My Moscow story with Igor Butman |
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Photo link |
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Jon Hammond's first Billboard article, March 17 1984 |
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Behind the Beat: Artist Feature by Steven Rosenfeld |
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International Kultur and Multi Media ProductionsBackBeat Productions, New York USA San Francisco, Times Square office New York, New York laterent@webtv.net www.callasong.de/hammond http://community.webtv.net/laterent/TheWorldsFastest www.laterent.de European Tour Manager-ROBERT HUTYA r.hutya@web.de |
Jon Hammond-RESUME
Born: Chicago 1953
Instruments: Organ, Accordion, Piano Attended: Berklee College of Music, Boston 1974. Currently studying International Business on Internet at City College of San Francisco under Professor Bruce Lilienthal Languages: English, German Musician: Jon has played professionally since age 12. Beginning as a solo accordionist, he later played Hammond B3 organ with a number of important San Francisco bands. His all-original rock group "Hades" opened shows for Tower of Power, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Michael Bloomfield. Eddie Money and Barry Finnerty became musical associates. Moving east, he attended Berklee and played venues as diverse as Boston's "Combat Zone" and the exclusive Wychmere Harbor Club in Cape Cod, where he was house organist and developed a lasting friendship with House Speaker Tip O'Niel. He also toured the Northeast and Canada with the successful show revue "Easy Living", and continued his appearances at nightclubs in Boston and New York. Subsequently Hammond lived and traveled in Europe, where he has an entusiastic following. TV/Video Producer: In 1981 Jon formed BackBeat Productions. Assisted by Lori Friedman (Video by LORI), the innovative TV show became a Manhattan Cable TV favorite. Jon's "Live on the Street" video style included news events, as well as live music/video clips of Dizzy Gillespie, Paul Butterfield Jaco Pastorious, John Entwistle, Sammy Davis Jr. and Percy Sledge. The weekly show ran uninterupted for 21 years and influenced the broadcasts of David Letterman and others. Billboard Magazine hailed Jon's show as "The Alternative to MTV". The Jon Hammond Show can be seen worldwide at various times from www.MNN.org on Channels 56 and 108 in Manhattan. Media Personality: Host and narrator of his TV show, as well as co-host of numerous radio braodcasts, Jon has defined a musical and personal style that is unmistakable. As Musical Director, Producer and Host of The Jon Hammond Show, Mr. Hammond formed a unique multi-media music group. This spring they will return to Europe to perform at the Frankfurt Musikmesse for 22nd year Jubilee! Hammond has produced a live Sennheiser Microphone CD release, and played throughout Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland and Czech Republic. October 16th 2002 Mr. Hammond performed in duo together with FangLin, the Chinese accordion champion sensation to inaugurate the new international trade show-MUSIC CHINA at the official opening reception in Shanghai China! Description: "The Jon Hammond Show" is a funky, swinging Jazz instrumental revue, featuring notable international soloists and reflecting the influences of The Crusaders, Miles Davis, and Jimmy Smith. The show has universal appeal. Members of the "Jon Hammond Show" house band have included David "Fathead" Newman, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, Alex Foster and Cornell Dupree. Member local 6, local 802 and ASCAP contact: JON HAMMOND International, Inc. kontakt: Hammond Suzuki Deutschland Michael Maier-Falkenstein: (011).49.7345.919.293 fax 294 SF/New York/FRA Jon's music is currently getting radio play in 13 countries. |
BOB POPYK of AFM's INTERNATIONAL MUSICIAN Magazine profiles JON HAMMOND in his monthly motivational column: FOCUS !
