“I didn’t want to record a famous Jaco song, but Gil Goldstein found this tape for me – it was Jaco playing piano”: How Richard Bona found a rare Pastorius tune for his Brazilian-inspired solo album
With bass in hand Richard Bona speaks many languages – but catch him in the middle of a phrase, and it’s as if his notes are chosen just for your ears. Add his haunting falsetto vocals, and now you’re listening to arguably the most identifiable, soul-stirring voice on the bass guitar since Jaco Pastorius.
His first instrument was the balafon – similar to a xylophone – which he learnt to play at age five. By 11, he was a guitarist in bands in Cameroon and by 14 was adept at jazz. Subsequent moves to Paris and then New York added to his story: he took up the bass following an epiphany when he first heard Jaco.
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