Jamie Bonk (jazz guitarist / recording artist) CITY: Toronto, Ontario, Canada WEBSITE: www.jamiebonk.com
FAVORITE MUSIC SOFTWARE: Logic & MainStage
Namba Gear: Big Namba Studio Backpack
Jamie Bonk is a contemporary jazz guitarist whose music draws on various styles including Jazz, Chill and Pop. His music has been heard on over 700 radio stations world-wide and he has won or has been nominated for a number of awards including: Nominee for “Guitarist of the Year” (Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards 2005) and Winner of Album of the Year and Best Instrumental Album Acoustic for “My World” (NAR Music Awards 2004). Jamie is currently performing in the Toronto/Southern Ontario region, composing for his next release, and conducting an ongoing series of seminars for Apple focusing on digital recording. Jamie uses and is endorsed by Godin Guitars.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST PROJECT. I’m writing for my sixth release right now and things couldn’t be going better! There have been times in the past when the tunes came slowly, but over the last few months things have (thankfully!) been going great. I’ve written almost 40 new pieces, of which 15-20 are what I would call “album quality”. Over the next month or so, I’ll narrow down the song list, roll up my sleeves and start the hard work of arranging/producing/recording the tracks. I’m hoping I can enlist the help of all of the great musicians I’ve played with on my previous records and create an album that combines my love of both acoustic and electronic music.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT YOUR NAMBA GEAR BAG?: I suppose this is a cliche but: Form meets function. I’ve been moving gear around now for probably 30 years or so — that’s carrying lots and lots of different setups into rehearsals, gigs, events, teaching, etc. I’ve found without bags and cases built specifically for music gear, very quickly my focus turns off of music. The last thing I want to be concerned about when going to a gig is whether or not my computer is safe or if I’ve forgotten a cable or battery. All of the different storage areas in my Big Namba Studio Backpack help to keep me organized and the padded compartments make sure all of my gear is safe and secure. In the end, it helps me to concentrate on the important thing – music!
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? I was looking at some of the other artist profiles on the Namba Gear website and couldn’t help but think we live in an absolutely amazing era! Like many of the other profiled artists, my studio is wherever I am. Sure there are a few things like my guitars and my studio monitors that won’t fit in my Big Namba Studio Backpack (maybe you guys are working on the Huge Namba Studio Backpack right now!), but for the most part my entire studio is now in a great backpack. Thank you Namba Gear!
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