Jono Manson

2012 NMMA Nominations for Jono Manson

Jono Manson — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:11:38 +0000

Jono has been nominated for a few 2012 New Mexico Music Awards. He’s nominated as “Best Producer” for his work with Anthony Leon and The Chain, and songs from the project also received nominations in the Americana and Bluegrass categories. He’s also up for an award in the Children’s Music category. In addition, several other projects that he recorded and/or mixed at The Kitchen Sink are also up for awards this year.

“Little Bird Song” (Manson/Welles) is up for best Children’s Music:

Here’s a track from Anthony Leon and The Chain:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOaiMLcabnQ

Crystal Bowersox discusses “super songwriting chemistry” with Manson

Jono Manson — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 10:54:35 +0000

Crystal Bowersox now calls Pacific Northwest home

BY ROD LOCKWOOD
BLADE STAFF WRITER

Crystal Bowersox performed May 28 at the Valentine Theatre.

On the surface, moving to Nashville would have made perfect sense for Crystal Bowersox.

It’s the unofficial corporate songwriting capital of the world, at least for country music. There are session musicians on every block and clubs filled with live music around the clock. Only in her mid-20s, Bowersox is already an accomplished musician and songwriter, so Nashville’s ideal, right?

Wrong.

When the Elliston, Ohio, native looks out her front window, she’s gazing at Portland, Ore., landscapes after moving there in December from Chicago with her husband, Brian Walker, and 3-year-old son, Tony.

“We have some sheep in the front yard grazing. It’s just a cool place,” she said in a phone interview by way of explaining why she chose Portland over Nashville.

Even though she was thousands of miles away from northwest Ohio, the 2010 American Idol runner-up’s domestic contentment was palpable. “Things are good,” she said, noting that over the past week she had spent a lot of time helping her young son get over a case of the stomach flu.

She’s in “album mode” musically, writing songs and flying back and forth to Santa Fe to record demos with producer/songwriter/musician Jono Manson who has worked with Blues Traveler, Joan Osborne, and Steve Earle, among numerous others.

Noting that she generally has been writing songs pretty much on her own since she was 14, Bowersox said she has “super songwriting chemistry” with Manson and the plan is to finish 16 songs and then winnow that number down to about 12 for an album that will be released this summer.

She is without a label, which Bowersox said isn’t a problem given the fractured nature of the music industry. She has been to New York for photo shoots to come up with the artwork for the album cover, her Web site is getting an overhaul, and she is moving forward with plans to tour this summer.

Her first album, “Farmer’s Daughter” sold well over 200,000 copies on Sony Music’s Jive record label and in addition to performing music, Bowersox also was featured acting in an episode of the ABC crime show Body of Proof last year.

While she couldn’t reveal the details because contracts are being finalized, expect to see her performing in northwest Ohio later this year.

“I will be around to say hi to my friends and family,” she said.

Redefining Fusion– An Interview With The Sketches & Jono Manson

Jono Manson — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 10:48:39 +0000

MAG, THE WEEKLY -
PAKISTAN’S MOST POPULAR ENGLISH WEEKLY MAGAZINE

by HINA JUNAID
Redefining Fusion– An Interview With
The Sketches & Jono Manson
The Sketches has succeeded in creating a niche for themselves in a very short span of time. Bringing Sindhi Sufi music to the forefront was nothing short of a miracle but the band seems to have achieved it effortlessly. Their latest video of ‘Neend Nashay Vich’ is one of its kind. The lyrics possess a deep underlying meaning while the video stands out by promoting the bands’ native town Jamshoro. However, educating the youth about Sufi music was just the first step for this ambitious team. In an interview to MAG, Saif Samejo, the lead vocalist of the band unveiled details about their latest venture. The Sketches has collaborated with international singer/songwriter Jono Manson whose claim to fame is the popular soundtrack for ‘The Postman’ titled ‘Going Home’. Both have collaborated on a track titled ‘Sur Khahori’ which is due to release soon. Here are excerpts from the interview where Saif Samejo and Jono Manson both talk about their collaboration that will definitely become a hallmark for fusion music.

