Jonathan Best
Featured
on New Music Arizona
Concert, June
20, 2010, 3:00 PM
Jonathan Best (www.jonathanbest.com) needs an audience
to bounce off of and go to unexpected places. He might
decide to see what’s on his transistor radio and loop
it. And if the audience is with him he might overdub
himself brushing his teeth then play one of his
heartfelt poetic ballads to the new funky beat. He might
take the mic to the audience and add them to the loop.
But then again he might decide to just play the piano by
itself and take everyone into a meditative state and
then entice people to create three part harmonies. You
just never know and he doesn’t know either.
Jonathan has been playing music around the world for over
20 years. He was taught the finer points of gospel music
early in his career as he toured the Pentecostal churches
of New York City and the south with The Elect Lady
Evangelist Shirley Davis. His blues and R&B leanings
also landed him gigs with bands such as The Drifters, South
African singer Cosbie Mbele, and Defunct. His odd sense of
humor brought him together with the notorious Peter
Stampfel (Holy Modal Rounders) for a number of albums and
tours, culminating in the job of producing and recording
Stampfel’s last album with the award winning Bottlecaps
“The Jig is Up”. He also performed and recorded with
various Latin bands, a synthesis which brought him together
with David Byrne (Talking Heads) for a seven month world
tour and a feature film.