Jonathan Kessler, Bass and Percussion: General Info
Member Since
2/13/2008
Influences
Bass: Rocco Prestia, James Jamerson, Jaco Pastorious, Marcus Miller, Robbie Shakespeare, Pino Palladino, Michael Manring
Percussion: Souhael Kaspar, Salaheddin Takesh
General Music and Life: Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Parmahansa Yogananda, Suro Mike Inay, Thelonious Monk, Smitty Smith, Beth Moscov, Louie Prima, The Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, and so many more...
Sounds Like
I'll use this section to talk about the tunes:
Wisdom of a Kiss A beautiful new song by Ted Kastellic, from the new Folk in A CD, "Wisdom of a Kiss". There is wisdom beyond what we know...
Beauty Turns Inward An original instrumental by Ted Kastellic (guitar) - a soundtrack for a movie in your mind. A sweet duet for gutar and fretless bass. From "Wisdom of a Kiss".
Mindreading Blues A new blues by Ted Kastellic, the latest Folk in A CD, "Wisdom of a Kiss". If you've ever been in a relationship, you'll enjoy this one.
Harley Gone Down This contemporary reggae song, written by Jimmy Dale, features the band Irie, with Jimmy Dale on guitar, Kitaka Greaves on vocals, Smitty Smith ..boards, Rock Deadrick on drums, and myself on bass.
Varna Karsilama This is a Turkish 9/8 in the Tzingane
gypsy style, and features myself on Doumbek, Eliot Bates on Oud, Brad Wright on Shirley Force on Riqq.
12 Tribes This solo doumbek piece (with frame drum accompaniment) is based on North African rhythms.
Jonathan Kessler has been playing music professionally since 1976, in a variety of genres from Blues and R&B to Rock, Reggae, World Beat, Jazz, Funk, and traditional Arab, Turkish, Greek and Armenian music.
His primary instruments are the electric bass and the doumbek (the traditional drum of the pan-Arab world) along with related frame drums such as the Def and the Bodhran.
He has performed with such great artists as Joe Cocker, Walredo Reyes, Necati Celik, and Willam "Smitty" Smith, and opened for bands like Toots and The Maytals and The Wailers. His teaching credits include teaching several sessions at the prestigious Bass Institute of Technology in Hollywood, CA and teaching percussion for the Middle East Ensemble of the University of California, Santa Barbara. He appears on several recordings, including "At the Court of the Chera Kings" with Grammy award-winning producer Kavi Alexander.
"I may be naive, but I strongly believe that by playing music from different genres and cultures, and sharing our own musicality and experiences, we lessen the distance between ourselves and others. There is magic in music, and that magic is to bring people together."
Jonathan is currently performing blues, R&B, and roots music with Folk in A .
heya dad, just lsitened to your new track "dryad" I like it! Is that with Folk In A or Roots 66? I miss singing with you! If you ever need a mezzo-soprano on one of your tracks, you know where to find me!
I Have Two Of The Most Beautiful Ears In The World. They Don’t Hear Color, Hate, Or All Those Other Mean Things. They Hear You. Your Music. I Was Born With This. What I Hear Is The Truth Of Our Souls. That Sweet Delivery Of Emotion That Is Ours. We Music People Are Exceptional And Special. We Are All Stars In Our Own Right. I Love Your Music And Thank You For Sharing.