Tell us something about ‘Neend Nashay Vich’, its poetry and meaning.
‘Neend Nashay Vich’ is another spiritual/sufi arrangement which starts with Meeral Fakir’s poetry and ends at the poetry of Hazrat Baba Bulley Shah. Meaning of the song centers around the progression of humanity, ‘Neend Nashay Vich’ symbolises human beings in a deep slumber who are then awakened through guides in the form of nature, philosophers and prophets.
The song was originally sung by Allan Fakir, later we recorded an audio version with his son Faheem Allan Fakir. The idea was to keep the song live and out of typical studio mix. Hence, the final version which is out now is more lively and prompt.

The video for ‘Neend Nashay Vich’ is very different from your previous ones and also from videos of other musicians we see nowadays. Whose idea was to shoot it this way and what do you want the audience to learn from watching it?
Originally, it was the band’s idea to keep it natural and impromptu, but then it was seconded by the director Zeeshan and his entire team. The video is entirely different from what we have been doing in the past and videos like these are not seen on TV these days but it was again very adventurous and a learning experience for us. We had no make-up on, there was no script, no story board and there were hundreds of re-takes. With this video we wished to promote tourism, we promoted our native town Jamshoro and set an example for the others to follow.

I have been hearing about your collaboration with Jono Manson. How did he get to know about your music and what song will you be performing with him?
Jono Manson is a well known name of Hollywood. I first heard his song ‘Almost Home’ while watching the movie ‘Postman’ years back. His voice attracted me and I was very much inspired and became his fan like I was a fan of Allan Fakir and Sohrab Fakir. When The Sketches officially entered in the music idustry I wrote him an email introducing us and our music and we were more than gratified to see his reply. He actually took time out of his work for us and so emails were exchanged frequently. Later on we decided for a joint venture. Different ideas were shared and finally we chose our mutual inspiration Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and worked on ‘Sur Khahori’ which revolves around a seeker. Hopefully, its video will be shot in Sindh in the presence of Jono Manson and we are proud to claim that for the first time a Sindhi/Sufi based band would be doing a collaborative project with an international artist. The song is in Sindhi and English but poetry is taken from ‘Shah Jo Risalo’ of Shah Latif Bhittai.

This is the first time that an international artist will be featuring in Sindhi music. How do you feel after reaching such a big milestone?
It is a dream come true. This breakthrough is going to create a history in itself. In addition to this, Sindhi language is very rich. Shah Latif’s poetry is not limited within a particular border and with the vocals of Jono Manson, this amalgamation would expand far beyond. This isn’t going to be the joint venture of two languages only, but also a course of acceptance of diversity and respect for different cultures.

The Sketches has grown tremendously in a very short span of time, what are your plans for the future?
Right now we are exclusively concentrating on our upcoming project with Jono Manson. After completing this project we have some international tours planned.

Jono Manson
How was the experience of performing with The Sketches?
This has been a great and unique experience for me. From the beginning, I felt honored that these musicians of such great talent and vision wanted to collaborate with me. As we began to work together, it became clear that what we hold in common is much greater than our differences, culturally, musically and philosophically. Our collaboration, so far, has been done at a distance, thanks to modern digital technology, but our connection is close and very human. Many gaps are being bridged in this project, which I don’t want to talk about in the past tense… because I sense that this is just the beginning.
If I’m not mistaken, this is the first piece in which Saif Samejo is singing both in Sindhi and in English. He does a great job in both languages and I think that our voices blend very well together, even from thousands of miles apart.

Did the difference in genre became a hindrance in any way?
No, not at all. In fact, the opposite is true – I found the difference in genre to be very liberating. Of course, as a producer, I needed first to learn about Sufi traditions and study other pieces by The Sketches to understand their story. But when you are blending two (or more) different musical traditions, and creating world music, there really are no rules to follow. In this sense we are totally free. I believe that we have found a good balance between respecting one another’s backgrounds and creating something truly unique.

