Brian Tarquin

For the past 30 years multi-Emmy award winning composer/guitarist Brian Tarquin’s music has been heard by tens of millions on a plethora of television and film scores such as: CSI, Ellen, Extra, TMZ, 60 Minutes, Sex and the City, 20/20, SNL, Godzilla, Seinfeld, Cheers, Charmed, Good Morning America, The Watcher (Keanu Reeves), Desert Heat (Van Damme), The Sender (R. Lee Ermey), and National Lampoon’s Repli-Kate (Ali Landry) to name a few. He has won 3 Emmy's for “Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series” and has been nominated for an Emmy 6 times. In 2022 the Josie Music Awards nominated Tarquin for “Best Guitarist” & “Best Producer” of the year. In 2019 Tarquin received a Global Music Gold Award for his release Orlando In Heaven for “Best Album.” Three years in a row (2016-2019) Tarquin received “Best Album of the Year” nominations from the Independent Music Awards for his releases: Guitars for Wounded Warriors, Orlando in Heaven, and Guitars for Veterans showcasing his guitar prowess alongside such world-class shredders as: Steve Morse, Larry Coryell, Billy Sheehan, Bumblefoot (Guns N’ Roses), Reb Beach (Whitesnake), and Chuck Loeb (FourPlay) to name a few.

In 2006 SESAC honored him with the Network Television Performance Award. Tarquin has graced the Top Billboard Charts with such commercial releases as: This is Acid Jazz, Vol. 2, Sweet Emotions, and Bossa Brava: Caliente on Instinct Records, followed by several solo jazz albums which charted Top 10 at Smooth Jazz Radio R&R and Gavin charts with such hits as “One Arabian Knight”, “Freeway Jam”, “Darlin Darlin Baby” and Tangled Web. Brian has appeared on 50 releases, has 38 million streams on Pandora, Spotify & Apple: selling over 140,000 records in his career.

In 2023 Tarquin released the extraordinary album entitled “Brothers In Arms” featuring such iconic musicians as Joe Satriani, Vinnie Moore (UFO), Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal (Guns N’ Roses), Alex De Rosso (Dokken), Travis Stever (Coheed & Cambria), Jeff Duncan (Armored Saint), Johannes Weik (Son of a Bach), Gerald Gradwohl (Tangerine Dream), Chris Haskett (Henry Rollins Band), The Budapest Orchestra. The Album topped the metal radio charts peaking #7 on the NACC Loud Rock charts and #11 on the Metal Contraband charts. Brian Tarquin, a one-man army, composed, produced and performed all guitar melodies, solos, bass, rhythm guitars and used session drummer Reggie Pryor. The album features exclusive songs inspired by those military soldiers who have fought for their country.

In 2017 Tarquin composed, produced and performed on two top 20 charting radio albums for Cleopatra Record’s Orlando In Heaven, which was #6 on the Relix Jam Band Charts and Band of Brothers, which was #21 on the Metal Contraband Charts. Orlando In Heaven was a special project featuring an incredible cast of musical virtuosos playing their hearts out for the Pulse victims in Orlando. Both albums showcase such world-class players as guitar legend Larry Coryell, Mike Stern (Miles Davis), Jeff Scott Soto (Journey, Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Trey Gunn (King Crimson), Jeff Watson (Night Ranger), Steve Morse (Deep Purple), Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal (ex-Guns N' Roses, Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake), Gary Hoey, Tony Franklin (Jimmy Page), Chris Poland (Megadeth), Hal Lindes (Dire Straits), Will Ray (The Hellecasters) and Phil Naro (Talas).

In 2006, Tarquin opened his own boutique record label called BHP MUSIC/GUITAR TRAX RECORDS, specializing in instrumental guitar music. The label releases the Guitar Master Series featuring legends: Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth and Zakk Wylde. Simultaneously he built Jungle Room Studios where he records many of the releases for his record label. Jungle Room is an extensive analog/digital studio located in the beautiful New York Catskill mountains featuring a classic 1980’s British Trident 24 recording console with analog tape machines as Otari MTR 90, an Ampex 440c and a plethora of delicious analog gear!
 

Brian’s weekly NPR radio show called Guitar Trax on WFIT 89.5FM on the Florida Space Coast is streamed on www.wfit.org. He hosts in depth interviews with world-renowned guitarists every Monday night from 10pm-Midnight.   

                                
Tarquin is also an award-winning published Author of the following published books.

• Survival Guide for Music Composers (Hal Leonard) - 2018 USA Best Book Winner Award
• Guitar Encyclopedia (Allworth Press) - 2014 USA Best Book Winner Award
• Guitar Amplifier Encyclopedia (Allworth Press) - 2017 USA Best Book Finalist Award
• Stomp on This: The Guitar Pedal Effects Guidebook (Cengage) - 2015 USA Best Book Finalist Award
• Insider’s Guide to Home Recording (Allworth Press) - 2015 USA Best Book Finalist Award
• Insider’s Guide to Music Licensing (Allworth Press) - 2014 USA Best Book Finalist Award
• Recording Techniques of the Guitar Masters (Cengage) interviews with Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson.

Awards

Radio & Records chart #4 at Smooth Jazz radio for the song "One Arabian Knight"

Radio & Records chart #4 at Smooth Jazz radio for the the album "Last Kiss Goodbye"

Gavin radio chart #9 "Darlin Darlin Baby" at Smooth Jazz radio

Radio & Records chart #1 at CD101 NYC for the song "Tangled Web"

3 Emmy Awards for “Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series”

6 Emmy Award nominations

“Best Album" Award Global Music Gold Award for "Orlando In Heaven"

“Best Album of the Year” nominations from the Independent Music Awards for releases: "Guitars for Wounded Warriors", "Orlando in Heaven", and "Guitars for Veterans"

Josie Music Awards nominations for “Best Guitarist” & “Best Producer” of the year.

Gear

Guitars:

1978 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop Deluxe
1997 Gibson Les Paul Custom Shop
2021 Gibson Explorer
2020 EVH Striped Series Shark
2019 Fender Jeff Beck Signature Strat
1983 Kramer Baretta Super Strat
2020 Custom Rickenbacker 4003 Bass
1989 Yamaha Attitude

Amps:

1969 Fender Super Reverb
Marshall Plexi Head with Mark Cameron Modified High Gain
1975 Marshall 4 x 12" cabinet with vintage Celestion 30's
Orange Micro Terror
Orange Crush Pro 120
Orange 2x12 cabinet with Vintage 30’s
Soldano SLO
1984 Marshall JCM800 2x12 combo
1979 Mesa Boogie Mark IIb 1x12 combo
Rivera Quiana Studio 1x12 combo
Fender Prosonic head
EVH 5150 III head
1985 Mesa Boogie Mark III head
Mesa Boogie SOB head

Pedals:

Dunlop Univibe
Snarling Dogs Super Bawl Whine-O Wah
Snarling Dogs Mold Spore Wah
Morley Classic Wah, Dunlop Talkbox
Tech 21 YYZ Geddy Lee Signature SansAmp
EVH MXR Phase 90
DigiTech Whammy Pedal