Joe Bonner
Joseph "Joe" Bonner ( born April 20, 1948 in Rocky Mount (North Carolina)) is an American jazz pianist.
Life and work
Joe Bonner comes from the hometown of pianist Thelonious Monk, who became one of his musical idols. His other influences include McCoy Tyner and Art Tatum. He grew up in Harlem and then studied four years at first tuba, then piano at Virginia State College in Petersburg. With 22 years drew Bonner with Harold Vick to New York and began his career as a professional musician. There he met Max Roach know who is also from North Carolina, and made his first appearance in Roach's band in Crawford 's Grill in Pittsburgh. Bonner remained half a year at Roach, then joined the band in 1961 by Roy Haynes as successor by Chick Corea. He also worked with Freddie Hubbard and James Spaulding. As Kenny Barron Hubbard band left in the late 1960s, took its place in Bonn and played two and a half years in this formation. Around 1970 he played in the band of Pharoah Sanders and collaborated on albums such as Black Unity and Rejoice for the label Impulse! Records and Evidence with. In 1972 he worked with bassist Richard Davis. Thereafter he Bonner Member Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Big Band, where he replaced Roland Hanna. The band also played Billy Harper, on the album Black Saint jazz label for the same 1975 Bonner participated.
With Harper, he went on a European tour; it did the collaboration with Niels -Henning Ørsted Pedersen in Copenhagen. Bonner then stayed for several years in Copenhagen and produced from 1979 a series of albums for Steeplechase Records, where among other things, vibraphonist Khan Jamal, bassist Johnny Dyani and drummer Billy Higgins participated. After his return to the United States, he settled in Denver, founded the quartet The Bonner Party and performed in clubs in the region. Later he returned again back to Copenhagen, where he worked among other things as big band arranger.
Disco Graphical Notes
- Parade ( Steeplechase, 1979)
- Devotion ( Steeplechase, 1983)
- Suburban Fantasies ( Steeplechase, 1983)
- Suite for Chocolate ( Steeplechase, 1985) Jesper Lundgaard with
- New Life ( Steeplechase, 1986)
- Impressions of Copenhagen ( Evidence, 1988)
- Monkisms ( Capri, 2000)