“I remember the night at the Nightingale that Joan Osborne walked up to me and – literally said the following words, ‘Hi my name is Joan and I want to be a singer.” – Jono Manson
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If we’re being honest, and I usually am, I was a big fan of a lot of the music that came out of the early 90’s New York scene. While Hip-Hop was growing fast and the raw sounds of the Seattle scene were exploding across the country, there was another faction starting to pop on the lower east side of NY.
Bands like the The Worm’s, the Spin Doctor’s, Blues Traveler, and God Street Wine would eventually go on to be household names thanks to pop-friendly hooks and serious MTV airplay, but in the beginning, they were just clawing out a living at places like Dan Lynch’s and Nightingales.
Jono Manson was at the center of the scene as both a fellow musician and a mentor to those looking to break-in. A Manhattan native, Manson knew from the tender age of seven that music was his calling, and the guitar would be his weapon of choice.
I read a short profile about Jono in Mix magazine and knew when I booked my trip to Santa Fe, NM that I had to meet him and have him on the show.
After nestling into the Santa Fe landscape, Jono has gone on to open a recording studio called The Kitchen Sink. Aside from being the owner, he also works as the studio’s recording engineer, mixer and producer. Despite a jam-packed schedule Jono continues to work on his own music. He most recent album The Slight Variations, is a reflection of his four-decade long journey through the music industry.
I hope you guys enjoy getting to know Jono Manson as much as I have, and please do not forget to check out his kick-ass new album.
Special Mentions: Gibson SG Special, Slight Variations by Jono Manson, Almost Home by Jono Manson