Amy Pike is well known in Atlanta for her silky vocals in the Lost Continentals. As lead singer, front person, and principle songwriter for the primarily all original band, she led the Lost Continentals to 11 Best of Atlanta Swing awards. In addition, her songs from the landslide records release Moonshine and Martinis have been played nationally on radio and used in network television commercials, in fact you've probably heard Amy on Ford commercials, both on television and radio.
Charles was the original guitarist and founding member of the Aquarium Rescue Unit featuring Col. Bruce Hampton. He wrote songs featured on their two Capricorn releases, the first of which received a five star review in Rolling Stone magazine. Two of his songs have been performed regularly on the Tonight Show featuring Jay Leno for over two years. As a founding member of the Zambiland Orchestra, which performed yearly from 1997-2001 for charity, he has also performed and recorded with members of the Allman Brothers, Widespread Panic, Phish, and others. In addition to performing, recording, and teaching locally, he is also a member of Bernadette Seacrest and her Provacateurs which won Creative Loafing's 2007 Best of Atlanta award.
With the BVQ he plays a wonderful petite bouche guitar made by Maurice Dupont in Cognac, France.
As part of his calling as Djangologist, in 2002 Charles contributed to a radio documentary, "Where is Django Playing" broadcast on WKZE 98.1 New York and Deutschland Radio, Europe.
Dave Boling, on rhythm guitar, rounds out the band with his machine gun strumming. Dave has been performing around Atlanta for twenty years in a variety of styles from classical to world music ensembles. Dave's main guitar is a grande bouche, made by Dave Hodson in England.
Mike Geier, the frontman for Kingsized, and a shrewd observer of human nature, has been heard to comment in his inimitable fashion, "Dave knows a lot of chords."
Mark Bynum, on acoustic bass, is also no stranger to the Atlanta music scene. He has played with too many Atlanta notables to list, but it includes Col Bruce Hampton and the Fiji Mariners, Blueground Undergrass, Kingsized, and he is a regular performer at Atlanta's Alliance Theater and other performance groups.
Marla Feeney on violin and clarinet has played all over the country in shows and theaters groups and is equally at home in jazz, classical bluegrass, celtic-you name it and Marla can play it. ( Except poker. She's just too honest to bluff).
Don Erdman parachuted in from Argentina a few years ago to found Atlanta's premier Dixie land band-Hot 'Lanta-and he landed in Charles' backyard! Charles was annoyed until he saw the clarinet in Don's pocket. You can read more about Don Erdman here: http://members.aol.com/donerdman/home.html
" Atlanta's Bonaventure Quartet offers a fascinating amalgam of classic jazz, western swing, and plenty of originals -all arranged and played with the inspiration of Django Reinhardt." From Django Reinhardt and the Illustrated History of Gypsy Jazz by Michael Dregni and Alain Antonietto (2006 Speck Press).........................................................................................................
"The Bonaventure Quartet gives a breath of fresh air to classic jazz and swing sensibilities with a strong but elegant Gypsy flare. Django Reinhardt worship with a touch of camp gives BVQ's blend of ballroom jazz a subtle sense of humor" Creative Loafing, May 20-27, 2008.....................................................
"With the sultry, silky voice of former Lost Continentals front woman Amy Pike and the gypsy-jazz flavored guitar of Charles Williams, Bonaventure is a marvelous melting pot. They add Southern sass to the smokey jazz of Parisian cabarets between the world wars on their new album, "the Secret Seduction of the Grand Pompadour". -Shane Harrison. The Atlanta Journal/Constitution, May 22 2008......................................................................................................
The Bonaventure Quartet was originally an all-acoustic trio based in Atlanta whose initial inspiration came from the great French gypsy guitarist, Django Reinhardt.
At least, thats how it started...
Then Amy Pike started singing with us, and we didnt want her to stop...
So now were a quartet.
And, whenever Don Erdman drops in from Argentina to play clarinet
we do the quintet thing.
The repertoire of the group is diverse.
Our performances of classic standards, western swing, gypsy jazz and
original compositions all fall under the spell of the Reinhardt influence.
Moviegoers might be familiar with this style featured in the
Woody Allen* film "Sweet and Lowdown," or "Chocolat."
* Woody Allen has not compensated us in anyway for this recommendation....
But, its a good film anyway. Stay in touch, Woody.
Sunday at Eddie's was great! I'm glad I was finally able to hear you in performance again. My friends thought you were wonderful as well. We each bought your new cd.
Hey! How are you!! My EP, HURRICANE LENA is officially on iTunes! Would love it if you could head over and check it out! Can't wait to hear back from you! Much Love -CL
sup folks, good to hear from you. enjoyed your tunes very much... "your window" is great. let me know if you play up here... lotta venues for jazz. -Christian
"If one only had something to eat, just a little, on such a clear day! The mood of the gay morning overwhelmed me, I became unusually serene, and started to hum for pure joy and for no particular reason. In front of a butcher's shop there was a woman with a basket on her arm, debating about some sausage for dinner; as I went past, she looked up at me. She had only a single tooth in the lower jaw. In the nervous and excitable state I was on, her face made an instant and revolting impression on me - the long yellow tooth looked like a finger sticking out of her jaw, and as she turned toward me, her eyes wee full of sausage. I lost my appetite instantly, and felt nauseated."