Pakistan is known for its distinct music and fine artists. Have you listened to the work of any other musicians of the country? If so, what do you think about it?
I am starting to discover more each day and I’m loving it. The first piece that we created, ‘Khahori’ is based on the writing of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. Before meeting The Sketches, I had never heard of Bhittai, but I have made it my business to learn. So, I’m starting at the beginning and slowly working my way forward! Also, thanks to the internet I’m able to access a great deal of information. I’ve been exploring a lot of Pakistani folk music and, even though I’m not able to understand the lyrics, I feel great emotions. But, this is a testament to the true power of music – to communicate beyond boundaries, beyond language.

Jono Manson and Crystal Bowersox “Surprise, Surprise”

Jono Manson — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:24:08 +0000

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEauul15qxI

Recorded on January 28th, 2012 in Santa Fe, NM

“Uomini in Costruzione” re-issue

Jono Manson — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:16:03 +0000

www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8b1COxqGDQ

Ten years after it’s original release, Stefano Barotti’s masterpiece “Uomini in Costruzione” is being re-issued on CD and vinyl LP.
Jono produced, recorded and mixed the album in Italy and at his studio in the hills north of Santa Fe, NM.
It features performances by Paolo Bonfanti, Kevin Trainor, Mark Clark, Marco Kaserer, John Egenes, Marco Barotti, Steve Lindsay, Chris Ishee and Pietro Bertilorenzi. The project was mastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering in Boulder, CO.

SantaFe.com interview (by Gabe Gomez) with Jono and Crystal

Jono Manson — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:41:35 +0000

“We should play him a new song,” Crystal Bowersox says to Jono Manson at the conclusion of our short interview. Bowersox, 26, is an easygoing and direct singer-songwriter, who is known across the planet for her participation in American Idol. That she came in second place of the competition in 2010 is of little consequence. She landed a record deal, released an album (“Farmer’s Daughter”), toured and made enough scratch to support herself and her son with her voice: a declarative and soulful object that pierces the atmosphere effortless with motions.

“Let’s play ‘Sunshine,’ ” she continues. Manson picks up his guitar and begins to noodle chords, while Bowersox tunes her Takamine acoustic. The song begins. It navigates, lifts and crowns with Bowersox’s enormous control, filling the room with the kind of voice one is rarely privy to be in close proximity. To say that she can sing is the minimum of what you might expect from the glossy stage of a former American Idol.

Bowersox is in Santa Fe to write songs with Manson. The pair met at the 2011 SXSW Music Conference in Austin, through their mutual friend John Popper. Although the project is still in its early stages, the song “Sunshine,” was written and arranged within 24 hours since her arrival, and another eight songs have been broadly sketched. Her visit will be capped off with a show at Santa Fe Sol on January 28.

SantaFe.com: Tell me a little about this about this project.

Bowersox: We were writing through the wire, emailing songs ideas back and forth and we got some good songs that way, but I needed to actually be here. I needed to exchange ideas more qickly than email, and I’m glad I did and we have two songs down now.

SFDC: How does the writing process work?

Bowersox: We have the starts or little ideas on my phone, and then we just start talking about the idea. Eventually, I pick up the guitar and start playing a tune. And if it works, the words come.

Manson: We’ve only just started playing together, so nothing is quite set. One of us isn’t the lyricist and the other is the music person, we are just going back and forth. So far it’s been a very productive exchange of ideas.

Bowersox: Our writing styles are pretty similar. My words tend to be a little simpler and that’s where Jono really helps. I’m 26 and Jono is 50, he knows about more things, so he brings some things into the lyrics that I couldn’t possible do.

Manson: But on the other hand, on the song “Sunshine,” we needed something for the chorus, which was an essential yet simple thing. Her idea for it was totally the right thing.

