JLaine
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Ernest Laine better known as JLaine is a Washington DC based Hip-Hop producer and drummer
.
. He has three close cousins. Only recently (in 2009) he connected with his half sister.
There are no musicians in his family. Nevertheless Jon started having an interest in being a musician early on. He taught himself how to play drums listening to his mother's collection of vinyl and watching metal and rap videos on MTV while emulating the drummers he saw. It was not until his senior year of high school that he began classical percussion lessons. During that time he played as the pit percussionist in plays and musicals.
Jon was heavily influenced in marching band and drum corps style drumming.
Some of his first major musical experiences were the in National Symphony Orchestra Summer Youth Ensemble, the Disneyland Collegiate All Star band, of which he beat out drummers from 100 colleges in the nation on the spot, and the Aspen Concert Jazz Ensemble.
Jon holds a Bachelor of Music
degree from the George Mason University
in Virginia. He then went on to get a Master's of Music degree at Howard University
in Washington DC.
, David Foster
, Kenny G
, Frédéric Yonnet
, Black Milk
, El DeBarge
, Erykah Badu
, Angie Stone
, Common, Steve Coleman
, Meshell Ndegeocello, Dwele
, Louie Bellson
, Charlie Byrd
, Fred Wesley
, Frank Wess
, Jimmy Heath
, Yusef Lateef
and was the drummer for Omar
's Sing (if you want it) national tour.
He also performs with local artists including RPM, Justin Jones
, Wes Felton
, Muhsinah
, Panacea
, Alison Carney and SITALI.
In 2007 he performed at the Moers jazz festival
in Germany and in 2008 at the Sons d'Hiver jazz festival in Paris with Steve Coleman
and Opus Akoben.
In addition, Laine was the winner of Downbeat Magazine's Student Music award for Best Instrumental Soloist in 2004 for his performance of Max Roach
's The Drum Also Waltzes.
(A Dub Supreme, Postcards from the Edge mixtape, The Last Temptation of Wes Felton), DJ Roddy Rod (Take N Stride), Aaron Broadus (All This Love) and Antithesis.
Jon Laine made his debut as co-executive producer for veteran singer/songwriter K'Alyn's third LP Verse 1, Chapter 3 along side his production partner, TFox.
Together JLaine and TFox are also known as The Wonderboys.
Jon Laine founded his own production company FastLaineMusic in which he has released solo material under, including, APPLE JONS, VA is for Lovers, and his tribute album to Michael Jackson
entitled Naturally Human. His current collaboration project features fellow label mates, TFOX
and Wes Felton
who go by the name ANTITHESIS.
passed, he found several ways to coordinate tributes including the J DILLA memorial concert featuring performances by Felton
, Raheem DeVaughn
, Wayna
, Grap Luva
, DJ Roddy Rod, Asheru, Cy Young, Phife
, Illa J and Dwele
. Jon Laine sat as music director for the night which added Dilla's premier group Slum Village
as the headliner. To date, Jon Laine has made the Memorial concert an annual event and was hired to direct the performance of the RBMA/XM Dilla Day event at XM studios in Washington DC featuring Pete Rock
, Talib Kweli
and Maureen Yancey.
Production Credits
SOLO
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
.
Background
Jon was born an only child to Haitian parents in Falls Church, VirginiaFalls Church, Virginia
The City of Falls Church is an independent city in Virginia, United States, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The city population was 12,332 in 2010, up from 10,377 in 2000. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township status within...
. He has three close cousins. Only recently (in 2009) he connected with his half sister.
There are no musicians in his family. Nevertheless Jon started having an interest in being a musician early on. He taught himself how to play drums listening to his mother's collection of vinyl and watching metal and rap videos on MTV while emulating the drummers he saw. It was not until his senior year of high school that he began classical percussion lessons. During that time he played as the pit percussionist in plays and musicals.
Jon was heavily influenced in marching band and drum corps style drumming.
Some of his first major musical experiences were the in National Symphony Orchestra Summer Youth Ensemble, the Disneyland Collegiate All Star band, of which he beat out drummers from 100 colleges in the nation on the spot, and the Aspen Concert Jazz Ensemble.
Jon holds a Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
degree from the George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
in Virginia. He then went on to get a Master's of Music degree at Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
in Washington DC.
Performance
Jon Laine has performed with artists including Aretha FranklinAretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
, Kenny G
Kenny G
Kenneth Bruce Gorelick , better known by his stage name Kenny G, is an American, adult contemporary and smooth jazz saxophonist. His fourth album, Duotones, brought him breakthrough success in 1986...
, Frédéric Yonnet
Frédéric Yonnet
Frédéric Yonnet is a French musician, producer and recording artist who is best known for his use of the harmonica as a lead in jazz, R&B, funk, gospel and hip-hop influenced music...
, Black Milk
Black Milk
Curtis Cross, better known as Black Milk, is a hip hop producer and MC from Detroit, Michigan.-Biography:In 2004, he formed B.R. Gunna, with Young RJ, and Fat Ray, and together they released Dirty District: Vol. 2, a follow up to a compilation released in 2001 by Slum Village, which he had...
