place in the best New Folk Album. His brand new, self-titled cd will be released this year in February 2005. A.J. played all the instruments, recorded, mixed, and produced the entire album on his own. "The process", A.J. says, "was an amazing experience". "I had complete artistic control over every detail. I think this is the best representation of me as an artist so far." The new album includes his most requested songs including "You're Not Here With Me", and "I'm Free."

A.J. Swearingen performs amid an audible hush at the ultra-hip Tin Angel club in Philadelphia's Penn's Landing district. Although Swearingen is alone on stage-save for his venerable acoustic guitar-his plaintive vocals, virtuoso musicianship, and the sheer intensity of his performance make any accompaniment unnecessary. Swearingen himself defies categorization, a mellow troubadour clearly influenced by the folk music traditions, while at the same time the embodiment of something much more hip that resonates with the Tin Angel's eclecticism. It is Swearingen's first performance here, but the crowd embraces his music as though it were a familiar friend.

- Allentown Times

The first thing a listener notices about A.J. Swearingen is his voice --- a rich melodic baritone that soothes in the style of James Taylor or Paul Simon. When Swearingen combines his voice with nimble acoustic guitar playing and original ballads that evoke the nuances of the search for love, the result is a package that seems capable of reaching beyond the region and gaining national audiences.

- The Morning Call