Photo: William Coupon
Jono (age 12) in 1973
Jono Manson - Electronic Press Kit
“Manson attacks the high art of low-rent songcraft with a paid assassin’s precision.”
- No Depression Magazine
Jono Manson is a prolific singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, veteran performer and master storyteller whose career spans over five decades. From the dive bars of New York City to the stage at Madison Square Garden and beyond, Manson has built an extraordinary life in music as a performer, producer, and audio engineer. His diverse, genre-bending work draws on roots, rock, soul, pop, and country traditions, painting vivid portraits of resilience and humor, delivered with honest conviction.
Jono comes from a family full of creative people. His mother was a principal dancer for the Martha Graham company and his cousins are filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, so it's not surprising that he formed his first all-original band at the age of seven, and never looked back. Starting his professional journey in the 1970s, Manson became a central figure in the NYC underground scene. His band, Joey Miserable and The Worms, was credited by The New York Times as "local heroes" who influenced and mentored a generation of young musicians, including the likes of Joan Osborne, who hailed them as “master entertainers” who “always had the crowds eating out of their hands.”
From the beginning, Manson learned his craft through interactions with other musicians, rather than from formal training, and to this day his collaborative spirit remains legendary. He has shared the stage with Pete Seeger, backed Bo Diddley, and maintained a long-standing creative partnership with John Popper of Blues Traveler. From writing and producing projects for American Idol finalist Crystal Bowersox, to travelling to Pakistan as part of his ongoing collaboration with Sindhi sufi/rock stars The Sketches, to producing albums for Italian rockers The Gang, to writing music for a Kevin Cosner film and collaborating with KT Tunstall, Manson continues the work of an inspired artist determined to continue forging his legacy one song at a time. Throughout his career, he has amassed an impressive discography of major label and indie releases across three continents.
Based in Santa Fe, NM since 1992, he is the founder and chief engineer of "The Kitchen Sink" recording studio. A seven-time "Producer of the Year" recipient at the New Mexico Music Awards, Manson has nurtured projects for Grammy winners and local artists alike, and has collaborated with Tom Paxton, Warren Haynes, Eliza Gilkyson, Amanda Palmer, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Tim Grimm, T Bone Burnette, David Berkeley, Tom Russell, Gary Nicholson, Edoardo Bennato, The Mother Hips, The Limeliters, and the list goes on. He has done all of this while continuing to record and perform his own music, far and wide.
"Listening to Jono Manson’s 10th solo album—with its abundance of instant grabber hooks and smartly constructed riffs, shiny melodies and warm harmonies, confident, seductive vocal performances and intelligent, relatable story lines—you have to wonder one thing. Why isn’t this guy famous?" - Relix Magazine
"From poignant poet to playful prankster, Jono Manson is a shining star in his own right."
- TJ Music Magazine
"Jono Manson is one of the most sincere, creative and original interpreters of American songwriting." - Mescalina Magazine