, El DeBarge
El DeBarge
Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge is an American R&B/pop falsetto singer and was the focal point and lead singer of the family group DeBarge throughout the early to mid-1980s....
, Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
, Angie Stone
Angie Stone
Angie Stone is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She has been nominated for three Grammy Award. She is more successful on the charts R&B charts, with four Top 10 albums, forms including a number one album and 10 singles on the R&B chart,...
, Common, Steve Coleman
Steve Coleman
Steve Coleman, born , is an African American saxophone player, spontaneous composer, composer and band leader. His music and concepts have been a heavy influence on contemporary jazz.-Chicago:...
, Meshell Ndegeocello, Dwele
Dwele
Andwele Gardner , better known by his stage name Dwele is a soul singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan.-Biography:...
, Louie Bellson
Louie Bellson
Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni , better known by the stage name Louie Bellson , was an Italian-American jazz drummer...
, Charlie Byrd
Charlie Byrd
Charlie Lee Byrd was a famous and versatile American guitarist born in Suffolk, Virginia. His earliest and strongest musical influence was Django Reinhardt, the famous gypsy guitarist. Byrd became the American guitarist who best understood and played Brazilian music, especially the Bossa Nova genre...
, Fred Wesley
Fred Wesley
Fred Wesley is an American jazz and funk trombonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
, Frank Wess
Frank Wess
Frank Wess is an American jazz musician, who has played saxophone and flute.-Biography:...
, Jimmy Heath
Jimmy Heath
James Edward Heath , nicknamed Little Bird, is an American jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger. He is the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath.-Biography:...
, Yusef Lateef
Yusef Lateef
Dr. Yusef Lateef is an American Grammy Award-winning jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, educator and a spokesman for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community after his conversion to the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam in 1950.Although Lateef's main instruments are the tenor saxophone and flute, he is known for...
and was the drummer for Omar
Omar Lye-Fook
Omar Lye-Fook and known as Omar, is an internationally acclaimed British soul singer, songwriter and musician. Omar grew up in Canterbury, Kent. He learned his craft classically, playing the trumpet, piano and percussion. Omar also spent two years at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, and...
's Sing (if you want it) national tour.
He also performs with local artists including RPM, Justin Jones
Justin Jones
Justin Jones is an English musician and guitarist.Jones grew up in Inkberrow. There he founded And Also The Trees together with Nick and Graham Havas and his brother Simon Huw Jones...
, Wes Felton
Wes Felton
Wes Felton is an African-American singer/poet/actor/emcee born and raised in Washington DC.-Personal life:Wes Felton had a very musical upbringing. His father is Hilton C. Felton, a jazz pianist who had performed with George Benson, Grant Green and many others.Wes has a son named...
, Muhsinah
Muhsinah
Muhsinah is an independent singer/songwriter, producer, composer and arranger.She cites Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Nirvana and Chopin as among her influences.- Musical career :...
, Panacea
Panacea (group)
Panacea is an American hip hop duo, formed in 2003 in Washington DC. The duo consists of MC Raw Poetic and producer K-Murdock ,. Throughout their musical career, Panacea has had deals with various labels, including: Glow-in-the-Dark-Records, Rawkus Records and Tasteful Licks...
, Alison Carney and SITALI.
In 2007 he performed at the Moers jazz festival
Mœrs festival
The Moers Festival is an international jazz festival in Moers, Germany, happening yearly every Whitsun.Many famous musicians have appeared there, including Fred Frith, David Murray, Cecil Taylor, Lester Bowie, Herbie Hancock, Abdullah Ibrahim, Archie Shepp, Sun Ra, and Jan Garbarek.Over the years...
in Germany and in 2008 at the Sons d'Hiver jazz festival in Paris with Steve Coleman
Steve Coleman
Steve Coleman, born , is an African American saxophone player, spontaneous composer, composer and band leader. His music and concepts have been a heavy influence on contemporary jazz.-Chicago:...
and Opus Akoben.
In addition, Laine was the winner of Downbeat Magazine's Student Music award for Best Instrumental Soloist in 2004 for his performance of Max Roach
Max Roach
Maxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered alongside the most important drummers in history...
's The Drum Also Waltzes.
Production
Over the years Jon Laine has expanded his work to include music production. He has produced for several local acts including FeltonWes Felton
Wes Felton is an African-American singer/poet/actor/emcee born and raised in Washington DC.-Personal life:Wes Felton had a very musical upbringing. His father is Hilton C. Felton, a jazz pianist who had performed with George Benson, Grant Green and many others.Wes has a son named...
(A Dub Supreme, Postcards from the Edge mixtape, The Last Temptation of Wes Felton), DJ Roddy Rod (Take N Stride), Aaron Broadus (All This Love) and Antithesis.
Jon Laine made his debut as co-executive producer for veteran singer/songwriter K'Alyn's third LP Verse 1, Chapter 3 along side his production partner, TFox.
Together JLaine and TFox are also known as The Wonderboys.
