MARINO

Multi-award winning UK guitarist MARINO recently had his unique blend of Blues/Rock guitar playing described in three words… “Incredible, Sublime and Exquisite”.  These are the words of Blues and Rock historian Paul Merry, author of America’s Gift: Evolution of the Blues.  “Musical immortality. Magnificent album!” announced Al Bowman, President of the Los Angeles Music Awards.  And the glowing reviews keep coming for MARINO’s 2016 release MARINO AFTER THE STORM - quite simply “a magnificent musical tapestry” of “guitar magic”.

It was back in the early 80s opening for Thin Lizzy at London’s legendary Marquee Club that MARINO was first discovered by Oscar winning composer-writer Lionel Bart. The man most celebrated for his musical masterpiece OLIVER! proclaimed “a guitar wizard from the north has arrived in London!”  After signing with Lionel’s publishing company and under his wing, MARINO rocked London playing shows with rock icons Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin), Johnny Winter, Mick Ralphs (Bad Company), Steve Marriott (Humble Pie), Ian Gillan (Deep Purple), The Phil Lynott/Gary Moore Band, and a host of others.

The expected record deal followed, and it was with FM Records/BMG that MARINO recorded two critically acclaimed albums, After Forever’s Gone and Blues for Lovers, the latter launching MARINO on international radio and TV.  Blues for Lovers also received extensive airplay on BBC Radio One’s highly influential Friday Night Rock Show with Tommy Vance, who told listeners across the nation… “MARINO has that beautiful fluid guitar style reminiscent of Carlos Santana and Jeff Beck – real class”.  High praise indeed from the definitive voice of rock radio in Britain.  It was during a Radio One interview with Tommy Vance that MARINO revealed… “As a teenager my guitar gods were Hendrix and Santana.  I taught myself to play guitar by jamming with their records, and – except for Brigitte Bardot and Raquel Welch – my bedroom walls were covered with posters of Carlos and Jimi.  So fast forward and you can only imagine how I felt when Carlos Santana invited me to perform with him at London’s Hammersmith Odeon – to duet with Carlos on his Grammy winning instrumental “Blues for Salvador” was totally surreal – to go from being a kid jamming with his records to trading licks on stage with one of the greatest and most iconic guitarists in the history of rock was beyond amazing.  That performance with Carlos Santana made me realise that as a guitarist, I’d arrived.  It was also living proof that if you work hard at what you do and keep doing it… dreams can come true”.

This all led to a production deal with Mick Ronson, legendary guitarist with David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars.  Mick chose Trident Studios in London’s Soho district for the sessions, where Ronson had previously recorded Bowie’s classic albums Hunky Dory, Space Oddity, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane – and where he had also produced Lou Reed’s Transformer album.  With Lionel Bart as Executive Producer and “Ronno” at the production helm, MARINO followed in the hallowed footsteps of British rock royalty The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Genesis, Queen, David Bowie, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John in becoming part of the illustrious history of this iconic London studio.

MARINO went on to contribute to a plethora of soundtracks, most notably movies with Oscar winner Leonardo Di Caprio, Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke, Golden Globe winner Drew Barrymore, and MARINO’s favourite Charlie’s Angel, Cheryl Ladd.  In 2007 MARINO himself was honoured with the Hollywood F.A.M.E. award, and the nominations and awards kept on coming.  At the Los Angeles Music Awards held at the Hollywood Palladium, MARINO had been nominated for ‘Best Guitarist’, and on this scintillating red carpet night of Rock ‘n’ Roll, MARINO gave an electrifying performance with his own band, and with the fantastic Eddie Money on his US mega hit ‘Two Tickets to Paradise’, bringing the show to a climactic end. 

But there was still something else of great significance about to happen that night… at the after show party, Eddie Money introduced MARINO to keyboard ace Tommy Eyre (Joe Cocker/Gary Moore/BB King/Rolling Stones) and the two hard drinking Yorkshiremen hit it off right away. At the bar in the wee hours after a bottle of Jack Daniels, they decided to form a band, and so the MARINO/Tommy Eyre band was born.  MARINO described their live musical collaboration as “adrenaline driven, hard drinkin’, rip-it-up raw Rock ‘n’ Roll baby!”

Winner of The Guitar Lounge Texas Radio award for Blues/Rock Album of the Year 2018

“Congratulations to one of the greatest Blues guitarists in the industry”
Falcon Eddy
The Guitar Lounge, Galveston, Texas, USA

“Exquisite guitar playing”
Steven Rosen
Rolling Stone/Guitar Player magazine

“Musical Immortality”
Al Bowman
President, Los Angeles Music Awards

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