Paul Tingen

Paul Tingen is a Dutch-born author, guitarist, music producer and music journalist, who works predominantly in the English language. Tingen is best known for his book about the electric music of Miles Davis, Miles Beyond: The Electric Explorations of Miles Davis, 1967–1991, which was published by Watson-Guptill in 2001.

Tingen studied guitar and recording at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and completed a music degree at Goldsmiths' College in London. He is a member of the Order of Interbeing, the core order of Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, and has facilitated meditation classes in this tradition—in 1996 he founded the Heart of London Sangha, which has become one of the UK's largest self-run meditation groups. After having lived in the UK and the US during 1986-2005, Tingen (nicknamed "Ramon" sometimes) currently divides his time between the UK and the south-west of France, where he lives with his partner and their two children, and where he regularly performs.

Miles Beyond, The Electric Explorations of Miles Davis, 1967–1991, was the first book to extensively cover Miles Davis' electric period, covering 1967-1991. It includes testimonies of many famous musicians who worked with Davis, like Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Marcus Miller, and John Scofield, as well as several first-ever interviews with members of Davis' now legendary 1973-75 band, including Michael Henderson, Reggie Lucas, and Pete Cosey. Miles Beyond has been called “the most important book on Miles Davis ever”, an “indispensable guide,” and is still widely regarded as the definitive guide to Davis' electric music, particularly of the highly rated 1967-1975 period.

Tingen recorded one solo CD, May The Road Rise To Meet You (1997), and has performed with the likes of Hector Zazou, Hossam Ramzy and Bosco d'Oliveira. He's developed a playing style on the acoustic solo guitar which has been described as unique and which has been praised by guitarists like John McLaughlin, Martin Taylor and Michael Brook. Tingen is currently preparing a second solo CD, called Metamorphosis, with help of arranger Paul Buckmaster, among others.