Jon Thorne

Jon Thorne is an English double bassist and composer. He is married with three children.

He was born in Rye Street Cottage Hospital on 12/2/1967 in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. He lived in Rhodesia from the age of 6 to 11. Between 11 to 15 he lived in Salcombe in South Devon before heading north to Manchester, via Plumley, Knutsford, Northwich and Oldham. He now lives on the Isle of Wight.

Musically he is self-taught and started playing at the age of 23. He has studied and played jazz for a number of years following and considers Danny Thompson his bass mentor. He has also been strongly influenced on bass by Danny Thompson and Charles Mingus.

Renowned as a passionate, energetic and highly skilled performer, Jon Thorne’s career as a double bassist has spanned a broad range of the musical spectrum.

As bassist and composer in the band Lamb between 1996-2015 he recorded 6 albums, toured 45 countries in 5 continents and played at most of the world's leading festivals including Coachella, Roskilde, Wechter, Glastonbury, Montreux Jazz, North Sea Jazz and NYC Central Park Summerstage. During the 16-year career of the successful group Lamb, Thorne acted as an unofficial third member with his most potent contribution on the group's second album Fear of Fours. This album showcased his seamless and inspired integration of the double bass with modern electronica influences, with melodicism, groove and textural sensitivity.

He has performed on MTV USA, MTV Europe and BBC television/radio, and has had music used in various British and European film, television and advertising media.

He has run an octet called Oedipus Mingus since 2000, which plays arrangements of the music of Charles Mingus.

He has also recorded, performed and appeared on albums with artists as diverse as Liam Bailey, Robert Miles, Trilok Gurtu, Robert Fripp, Donovon, Guy Barker, Badly Drawn Boy, Kate Havnevik, Lou Rhodes, James Yorkston, King Creosote, John Smith, The Accidental, CocoRosie, Amos Lee, Jesca Hoop, The Memory Band, Mr Scruff and Steve and Martha Tilston

He co-wrote six songs on the self-titled debut album by Love Amongst Ruin with drummer/vocalist Steve Hewitt, released in September 2010.

His debut album Manchester Road was released through SAM LTD/ EGEA records in 2006 featured 12 original compositions of jazz with pianist Steve Brown and drummer Luke Flowers.[1]

His first orchestral suite Watching the Well, a Manchester Jazz Festival commission, written for and featuring legendary British bassist Danny Thompson, debuted at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester in 2007, and was released on the Naim label in November 2010 to strong critical acclaim.

He is a member and campaigner for The Green Party.

In 2014 he formed The Love Party, an advocation of his personal political philosophy.

He Dj's as DJ Random.

A selected discography

Charms Against Sorrow -Hannah Sanders CD 2015
Backspace_Unwind - Lamb CD 2014
The Sea - Martha Tilston CD 2014
Definitely Now - Liam Bailey CD 2014
James Yorkston - The Cellardyke Recording And Wassailing Society CD 2014
Crown Electric - Kathryn Williams CD 2013
Phonograph - Jesca Hoop Single 2013
Great Lakes - John Smith CD 2013
Nat Birchall - World Without Form CD/LP 2013
Machines of Love and Grace - Martha Tilston CD 2012
I was a Cat from a Book- James Yorkston CD 2012
5 - Lamb CD 2011
Live at Koko - Lamb CD 2011
As the Sun Comes Up - Jay Leighton CD 2011
Thirteen - Robert Miles CD 2011
Snowglobe - Jesca Hoop CD 2011
Oh My Days - The Memory Band CD 2011
Watching The Well - Jon Thorne CD 2010
Lucy and the Wolves - Martha Tilston - CD 2010
One Good Thing - Lou Rhodes - CD 2010
Map or Direction - John Smith - CD 2009
Folk Songs - James Yorkston - The Analogue Catalogue Sessions CD/DVD 2009
Ninja Tuna – Mr Scruff 2008
Hairy Bumpercress - Mr Scruff - 12” 2008
Bloom - Lou Rhodes - CD 2007
Migrating Bird - The songs of Lal Waterson - Various ( with James Yorkston ) 2007
Cortina Deluxx - Debut EP - 10" Vinyl -2006
Of Milkmaids and Architects - Martha Tilston CD 2006
Manchester Road - Jon Thorne's Oedipus Complex CD 2006
Beloved One - Lou Rhodes ( as composer ) CD 2006
Remixed - Lamb CD 2005
Best Kept Secrets - Lamb 2004 CD and DVD
Miles/Gurtu - Robert Miles/Trilok Gurtu LP 2004
Between Darkness and Wonder - Lamb CD 2003
Back to Mine LP ( w The John Ellis Big Bang ) MJ Cole CD 2002
Fear of Fours - Lamb CD 1998
Lamb - Lamb CD 1996.

He occasionally teaches privately, his most notable student so far has been John Parker from Nizlopi.

References

  1. ↑ Walters, John L (21 July 2006). "Jon Thorne's Oedipus Complex, Manchester Road". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 June 2010.