Concept
Julian Fauth is a Canadian blues pianist, singer and songwriter. He has collaborated on record with Harmonica Shah, Curley Bridges, Fruteland Jackson, Finis Tasby, and David Rotundo. Fauth has recorded four solo albums for Electro-Fi Records; his first was nominated for, and his second won, a Juno Award. His third, Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right, was selected as the 'Best Blues Album of 2012' by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He has also received a Maple Blues Award and was nominated for several others. Fauth has opened for Johnny Winter, John Mayall and John Hammond. Toronto Star stated that "he's been compared to Tom Waits and Bob Dylan, but blues singer-songwriter Julian Fauth is a true original". Fauth was influenced by fellow piano players including Memphis Slim, Roosevelt Sykes, Leroy Carr, and Sunnyland Slim. Julian Fauth was born in Germany, and spent his early years in Kitchener, Ontario. Fauth's father was a radio journalist and when Julian was six years old, his father brought home some surplus albums for the local radio station. One of these was a compilation album, The Golden Blues Hour, which included tracks by Mississippi John Hurt and Buddy Guy. The young Fauth was further inspired hearing radio programmes including work by Leroy Carr, Scrapper Blackwell and Bumble Bee Slim. Having been left a piano after the death of one of his aunts, Fauth attempted to play the instrument in the style of Memphis Slim. In his teenage years, Fauth became a protege of Mel Brown. Fauth's later time at university saw him gain a Master of Arts in philosophy. In 1996, Fauth relocated to Toronto and began playing in the bars around Kensington Market, where he befriended David Rotundo. Fauth developed his own style based on pre-war barrelhouse boogie-woogie, tinged with elements of jazz and gospel. He expanded his range playing across the United States, as well as in Russia and Cuba. Fauth also worked with locally based musicians such as David Rotundo, Paul Reddick, and Michael Pickett.