Jon Cleary (musician)
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| Jon Cleary | |
|---|---|
| Origin |  Kent, England |
| Genre(s) | Funk, R&B |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Label(s) | HQ Records, Basin Street Records, Virgin/Point Blank,Ace Records |
| Website | www.joncleary.com |
Jon Cleary is a funk and R&B musician based in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is from Cranbrook in Kent, England, and has studied for the past 20 years the "musical culture and life of New Orleans," according to his website. [1] Cleary is an accomplished pianist, vocalist and song-writer.
Jon Cleary performs with a number of music luminaries including Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, B.B. King, Ryan Adams, and Eric Burdon. Compositions by Cleary have been recorded by notable musicians including Taj Mahal and Bonnie Raitt.
Cleary's current band is Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, who have two current albums. Cleary has three solo albums.
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[edit] Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen
Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen consist of Cleary on keyboard and vocals; Derwin"Big D" Perkins (1974-) on guitar; Cornell C. Williams (1962-) on bass and backup vocals; and Eddie Christmas on drums. All of the band members excepting Cleary were born in New Orleans.
The band is generally well received, drawing large crowds of locals at classic New Orleans venues like Tipitina's and the Maple Leaf Bar. They are also a mainstay at the annual Jazz and Heritage Festival and have played at Bonnaroo as well as other music festivals. Critics agree with the locals, and Cleary receives the lion's share of praise, but the critics don't fail to point out that the Absolute Monster Gentlemen complement and elevate Cleary's musicianship, as well as pointing out that they are technically skilled musicians. Rolling Stone's David Fricke wrote of the "Pin Your Spin album "Cleary can be an absolute monster on his own, but Cleary’s full combo R&B is as broad, deep and roiling as the Mississippi river, the combined swinging product of local keyboard tradition, Cleary’s vocal-songwriting flair for moody Seventies soul and the spunky-Meters roll of his Gentlemen." [1]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Do Not Disturb EP — (FHQ Records, 2007)
- Pin Your Spin — (Basin Street Records, 2004)
- Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen — (Basin Street Records, 2002)
- Moonburn — (Virgin/Point Blank, 1999)
- Alligator Lips & Dirty Rice — (Ace Records, 1994)
[edit] References
- ^ Rolling Stone Review, April 21, 2004, David Fricke