Jon Laine founded his own production company FastLaineMusic in which he has released solo material under, including, APPLE JONS, VA is for Lovers, and his tribute album to Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
entitled Naturally Human. His current collaboration project features fellow label mates, TFOX
TFOX
TFOX is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer.-Early life:Travis Ian Fox was born June 27, 1979 in Washington D.C. to working class parents. He has two older sisters. In his parents spare time they started and played in several bands which performed top 40...
and Wes Felton
Wes Felton
Wes Felton is an African-American singer/poet/actor/emcee born and raised in Washington DC.-Personal life:Wes Felton had a very musical upbringing. His father is Hilton C. Felton, a jazz pianist who had performed with George Benson, Grant Green and many others.Wes has a son named...
who go by the name ANTITHESIS.
J Dilla Tribute
When J's favorite beat maker and DJ J DillaJ Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
passed, he found several ways to coordinate tributes including the J DILLA memorial concert featuring performances by Felton
Wes Felton
Wes Felton is an African-American singer/poet/actor/emcee born and raised in Washington DC.-Personal life:Wes Felton had a very musical upbringing. His father is Hilton C. Felton, a jazz pianist who had performed with George Benson, Grant Green and many others.Wes has a son named...
, Raheem DeVaughn
Raheem DeVaughn
Raheem DeVaughn is an American singer and songwriter. His debut album, The Love Experience , reached No. 46 on the Billboard 200 album chart. It featured the singles "Guess Who Loves You More" and "You". His second album Love Behind the Melody was released in January 2008...
, Wayna
Wayna
Wayna is an Ethiopian-born American R&B singer.Her single "My Love" reached the Billboard R&B charts in 2008, peaking at #99...
, Grap Luva
Grap Luva
Gregory Phillips better known by his stage name Grap Luva is a hip-hop producer and rapper primarily active during the 1990s as a member of the group INI His first appearance was as a guest...
, DJ Roddy Rod, Asheru, Cy Young, Phife
Phife Dawg
Malik Isaac Taylor , better known by his stage name Phife Dawg, is an American rapper of Trinidadian descent, and a member of the acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest with high school classmates Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad...
, Illa J and Dwele
Dwele
Andwele Gardner , better known by his stage name Dwele is a soul singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan.-Biography:...
. Jon Laine sat as music director for the night which added Dilla's premier group Slum Village
Slum Village
Slum Village was a hip hop group from Conant Gardens, Detroit, Michigan.The group was formed by three members: rappers Baatin and T3, plus rapper and producer J Dilla . J Dilla left in 2002 to pursue a solo career with MCA Records...
as the headliner. To date, Jon Laine has made the Memorial concert an annual event and was hired to direct the performance of the RBMA/XM Dilla Day event at XM studios in Washington DC featuring Pete Rock
Pete Rock
Peter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...
, Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
and Maureen Yancey.
Discography
Drumming credits- 1999 Tengo Ongo Sorry for the Eruption
- 2002 UrbanMinds MindState
- 2003 Aaron Broadus Feels Like The First Time
- 2003 Chris McSwain Quijotesco
- 2003 HUJE IXXI
- 2004 HUJE
- 2005 K'Alyn Verse 1, Chapter 3
- 2005 Miss Lucy Lion A Lion's Grocery List
- 2006 Elisse Perry Share A Moment of Love- (for Hurricane Katrina victims)
- 2008 Wayna Higher Ground
- 2008 Christos Time To Rise
- 2010 Justin Jones & the Driving Rain The Little Fox EP
- 2010 Alex Vans Alex Vans
- 2010 Kokayi Robots and Dinosaurs
- 2011 Oddissee Rock Creek Park
Production Credits
SOLO
- 2007 Apple Jons Tasteful Licks/FastLaine Music
- 2009 The SIX EP Tasteful Licks/FastLaine Music
- 2009 VA is for Lovers Tasteful Licks/FastLaine Music
- 2009 Naturally Human FastLaine Music
- 2010 The Underwear Classix Vol. 7 FastLaine Music
- 2011 MIV FastLaine Music
| Year | Artist | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | UrbanMinds | MindState | FastLaine Music |
| 2004 | The Wonderboys | Music Revelation- Instrumentals Vol. 1 | LadyLucy Music |
| 2005 | K'Alyn | Verse 1, Chapter 3 | Eklectrik Soul |
| 2008 | ANTITHESIS | ANTITHESIS | Tasteful Licks records |
| 2008 | Roddy Rod/J Laine | Take N Stride/DILLA CAN WIN 7" | FastLaine Music/Humble Monarch/Jazzysport |
| 2009 | Wes Felton | Distraction City | Tasteful Licks records |
| 2010 | ANTITHESIS | LOVE DAZE | Tasteful Licks records |
| 2010 | Wes Felton | Land Of Sheep, Ran By Pigs, Ruled By Wolves | Art!Hurts |
| 2011 | Gods'Illa | CPR Blendtape |
External links
- Official Website
- Jon Laine on Facebook
- Jon Laine on Myspace
- Videos
- Jon Laine on Twitter