Bowersox: Sometimes when you’re in the songwriting zone, you’re trying to think of the right thing or thinking about it too much. You forget that sometimes simple is ok.

SFDC: Let’s compare and contrast a little bit from your album “Farmer’s Daughter.”

Bowersox: Coming off of American Idol, everything is shiny and new. When I came off the show, they had 13 songs waiting for me. They said cut these and be done with it, and I stood up to that. I had my own material. But I’m proud of “Farmer’s Daughter.”

SFDC: How much of your personality is in that album?

Bowersox: It’s there. Those are still my songs. There was a little push and pull from the label wanting one thing and me wanting something and everything in between.

Before American Idol, you were obviously making music. In a way you did it backwards. The fame came upfront and now you are stepping back and deconstructing yourself?

Bowersox: I need to be comfortable. I don’t like the idea of putting myself above anyone. I just work here. I’m trying to be myself and do what’s comfortable.

SFDC: Do you want to vanquish the American Idol association?

Bowersox: I’ve bit the hand that fed me. I’ve said things about Idol because I wasn’t a fan before and it’s not something that I wanted to do. I did it for my son. I did it to change my life. It did exactly what I wanted it to do, and I’m grateful for it. I’m an American Idol. Those are words that have to come out of my mouth and it is what it is. It happened. It’s true.

Manson: For better or worse, there are many great things that have come out of your experience with that. The story cannot be told without that chapter.

SFDC: So let’s just jump back to the now. What are you doing in Santa Fe?

Bowersox: I am here on a spiritual journey; a quest for insight (laughs). No really. I’m here to write music with Jono and feel all the good vibes that Santa Fe has to offer. I’ve never been to place quite like this.

SFDC: As far as the direction of the work, what kind of songs are you building?

Bowersox: I’m trying to write songs that make people feel good. I’ve had a few different writing sessions with people., but none of them have been as productive as this and I’ve only been here for 24 hours. When you find some one who you can connect with and there’s no ego involved, that’s a hard thing to find…someone you can work with like that and genuinely feel the music.

Writing songs with Crystal Bowersox

Jono Manson — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:22:36 +0000

Jono and Crystal are having a great time….and getting lots of work done!
More soon…

New album from Shurman (mixed by Jono Manson) is on the way!

Jono Manson — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:22:52 +0000

“Inspiration”, the new album from Austin, TX’s own “Shurman” (Aaron Beavers, Mike Therieau, Craig Bagby and Harley Husbands) will be hitting the streets on February 21, 2011. The record (YES, vinyl LP!) was recorded by the boys at their own Three-Legged Cat studio and they sent it up to Jono to mix at The Kitchen Sink in Chupadero, NM. Moving ever northward, the project was then mastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering in Boulder CO

This a great album, folks.
An instant classic!

Jono and Crystal Bowersox

Jono Manson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:55:32 +0000

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFTGSXWnEH8

Crystal Bowersox, who is an amazingly talented singer/songwriter will be joining Jono Manson at his studio in Santa Fe for week of songwriting. The two met at last year’s SXSW conference in Austin TX, where they struck up a friendship and began an on-and-off long distance writing partnership. An intensive face-to-face session seemed the logical next step, besides writing songs is fun.

While in Santa Fe, the two will also perform in concert at Santa Fe Sol, on Saturday, January 28th at 8:00pm - All ages admitted. Also joining Crystal at this show will be bass player extraordinaire Frankie May.

Jono to produce “Book of Shadows” by Daniel Link

Jono Manson — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:18:53 +0000

Jono is slated to produce a new project with gifted singer/songwriter Daniel Link.
The two intend to join forces early in 2012 to record Link’s “Book of Shadows” album.
Stay tuned for updates on this project….

Daniel speaks a bit about the project:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iiq5XimjK78

Read Daniel’s Blog HERE

Daniel Link’s website:
http://www.daniellink.com/