Jon Gomm
Encyclopedia
Jon Gomm is an English
singer-songwriter and virtuoso performer, using one acoustic guitar to create drum sounds, bass lines and melodies simultaneously. His songs draw on a range of influences and styles, including blues and soul. Michael Hedges
is an important source of inspiration. To date he has two solo albums and has toured full-time since 2004.
at the age of two. Classical guitar
lessons began at the age of six, and at twelve he was accompanying his father, a music critic, to blues gigs in his home town of Blackpool
. As a teenager he played electric guitar in the style of the rock greats.
On leaving school Jon turned down a place at Oxford University studying English to attend The Guitar Institute (now part of the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance http://www.icmp.uk.com) in London
. While there he paid his way through college playing jazz in café-bars, recording as a session guitarist, and playing Country music in Working men's club
s for line-dancers
. He moved to the Yorkshire
city of Leeds
, where he is now based, to study on the Jazz
degree course at Leeds College of Music
.
His solo performances started in Leeds. He extended the sounds he could make with an acoustic guitar – hitting the surface to make snare drum
, bass drum
and bongo
sounds, re-tuning the strings to get bass sounds, and using high harmonic
s from the guitar for synthesizer-like effects. He worked these techniques into his own songs, and put his years of singing blues
into use.
Musically he is a disciple of Michael Hedges
, and as such part of a generation of guitarists using extended techniques which includes Andy McKee
and Erik Mongrain
. The tattoo on his arm is from the cover of the Michael Hedges album Oracle
.
Jon has rejected mainstream music industry values and practices and avoids playing chain venues and corporate festivals. His appearances are generally organised with independent promoters in venues like real ale pubs in rural areas, theatres or arts centre.
In addition to his own performances, he has also played gigs with Tommy Emmanuel
(Australia), Nick Harper
and Bob Brozman
.
He has performed at festivals including The Italian National Guitar Festival, The Garforth Arts Festival
and The London Guitar Show at Wembley Arena
. He performs regularly across the UK and Europe.
All songs written by Jon Gomm unless otherwise stated.
his engaging, aggressive and percussive way. Jon Gomm is an energizing
personality in his guitar playing as well as in his singing." Henk te Veldhuis
Bridge Guitar Reviews http://www.xs4all.nl/~guitars/vibrations.html
"...how on earth can one man play so proficiently a "one man
band" style that puts full bands to shame?" Sandman Magazine http://www.sandmanmagazine.co.uk
"Leeds should feel very lucky to have such a performer to call its own" Leedsmusicscene.net http://www.leedsmusicscene.net/article/4298/
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
singer-songwriter and virtuoso performer, using one acoustic guitar to create drum sounds, bass lines and melodies simultaneously. His songs draw on a range of influences and styles, including blues and soul. Michael Hedges
Michael Hedges
Michael Alden Hedges was an American composer, Acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter.-Background:...
is an important source of inspiration. To date he has two solo albums and has toured full-time since 2004.
Biography
Jon started playing ukuleleUkulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
at the age of two. Classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
lessons began at the age of six, and at twelve he was accompanying his father, a music critic, to blues gigs in his home town of Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
. As a teenager he played electric guitar in the style of the rock greats.
On leaving school Jon turned down a place at Oxford University studying English to attend The Guitar Institute (now part of the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance http://www.icmp.uk.com) in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. While there he paid his way through college playing jazz in café-bars, recording as a session guitarist, and playing Country music in Working men's club
Working men's club
Working men's clubs are a type of private social club founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of the United Kingdom, particularly the North of England, the Midlands and many parts of the South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families.-...
s for line-dancers
Line dance
A line dance is a choreographed dance with a repeated sequence of steps in which a group of people dance in one or more lines or rows without regard for the gender of the individuals, all facing the same direction, and executing the steps at the same time. Line dancers are not in physical contact...
. He moved to the Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
city of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, where he is now based, to study on the Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
degree course at Leeds College of Music
Leeds College of Music
Leeds College of Music, located in Leeds’ Quarry Hill cultural quarter, is the largest music college in the United Kingdom, with over 1,000 full-time and 1,000 part-time students. The college is best known for its leading role in jazz education and started one of the first jazz degrees in Europe...
.
His solo performances started in Leeds. He extended the sounds he could make with an acoustic guitar – hitting the surface to make snare drum
Snare drum
The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
, bass drum
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
and bongo
Bongo drum
Bongo or bongos are a Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of single-headed, open-ended drums attached to each other. The drums are of different size: the larger drum is called in Spanish the hembra and the smaller the macho...
sounds, re-tuning the strings to get bass sounds, and using high harmonic
Harmonic
A harmonic of a wave is a component frequency of the signal that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency, i.e. if the fundamental frequency is f, the harmonics have frequencies 2f, 3f, 4f, . . . etc. The harmonics have the property that they are all periodic at the fundamental...
s from the guitar for synthesizer-like effects. He worked these techniques into his own songs, and put his years of singing blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
into use.
