Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Richard Bona: The Ten Shades of Blues

536

Richard Bona: The Ten Shades of Blues

By

View read count
Richard Bona: The Ten Shades of Blues
Widely known in jazz circles for his virtuosity on the bass, relatively little attention has been paid to Richard Bona's solo career. Pity, as his solo records are generally excellent. Bona's records have a style that can only be referred to as world music. Generally, that term is misused, but Bona truly takes his influences from all over the world. Sure, he's Cameroonian, and his heritage plays a large role. But one can also hear overt references to jazz, bluegrass, blues, European pop and much, much more in Bona's music. This adds a sense of unpredictability to his work—it's impossible to know what to expect and so just about anything is possible.

Bona's The Ten Shades of Blues continues in the same vein. There are references to India, Africa, and good ol' down home Americana, all interpreted with Bona's natural flair and effervescent smile. As on most of his other solo work, the multitalented Bona is everywhere and plays almost everything. The album opens with "Take One," a choral masterpiece—except all of the voices are Bona's. "Shiva Mantra" follows, and here Bona is credited with lead and background vocals, bass, keyboards, guitars and percussion. Somehow, on this track, Bona manages to be at the forefront of the background, keeping the music grounded in jazz and African traditions while being overtly Indian. It's Indian religious music—with a kickin' bass line.

The special guests on the album also leave their imprint. "Shiva Mantra" works due to the powerful vocals of Shankar Mahadevan (John McLaughlin's Remember Shakti) and Nandini Srikar, as well as Niladiri Kumar's tasteful sitar. "Good Times" is a showcase for R&B vocalist Frank McComb and harmonica master Gregoire Maret. Ryan Cavanaugh, Bona's compatriot in Bill Evans' Soulgrass ensemble, joins in on banjo along with fiddler Christian Howes on "African Cowboy," a rootsy bluesgrass mélange.

"M'Bemba Mama" is a highlight. A simple ballad, Bona's light yet powerful voice fits perfectly, with Jean-Michel Pilc's piano and Sylvain Luc's guitars providing beautiful counterpoint. While lighthearted, "M'Bemba Mama" is bubbling with emotion. Bona's vocal incorporates just the slightest bit of longing while managing to stay positive.

Bona is certainly a talent deserving wider recognition. His considerable musicianship speaks for itself, and his passion for music is evident in all of his work, whether as a sideman or a leader. The Ten Shades of Blues continues his excellent solo work, joining the likes of Scenes from My Life and Tiki as essential.

Track Listing

Take One; Shiva Mantra; Good Times; M'Bemba Mama; Kurumalete; Souleymane; African Cowboy; Esukudu; Yara's Blues; Sona Moyo; Camer Secrets

Personnel

Richard Bona
bass, electric

Rochard Bona: vocals, bass, keyboards, guitars, drums, percussion, mandolin, samples; Shankar Mahadevan: vocals; Nandini Srikar: vocals; Vivek Rajgopalan: mridangam, ganjira, konnakol; Satyajit Talwalkar: tabla, konnakol; Niladiri Kumar: sitar; Bob Reynolds: saxophone; Michael Rodrigues: trumpet; Marshall Gilkes: trombone; Frank McComb: vocals; Obed Calvaire: drums; Gregoire Maret: harmonica; Sylvain Luc: guitars; Jean-Michel Pilk: piano; Christian Howes: fiddle; Bailo Baa: fula flute; Jojo Kuoh: drums; Ryan Cavanaugh: banjo; Bert Van den Brink: hammond organ

Album information

Title: The Ten Shades of Blues | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Wrasse Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT



Richard Bona Concerts


Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.