Winner of the Best of Atlanta 2008 Reader's Pick!!!........................................
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
Winner of Creative Loafing's 2008 Best of Atlanta Award for Best Jazz Band!!!!!!.................................................................................................."
Only the Atlanta-based Bonaventure Quartet could concoct such a fascinating "concept album". Their Gypsy jazz is infused with humor and a dose of the bizarre, but that only adds to the band's able musicianship, featuring the guitars of Charles Williams and Dave Boling. This is a unique album, alive with vision, fun, and hot music."
-Michael Dregni, Vintage Guitar Oct 2008..........................................
" 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).........................................................................................................
"It never, ever, gets old hearing a band play music like The Bonaventure Quartet does on The Secret Seduction of the Grand Pompadour. The band’s blend of western swing and old time jazz played through a southern filter jumps in your pocket and puts a high-dollar sprint in your step. Like Christabel and the Jons or Miss Tess, The Bonaventure Quartet brings the unmistakable music of jazz clubs and cabarets of ages past beautifully to the present and in an unsullied light. The songs are steadfast and mysterious. They are sleek and sexy, smooth like honey spread on gold bars. Amy Pike’s vocals are celestial in a bawdy kind of way — sweet and sassy, delivering something both timeless and easy to swoon over. On “Henry and June” Pike coos and purrs when she sings lyrics like “They were the love of each other’s lives.” But just as the music on The Secret is from an era many will find fresh, yet it’s not without its own diversity. Note the Asian flavor lent to “Postcards” on its opening and during each break, the Mexicali flair of “Moonlight Falling” or the Henry Mancini strut of “Lily’s on the Prowl.” Don Erdman’s sax takes a wonderfully curious walk all over the track. His clarinet playing on “The World’s Greatest Lover” charms and the combination of Erdman and Pike recalls Carmen McRae’s “You Took Advantage of Me.” The music-only interludes on The Secret are like life’s playful moments, sweet pauses before strong emotions. This is a careful and cautious creation to be sure, but the band handles it deftly with uncanny inspiration. When not focused on cooking things up, The Secret moves casually along like a stroll on a weekday afternoon. Take “The Very Idea” or “Little World” which sound like the melodies echoing in the ears of new lovers or those taking the fall unknowingly. The Bonaventure Quartet takes care to swing you around in their arms and embrace you with the same soulful manner. "(Château Debris Music)
-Brian Tucker, Southeastern Performer Magazine, August 2008.......................
"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.............................................................................................
"The Secret Seduction of the Grand Pompadour is a velvety concept album cut from a different cloth than anything the Bonaventure Quartet has done before. The group straddles a baroque in-between area of smooth, continental jazz and secretly torchy tendencies for a release that is pure mood. Vocalist Amy Pike is as classy as she wants to be, as she gives a warm romantic hue to the album's subtler moments. Her moonlit croon carries a sense of innocence and allure to "The Scene of You", while bestowing "The World's Greatest Lover" with a frolicsome air. There's no denying that it's an essential BVQ offering. It is it's most accomplished to work to date that uses shades of klezmer sounds and a gypsy jangle to add flavor to a timeless and tasteful jazz palette." Five stars! -Chad Radford, Creative Loafing, July 9-15, 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.
"Ticklin' The Strings" by Sweet Hollywaiians
Amazing Japanese hot string band playing 1920's, 30's, 40's style hawaiian, swing, calypso, blues, italian music and originals,featuring vintage instruments.3 songs with Robert Armstrong and Tony Marcus(from Robert Crumb and His Cheap Suit Serenaders)
"The Sweet Hollywaiians have probably the best feel for this 20's music of any string band working today. They manage the rare feat of sounding relaxed even when their playing is hot, are top notch musicians with tasteful arrangements and a full, rich, warm sound.Plus, they have a nice gamut of tunes, from King Nawahi to Giovanni Vicari to Bobby Leecan. See them live, if you can, for an unforgettable experience. If you can't, buy their Cds!" ~ Terry Zwigoff
hello! i am enjoying your songs. nice stuff. been a fan of amy's projects for quite some time. tell charles that lafayette hasn't changed except for wal mart coming in and killing the mom & pop businesses. thanks for adding me. hope to catch a live performance. cheers!
Ahh, Hotlanta , my former stomping grounds...Roswell, Marietta, Buckethead, Decatur...even COllege Park!! Would love to go back n check things out. Heard its been real hot down there. Hava blissful weekend, stay kool. JT
TZII - Rotten Friendship CD+DVD - OUT NOW!!! (V-ATAK 05 - NIGHT ON EARTH 07)
Hatred, love, fight, mutual aid, destruction, accomplishment, submission, devotion, treachery, trust, complementarity, opposites, fakeness, truth, lies.. these are some componants of friendship, the rotten holy link. This object contains, on a dvd and a cd, images and sounds made on Tzii's work by his supposed friends.
23 artists: TOFF, TELEMAK, BRUNO RIBEIRO (alias Nohista), ZU° Label, PILAMI, RKO, TZII, 1n0ut, CYBUNK, PATRICE MUGNIER, PLANETALDOL, LUNA DOPA, THE MASTERS MUSICIANS OF HOP-FROG, RIPIT, COUNTER PRESSURE, BRANDTKALK, STALKER, GRABUK, MADAME PATATE, UMKRA, CHAM, NEVROZ, D'INCISE, BRUNO AUDEBERT (aka Gamaboy)
you can watch a 3 tracks demo on our brand new website:
Stopping by to say "HEY". Hope you are having a great week. Just wanted to remind you that "Heart & Soul" is now on sale. Take a minute to check it out.