Musically he is a disciple of Michael Hedges
Michael Hedges
Michael Alden Hedges was an American composer, Acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter.-Background:...
, and as such part of a generation of guitarists using extended techniques which includes Andy McKee
Andy McKee
Andy McKee is an American fingerstyle guitarist, currently signed to the American record label .His style of playing and his compositions have earned him a considerable international fanbase...
and Erik Mongrain
Erik Mongrain
Erik Mongrain is a Canadian composer and guitarist. He uses a unique acoustic style with a wide array of different techniques, approaches and textures reminiscent of Michael Hedges.-Biography:...
. The tattoo on his arm is from the cover of the Michael Hedges album Oracle
Oracle (Michael Hedges album)
Oracle is a recording by guitarist Michael Hedges released on the Windham Hill label. It won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album. Oracle peaked at #7 on the Billboard New Age Album charts....
.
Jon has rejected mainstream music industry values and practices and avoids playing chain venues and corporate festivals. His appearances are generally organised with independent promoters in venues like real ale pubs in rural areas, theatres or arts centre.
In addition to his own performances, he has also played gigs with Tommy Emmanuel
Tommy Emmanuel
William Thomas "Tommy" Emmanuel AM is an Australian guitarist, best known for his complex fingerpicking style, energetic performances and the use of percussive effects on the guitar. In the May 2008 and 2010 issues of Guitar Player Magazine, he was named as "Best Acoustic Guitarist" in their...
(Australia), Nick Harper
Nick Harper
Nick Harper is an English singer-songwriter/guitarist. He is the son of English folk musician Roy Harper.-Early life:Nick Harper was born in London in 1965 to the famous folk singer-songwriter Roy Harper...
and Bob Brozman
Bob Brozman
Bob Brozman is an American guitarist and ethnomusicologist.He has performed in a number of styles such as Gypsy jazz, calypso, Blues, ragtime, Hawaiian and Caribbean music. Brozman has also collaborated with musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds such as India, Africa, Japan, Papua New Guinea...
.
He has performed at festivals including The Italian National Guitar Festival, The Garforth Arts Festival
Garforth Arts Festival
The Garforth Arts Festival is an annual arts festival that takes place in Garforth, Leeds, in the United Kingdom. The events take place over a two week period in July, ending with a full-day ‘Playground Party’ on the final Saturday. The festival features a variety of art forms, including comedy;...
and The London Guitar Show at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
. He performs regularly across the UK and Europe.
Hypertension
Jon Gomm's first album, Hypertension, was released on his own label in 2003. All tracks are single takes, with no overdubs.All songs written by Jon Gomm unless otherwise stated.
- "Waiting in VainWaiting in Vain"Waiting in Vain" is a song written by reggae musician Bob Marley and recorded by Bob Marley & The Wailers, for his 1977 album Exodus. Released as a single, it hit number twenty-seven in the UK Singles Chart.-Annie Lennox version:...
" (Bob MarleyBob MarleyRobert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
) - "Clockwork"
- "H"
- "Stupid Blues"
- "Less To You"
- "Hey Child"
- "High and DryHigh and Dry"High and Dry" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, and was the first single released from their second album, The Bends . It was as a double A-side with album opener "Planet Telex"...
" (RadioheadRadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
) - "Swallow You Whole"
- "Butterfly Hurricane"
- "Happy Room"
- "Crazy Jonny"
- "Waterfall"
Don't Panic
- "Waterfall"
- "Afterglow"
- "Temporary"
- "Gloria"
- "Topeka"
- "Loveproof"
- "Surrender"
- "Rescue Song"
- "The Weather Machine"
- "Wake Up!"
- "What's Left For You?"
Press
"... influences from funk to heavy metal played inhis engaging, aggressive and percussive way. Jon Gomm is an energizing
personality in his guitar playing as well as in his singing." Henk te Veldhuis
Bridge Guitar Reviews http://www.xs4all.nl/~guitars/vibrations.html
"...how on earth can one man play so proficiently a "one man
band" style that puts full bands to shame?" Sandman Magazine http://www.sandmanmagazine.co.uk
"Leeds should feel very lucky to have such a performer to call its own" Leedsmusicscene.net http://www.leedsmusicscene.net/article/4298/