Tariqh Akoni is a performing and session guitarist and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. He is the former Chair of the Guitar Department at the L.A. Music Academy (succeeding

Frank Gambale Frank Gambale (; born 22 December 1958) is an Australian jazz fusion guitarist. He has released twenty albums over a period of three decades, and is known for his use of the sweep picking and economy picking techniques. Recording career Solo ...

) as well as Musical Director for multi-platinum recording artist,

Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, wi ...

. Akoni performs in multiple genres, including classical, flamenco, and rock.

Early years

Tariqh grew up in Santa Barbara in a home filled with music from a diversity of genres, from Carlos Santana to Mac Davis to Sly and the Family Stone. His father was a college educator and his mother was a counselor.

Berklee College of Music

Following high school, Tariqh studied contemporary classical composition at the University of California at San Diego. But his guitar passion beckoned and he made the move to Boston to attend the famous

Berklee School of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

. One highlight of this experience was his private study with jazz tenor saxophonist

Jerry Bergonzi Jerry Bergonzi (born October 21, 1947) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and educator. Early life and education Bergonzi received a B.A. in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 1971 and is the founde ...

and jazz guitarist

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. Complementing his class study was Tariqh's focused daily practicing and, importantly, his nightly playing in the clubs of Boston where he was exposed to musical genres as diverse as blues, jazz and rock. Tariqh considers this latter to be where he found his musical voice. It was from his experiences with jazz saxophonist

Walter Beasley Walter Beasley is an American saxophonist, a professor of music at the Berklee College of Music, and founder of Affable Publishing and Affable Records. Biography Beasley grew up in El Centro, California. By the age of 13 he was singing in Span ...

and eminent sessions jazz saxophonist

Gerald Albright Gerald Albright is an American jazz saxophonist. He earned Grammys for 24/7 in 2012 and Slam Dunk in 2014 and has been nominated for New Beginnings in 2008 and for Sax for Stax in 2009. Biography Born in Los Angeles, Albright grew up in its ...

that he found encouragement to pursue his musical career in Los Angeles.

Career

Tariqh assembled an extensive and eclectic resume, working with artists such as

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

George Duke George M. Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as a pr ...

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

Bette Midler Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Be ...

, Tom Scott,

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

, the

Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The gr ...

, and

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...

. Tariqh has toured nationally and internationally, most recently as the Musical Director and Conductor for

. He is considered a "six-string virtuouso". A select sampling of his appearances:

Selected performances and recordings

Josh Groban,

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...

, Elton John, Herbie Hancock,

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...

Yolanda Adams Yolanda Yvette Adams (born August 27, 1961) is an American gospel singer, actress, and host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. She is one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, having sold over 10 million album ...

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Al Jarreau Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and musician. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and R ...

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Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...

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, Aretha Franklin,

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, David Benoit,

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, Bette Midler.

Selected television Appearances

37th NAACP Image Awards (House Band) (2006)
48th Annual Grammy Awards (music) (2006)
ABC's Christmas in Aspen (2002)
American Idol (House Band) (2005, 2006)
American Music Awards – w/ Josh Groban (2004)
Backstreet Boys: Larger than Life - CBS Special (2001)
B.E.T. Annual Awards (2002, 2003)
B.E.T. Jazz Legends Concert
FAME (House Band) (2003)
Good Morning America (w/ Josh Groban, Christina Aguilera)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (w/ Huey Lewis and the News) (2005)
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (w/ Anastacia, Javier)
Late Night with Conan O'Brien (w/ Josh Groban) (2004)
Late Show with David Letterman (w/ Christina Aguilera) (2006)
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (w/ Yolanda Adams, Frankie J., Josh Groban, Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Love Hewitt)
Saturday Night Live (w/ Christina Aguilera) (2006)
MTV Movie Awards (w/ Christina Aguilera) (2006)
MTV Video Music Awards – w/ Josh Groban (2003)
PBS Great Performances: Josh Groban in Concert (2002), Live at the Greek (2004)
The Queen's Royal Variety Performance – w/ Jennifer Lopez (2001)
Smokey Robinson Walk of Fame (House Band) (2004)
UNCF Tribute to Lou Rawls (House Band) (2003)
UNCF Tribute to Aretha Franklin (House Band) (2006)
World Music Awards – with Josh Groban (2004)

Equipment

Tariqh uses a diverse set of instruments, including

Gibson Gibson may refer to: People * Gibson (surname) Businesses * Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment * Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based * Gi ...

Tyler Tyler may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name * Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer * John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...

, McPherson, Blankenship, Bogner, Eventide, Voodoo Lab,

Electro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix (also commonly referred to as EHX) is a New York City-based company that makes electronic audio processors and sells rebranded vacuum tubes. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. It is best known for a series of gu ...

, and

Seymour Duncan Seymour Duncan is an American company best known for manufacturing guitar and bass pickups. They also manufacture effects pedals which are designed and assembled in America. Guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and Cathy Carter Duncan foun ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akoni, Tariqh Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American session musicians Berklee College of Music alumni University of California, San Diego alumni Musicians from Santa Barbara, California Guitarists from Los Angeles