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JON DUNN PROJECT
performs a mixture of original songs, cover tunes, and jazz and blues-influenced instrumental pieces. The players include Jon Dunn, the talented bass guitarist Barry Buskirk, guitarist dobroist Stuart Harmening and drummer Mark Cordray. |
If you’ve patronized downtown’s Creole Red seafood restaurant in the past few months, you’re likely to have caught any number of gigs by guitarist Jon Dunn and his backing group, The Jon Dunn Project. That nondescript but funky eatery has been a home base of sorts for Dunn’s trio, which has had a standing (if intermittent) weekend engagement there for some time now.
This Massachusetts songwriter and flatpicking guitarist who has made his home in our area for the past couple of years is preparing to celebrate the release of a new compact disc. That album, entitled Southern Tracks and Outtakes, compiles nine cuts from a variety of sources, including live dates at both Tybee Island’s Café Loco and Sproat Hall in St. Paul’s Cathedral in Boston.
While the performances themselves can be quite captivating, the recording quality varies greatly from cut to cut. The best way to approach this anthology is as one would a promotional sampler or sanctioned bootleg. Then it is easy to forgive the awkward transitions and sonic deficiencies, to focus instead on the material.
Although he has only been actively playing guitar since he was twenty-five, the thirty-something artist (whose work has been compared to that of Bruce Cockburn and Suzanne Vega) says he feels he only really began to make his mark on his chosen instrument in the past five or six years.
This first-generation immigrant from the United Kingdom (his father moved to the States to study at Cambridge) says he was drawn to the guitar at an early age, despite a surprisingly large number of pianists in his family. He first tried his hand at playing the drums, which irritated the hell out of (his) father, but during his twenties, found solace in composing narrative songs on the guitar.
He began as a writer before moving into the realm of music, studying under Rob Chibka (who himself studied under John Irving). According to Jon, the discipline and beauty of Dickensian phrasing that Professor Chibka stressed in his classed has had a profound impact on the mood and tone of Dunn’s own songs.
Continuing education seems to be a recurrent theme in Jon’s life, as he has continually sought out guidance in both his writing and musical endeavors. Steadfastly claiming that he never wanted to be one of those guys who learns the basics of guitar and then comes up with just enough originals and cover songs to be able to play out, he has devoted himself to mastering his instrument, and to that end has studied under a number of talented instructors.
Chief among these teachers is Jon Damien. According to Jon, Damien is a respected player who has worked with such luminaries as Johnny Cash and Linda Ronstadt, but whose main claim to fame is as the author of The Guitarist’s Guide to Improv, Which Dunn describes as a spiritual bible for jazz guitarists. Dunn attended a week-long master class with Damien at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. Jon says that as a result, he feels he has recently reached a turning point in his musicianship.
However, he’s not done just yet.
All I have to do is listen closely to realize there’s a whole other stratosphere of chops that I aspire to but that’s true of anyone who truly wants to be a real musician.
This yearning to reach a higher level of artistry continues on through the current incarnation of his backing band.
There’s always an aspect of improvisation in what we do live. We cover (The Police’s) ‘Wrapped Around Your Finger,’ and we hit the same changes, but the length of the tune varies as do the styles and the length of the solos. That’s very important to me.
After a few lineup changes, the band seems to have hit its stride, and lately they’ve been branching out into some new markets, including Charleston, Beaufort and Statesboro. The guitarist is looking forward to December shows in Athens and Atlanta.
The fifth track of his new disc, Tempting Jurena is the sole cut to feature his current band albeit with their former drummer and is also the only song captured live at Tybee’s own Café Loco (which Dunn says is one of his favorite places to play). It finds them in thrall amidst an appreciative crowd, but unfortunately, it’s difficult to make out much of the proceedings due to the quality of the recording.
It’s been a bit of a battle dealing with club owners in this area, but I’m a big fan of Joel out at Café Loco. He was a saint to us last summer. He paid us well, never hassled us and kept his word. That’s not always been my experience around here.
Dunn’s band just signed with an established booking agency, and he’s excited at the prospect of playing more regularly throughout the Southeast. He’s also gearing up to cut a live-in-the-studio album toward the end of the year.
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