Focus
International Musician, July 2005 Whatever Happened to Those Jazz Clubs on Every Corner? I live in a city of about 250,000 people. Vinnie Falcone, a member of Local 369 (Las Vegas, NV) who played and conducted for Frank Sinatra, and now works with Steve & Eydie and Robert Goulet, used to live and work here. That was about 35 years ago. When he wasn't selling pianos for a local Hammond/Steinway dealer, he probably played in almost every club within a 20-mile radius of here at one time or another. There were tons of them. Falcone and I talked about this just the other day. We came up with the names of the clubs that used live music five to seven nights a week. They could be found on almost on every street corner. Now they are all gone. Jazz groups, blues bands, singles, duos, and trios were always working; and if you came up with a new group you could, in all likelihood, find a club owner who would give you a shot. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. It's tough to make a living as a jazz musician today. But É you can make a living if you work at it. Like most things, I think it's just a matter of wanting it badly enough. One thing I've found out from the readers of this column is that musicians seem to be divided into two segments: 1) musicians who won't play anything they don't like or any venue that doesn't suit them; and 2) musicians who need to work because they need to pay their bills and find all kinds of ways to fill their calendar. I still get occasional letters from readers who say that it's not their fault that they are not getting enough work. I guess then the logical question would be: whose fault is it? I really appreciate the insight of those musicians who have creative and interesting ways of finding work, and I sympathize with the musicians who need to get out there and find gigs just to pay the rent. I don't have all the answers, but a lot of our fellow AFM members have some very good answers. One in particular is Jon Hammond, a member of Local 802 (New York City) and Local 6 (San Francisco, CA). Hammond has found a way to get his own TV show broadcast on Time Warner Cable and RCN cable access, he has produced a CD that gets airplay on jazz radio stations around the world, and he plays at Music Performance Fund (MPF) gigs on a regular basis on both coasts. He has booked himself on several European tours, played jazz clubs in Germany and many other locations in Europe, year after year, and has found a way to obtain instruments from national manufacturers for endorsements, advertising, or trial. Hammond is also a perfect example of "success being in the mind of the beholder." When he put together his first self-booked German tour 20 years ago, he saved up enough money to fly to Europe on Pakistan Airlines. He only had $50 in his pocket when he landed there. Hammond came home 10 months later with $150 in his pocket. He was able to pay for rent, food, and everything he needed during his time on the road in Europe. He wasn't rich, but he was happy--and he firmly believes it was also a terrific learning experience. Over the ensuing years Hammond has performed with some of the world's top jazz musicians, and he now lives in midtown Manhattan and plays any and every job he can, on either coast. Money is not his prime motivation. He just loves to play. He makes it work, through sheer hard work, and he prides himself on being a union musician. If you are a jazz musician, perhaps you might like to ask him some questions of your own, and share some ideas. Hammond is very approachable. His phone number is (212) 967-1858. Ask him about how he put together his TV show, how he successfully gets radio airplay, how he lands MPF gigs, and how, through it all, he always keeps money coming in to pay the rent. He's found a way to do state-funded programs in prisons, nursing home gigs, and casual dates in clubs. (He's scrambled so much over the years that his new CD is called Late Rent.) Hammond does not play for free. He finds ways to get paid. He agrees that the only thing you get out of playing a free gig is the opportunity to do another free gig. I know jazz musicians can have a tough struggle, and it's true that there simply are not as many places to play as there once were. But that is not to say that jazz players can't find work. Venues have changed, clubs have closed, but people still want to listen to cool sounds. Jazz festivals in major cities are still popular. Radio stations still offer jazz programs. PBS stations showcase jazz artists in their programming. It's just not as easy to make money at it as it once was, but you can still make a living. I don't have all the answers. I think Hammond has some. I bet if you brainstorm with your fellow AFM members who specialize in jazz, you can go one better and come up with a lot of other ideas yourself. A positive attitude is obviously going to play a big part, but if you want to play jazz and make a few bucks, there are certainly ways to do it. It really is a matter of wanting to be a jazz musician badly enough. --Bob Popyk is a member of Local 78 (Syracuse, NY) and Local 47 (Los Angeles). BACK |
*NEWS FLASH: Jon Hammond Trio appearing first time in Russia's top jazz venue: Le Club Moscow-June 21/22!
**JON HAMMOND NEWS FLASH: Hammond's Bolero now available on Apple iTunes Store! New for 2004
Jon was presented by the great Russian tenorsaxophonist Igor Butman and Faina Antonova for his very first appearance in Russia at supper jazz club "Le Club" in Moscow Russia June 21/22, 2003! Nastarovya! *Moscow story: http://community.webtv.net/GoldenPenMan/BLUESINTHEMOSCOW |
artist rep HAMMOND SUZUKI DEUTSCHLAND, EXCELSIOR ACCORDIONS
Musical Styles: swingin' Funky Jazz and Blues, Bossa Nova, Ballads, ROCK and Ethnic
39th year in business. |
THE JON HAMMOND SHOW is a Music and Travel Soft News Program, featuring Top International Soloists. 17 years Time/Warner TV New York
The show has Universal Appeal Stay tuned for JH SHOW coming your way soon, streaming on the World Wide Web! |
Jon Hammond uses Sennheiser Akkordeon Amplification Microphone System...
evolution series,,,defining sound "The FINGERS....are the SINGERS!" |
JON HAMMOND : JAZZ MOSCOW RUSSIA! |
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