Acoustic guitarist, composer, and producer Laurence Juber, whom many followers simply call “LJ,” entered the world and spent his formative years in London. Performing at neighborhood gatherings already brought him earnings once he reached thirteen. Not long afterward he immersed himself in classical guitar studies and later secured a music degree at Goldsmith College of London University while also appearing as a soloist with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.
By the mid-1970s he had established himself as a session musician, steadily sharpening his abilities as a versatile guitarist and building a solid professional reputation. In 1978 he became lead guitarist for Paul McCartney’s band Wings, remaining with the group for the next two years and earning a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental on the track “Rockestra” from the album Back to the Egg.
Early in the 1980s Juber relocated from England to Los Angeles, where he resumed session duties without difficulty. His playing soon appeared on such series as Home Improvement, Seventh Heaven, Boy Meets World, and Roseanne, as well as films including Dirty Dancing, Splash, Doc Hollywood, Pocahontas, Snow Day, Good Will Hunting, and numerous additional productions. In 1990 he joined the Beachwood Records roster, an imprint owned by his friend and fellow musician James Lee Stanley, and that same year he issued his first solo album, Solo Flight. Naked Guitar followed three years later, with Winter Guitar arriving in 1998. The year 1999 brought recognition as the top Fingerstyle Guitarist of the Year. Amid extensive touring he delivered three further releases in 2000—LJ Plays the Beatles, Naked Solos, and The Collection—all on the Solid Air Records label.
