Jon LaTona A Stylistic Jazz Bottom Feeder On The Path To A Great Career In The LA Music Scene

 I came across Jon Latona while writing a bio on another artist. Jon is a Bottom feeder who floored me with his style on an upright and electric to boot. I have some of his material to listen to as well as info on who he is and his contribution to up and coming bands he works with, and his involvement in not just music, but acting and film production as well. There are some links to his material down below.

 Bottom Feeder Series

 Jon LaTona Gives Bass Centered Bands a Solid Foundation

LA based Bottom-Feeder Jon Latona, who I came across in my music business dealings took this writer by surprise with his ability to improvise on the fly, and very tastefully as well. I felt this player I had to talk to, and learn more. He plays his ass off and works a regular gig at a film production house. I took a listen to Jon's 2 online songs on  www.Bandmix/jonlatona. I took 3 listens to each tune to "get it".

The two songs "Ghost" and "Blinded" are done with different bands--Marcus Very Ordinary and another band--And The Only Panda. Jon took the Bass foundation of these tunes and minimized it. Meaning he smoothed out the textural feel on Ghost. Blinded had kind of a Rock/Jazz bent with Danzig like vocals. Danzig being a rock project from the 80's and 90's with a deep guttaral vocal feel.

I say these things so other players and fans can really dig into this type of jazz and Jon's bass bottom playing. Jon's a hired gun who can adeptly wield an upright bass as well as a regular electric bass. Because of his experience he is also a lead singer who takes the vocals, and gives them a different feel, yet yearning to take it a step up. Jon is also a noticeably classically trained Bottom-Feeder, and has a progressive rock feel in his playing to boot.

Jon's last tune he sent me "Steaks On a Train" took me back to the real players of jazz improv, and as Dee Curtis my musical consultant says, takes you a musical journey. Or an external musical journey if you're a real jazz lover. Although on "Blinded" I liked the Debra Harry like vocals--but including the electronic like music didn't take the song where it should have been.Jon can help band's become what they should be as original artists and improvisers who can do cover material their way.

Here is Jon's bottom feeder equipment.

Bass: Sadowsky Jazz Bass, and an Upright Bass
Amp:  Ampeg B5R with a Porta Cab
Strings: Thomas-TIK for his upright, and DR Strings on his Electric

Here is where you can listen to Jon's Bottom Feeding on the two songs Ghost and Blinded. The song Steaks On a Train I'll have up later. Slight glitch. I'm not a genius obviously. here's Jon's muzak.

www.bandmix/jonlatona

www.myspace.com


You can contact Jon at: jonsblatona@gmail.com