“Yo Bonz” was written in November 1989 for my good friend Barry Greenspan, the bassist for my first band, Torn Pockets. There are only a handful of songs written in that period that I still play and this is one. Influenced by Pat Martino and a direct result of the lessons I took from him Yo Bonz has remained a staple in every jazz band I’ve played in since.
Its up-tempo drive and modern chord changes make it an ideal vehicle for a band to stretch out. I recorded it in 1999 for the On The Mile CD Different Lines, and performed it numerous times with RedShift. When my good friend and drummer Tyler Walton graduated from Cal State Fullerton we played Yo Bonz at his master’s recital.
RedShift live at the Blue Beet 1/31/2018
Track from the On The Mile CD “Different Lines”
Performance fro Tyler Walton’s Graduation Recital
Original Manuscript
