Electronic Press Kit

Garry Manuel - Singer-songwriter, Producer, Guitarist, owner of Sunflare Songs/Records & Founder and former Chair of non-profit, Project URGE, Inc.

A singer-songwriter, guitarist, offering music crafted through years of experience, personal journeys, wrapped in skillful vocals and instrumental musicianship.

Garry’s musical influences are vast and diverse, and often sprout up in the songs he has written. While some tunes bear the marks of singer-songwriter, rock, and Americana, others land on intimate acoustic music, jazz or occasionally pop. Some songs feature prolific lyrics with memorable hooks and others are more folk-like in nature, with an emphasis on storytelling and his acoustic guitar work. One of Garry’s more notable attributes is writing romantic ballads that typically showcase his vocal talent. He has penned a number of uplifting pop songs and will at times venture into political commentary.

Long before he picked up his first guitar, Garry was singing along with a transistor radio and albums like Ray Charles’ “In Person” (live in Atlanta). It’s the music that fueled his fire and paved the way for future influences of the Beatles and Crosby, Stills and Nash. Just before Garry learned to strum his first two chords, he was already crafting lyrics and jotting them in a spiral notebook.

Garry’s professional career launched in high school in the late ‘60’s with the band playing dances in high schools around the Rochester, NY regional area. Shortly after high school the rock band formed that eventually recorded under the name “Meadow” and scored one local hit record, You Don’t Know the Pain, which was penned and sung by Garry.

During his early college years, he teamed up with James Wilson to create Sunup, which started out as a guitar/vocal, songwriting duo, then soon after added a bass player.

It wasn’t long before Sunup was recording with renowned recording engineer, Mick Guzauski, and adding other instruments into the mix as the music textures suggested to Garry’s ears. They performed at colleges, clubs, coffee houses, and opened shows for major recording acts like Jackson Browne & Linda Ronstadt, Jimmy Cliff, The James Gang and others.

In the late ‘70s, James moved to Connecticut to pursue a career in communications, while Garry continued to record and perform in New York. He began writing jingles, playing guitar on some recording sessions and performing top 40 hits with a band in nightclubs and hotels.

In the early ‘80’s Garry reassembled Sunup and once again found himself writing, performing and recording, as well as opening a music studio and teaching guitar. The group played on and off for another decade plus and adding keyboardist, Brian Soule, who remains doing a fair amount of recording with Garry They began work on the Saratoga Sunrise album, which included many guests who had played with Sunup over the years.

Garry states, “I’ve always enjoyed taking a bare bones song and building the song in production to more accurately portray the picture to represent the emotion intended for the song.”

In 2002 he also founded a non-profit named Project URGE, Inc., that was focused on working on efforts to alleviate poverty and racism. These are strong passions that began in his early college days and continue today.

For Garry, the bottom line is this: musicality and great performances never stop evolving. In the end, it’s the music that speaks with power and to the sensitivity of our lives.

EP - THE DREAM AGAIN:

Garry Manuel: songwriter, vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, string arrangements, percussion, keyboards, producer

Brian Soule: keyboards & piano on The Dream Again & Words Won’t Do

Narada Michael Walden: drums on The Dream Again

Ben Gramm: drums on Words Won’t Do (remix)

Billy Goodness: drums on Romantic Knots

Bill Tiberio: saxophone on The Dream Again and Pray for Rain

Chuck Bianchi: bass on Romantic Knots and Words Won’t Do (both versions)

Dave Kluge: bass on The Dream Again

Frank Rauck: bass on Pray for Rain

Dan Dovideo: piano on Romantic Knots

Marshall Manuel: recording engineer, edits, mastering