Jon was born in the UK in the early 60s of mixed British and Native American ancestry. As a teenager, heavily influenced by the likes of Gong and Steve Hillage, he formed and toured the UK with the cult space-metal band Gold.
For more information on Jon’s early days simply click on the jpg above.
Jon spent the early 80s as a touring session musician playing throughout Europe, Scandinavia and, latterly, the Middle East.
To purchase this song via band camp just click on the photo above.
Always drawn to jazz music, Jon left the world of rock and pop behind in his late 20s to focus on the study of jazz guitar.
Like so many other of his family members Jon moved “back” to the United States in 1999 presenting his first US release , The Gift, on Innervision Records in 2003 to critical and commercial acclaim. The Gift reached number 1 on New York’s CIM jazz chart.
The follow up recording: 2009’s “Warm Ghosts (in a) Cold World” by his UK based trio featuring organist John-Paul Gard and drummer Andy Roger firmly established Jon as a force in the field of straight-ahead jazz guitar.
The “Smile” orchestra taken just before the session started.
Photo credit is: Francis A Willey.
Jon met Sheila Ellis as the two performed charity jazz functions for seniors across LA County. The two would work together as a duo and Jon also sat in from time to time with Sheila and her husband, producer Richard E’s, award winning genre-bending ensemble Annabel (lee). Jon knew that the pair would be the ideal foil in his quest to realize a cover version of the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s sublime “Smile of the Beyond” and despite a seven year gap between concept and revelation the musicians are also pleased to present that for you now.
Stunning video by Hal Masonberg.
There is an album in the future pipeline ,that Jon and Richard are working on,but this opening single is just the first taste of something very beautiful.