This week’s featured video is a classic Pat Metheny song call “Bright Size Life”. This version features the great Richard Bona on bass and Antonio Sanchez on drums.
The original version of this song was released on the debut album of Pat Metheny in 1976. The album is called “Bright Size Life” which featured the legendary Jaco Pastorius on bass and Bob Moses on drums.
About Richard Bona
Richard is a bass player, multi-instrumentalist born in Cameron to a family of musicians. This is where he first started playing different native African instruments such as the balafon. He soon switched to the guitar and started playing in jazz clubs in Douala. Playing in these jazz clubs is where he first discovered the music of Jaco Pastorius which made him switch to electric bass and focus on that instrument solely.
He emigrated to Europe at the age of 22 and settled in Paris, France. He soon started to play with the top jazz artists in France. For example with artists such as Salif Keita, and Didier Lockwood to name a few.
While in France, he was also playing with some of the top jazz artists in the USA as well, and because of their encouragement in 1995, he moved to New York City. Soon after he started to work with artists such as Joe Zawinul, Larry Coryell, Michael, Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, George Benson, Branford Marsalis, Chaka Khan, Bobby McFerrin, and Steve Gadd and many more.
Richard joined the Pat Metheny Group in 2002 for their world tour in support of their “Speak of Now” album. He was playing bass, guitar, percussion and he provided vocals as well.
Richard Bona has released 8 solo albums. His album “Tiki“, which featured the great John Legend, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2007.
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