BONGO JOHN

BIO

Bongo John is an artist developing a notable reputation in the RTP area for his skills as a drummer, percussionist, keyboard player, songwriter, and recording engineer. Most of his formative years were spent recording noises and experimenting with sound recordings, which eventually led to his position as a recording engineer at Studio 313 in Morrisville, NC, where he has been working for over four years. He has thorough experience with ProTools HD, Logic, and Sonar recording software platforms.

With an eclectic taste in song-writing, he has managed to work with several styles/genres of music, such as rock, jam-band, funk, pop, reggae, folk, jazz, blues, drum-n-bass, electronica, world beat and classical.

In his 14+ years living in the Raleigh area, he has recorded/performed with many artists, which include:

Currently, he plays drums/percussion for:

Sean Aitken

Occam's Slingblade

Miles Partridge & The Hipslack

Rubber Gypsy

Rebecca Lynne

He released prior to "Havana Sunrise" two solo albums: "Over Wunderkind Wondering" and the comedy album "Tallyho Aloha". He has a classically based concept record in the works titled "Oppenheimer In Dust Trees" and is starting pre-production on his next solo effort, "Savannah Sunset". He has recorded & mixed over 10 albums at Bongo John Studios and Studio 313:

Leah Magner

The Monika Jaymes Band

Several of said recordings were mastered at The Kitchen by Brent Lambert (Carrboro, NC) and Bluefield Mastering by Jeff Carroll (Raleigh, NC).

He has also composed/contributed music for three underground films via Guerilla Pictures:

"The Furies"

"Unresolved"

"Zebulon Pike's Night of Wretching"

Currently, Bongo John works as a professional recording engineer, producer (Heart Song Productions), and project coordinator at Raleigh Recording Studios as well as a recording engineer at Bongo John Studio's [natch], and doing part-time work for Studio 313.

"...it is great to hear so much originality after many decades of sound alike bands both locally and in the mainstream. I believe, if put in the right hands, Havana Sunrise could just be the album that gets Bongo a record contract. Therefore, I give it five stars"

- Sue Hardee
Raleigh Music

"Bongo has outdone himself again ! Havana Sunrise is fun & playful as all his records are... But this one manages to reveal his mature talents as both player and engineer... Well on his way to being a proficient producer"

-Andy Garber
LiveAudioMagazine

Appeared in the "On The Move" column of the March 2005 issue of Modern Drummer Magazine as well as appeared in the May 2010 issue of Drum ! Magazine (click to enlarge the images below).