Soul Advice by John Menegon

After having worked for several years on the Canadian jazz scene with the great guitarists Sonny Greenwich, Mike Gauthier & Nelson Simons, and saxophonists Steve Grossman & Pat LaBarbara, he then went on to hone his skills in NYC in the mid-80s. Since moving to New York City to study Jazz at Long Island University on a full scholarship, John has performed/recorded with Dewey Redman, David “Fathead” Newman, Matt Wilson, Frank Kimbrough, John Hicks, Yoron Israel, Jack DeJohnette, Kenny Burrell, Kenny Barron, Bruce Barth, Paul Bley, Anthony Braxton's Tri-Centric Orchestra, Nick Brignola, Jimmy Cobb, Al Foster, Slide Hampton, Sheila Jordan, Lee Konitz, J.R. Monterose and many others.

John is an integral member of both the Dewey Redman Quartet and the David “Fathead” Newman Quintet. These jazz legends have taken John around the world, playing at jazz festivals in South Africa, Argentina, Turkey, Brazil, Europe and the U.S., and have been a major influence in his playing and compositions. John appears on Newman’s three most recent CDs on High Note Records, the most recent being a 2006 release entitled Cityscape.

In 2005 John recorded SOUL ADVICE, a CD of original compositions written by the musicians in the band: Mark Dziuba (guitar), John Gunther (bass clarinet, tenor & soprano sax), Tani Tabbal (drums), and Menegon (bass). The band was a feature at the Distillery Jazz Festival in Toronto in 2005. "This is a brilliant release full of rich composition and arrangement...when you have a strong well-rounded bassist like John Menegon composing, arranging, and laying down the serious low-end vibes, the music naturally flows out and around and back again seeking its root." John Trent, Chronogram

In 2004 Menegon debuted his CD Search Light. The CD is a selection of his original compositions and arrangements, and features one of jazz's greatest living legends, Dewey Redman (sax), along with John Gunther (sax/flute), Mark Dziuba (guitar), Mark McLean (drums), Tani Tabbal (percussion) and Teri Roiger (voice). "John Menegon’s Search Light is witty, atmospheric, and thoroughly engaging from one end to the other. John Menegon shows, without self-indulgence, that the bass can define the character of an ensemble as clearly and fully as any other instrument. The entire project has a surefootedness, a quiet, elegant, muscularity that radiates from Mr. Menegon’s own playing, and that is immediately apparent and compelling. The band is made up entirely of accomplished players, the best known being, in fact, saxophonist Dewey Redman, who is, once again, brilliant, and wonderful." Steven Robinson, All About Jazz

John is currently teaching bass and jazz workshops at SUNY New Paltz and Williams College.

"John Menegon’s offerings on upright bass flowered with generous solo escapades to engrossing feats of accompaniment." METROLAND

DISCOGRAPHY

SOUL ADVICE (John Menegon’s release, Maki Records) 2006

John Menegon (bass), John Gunther (sax & bass clarinet), Mark Dziuba (guitar), Tani Tabbal (drums)

SEARCH LIGHT (John Menegon’s release, Maki Records) 2004

John Menegon (bass), Dewey Redman (sax), John Gunther (sax), Mark Dziuba (guitar), Mark McLean (drums), Tani Tabbal (drums and percussion), Teri Roiger (voice)

CITYSCAPE (David Fathead Newman’s release, HighNote Records) 2006 David Fathead Newman (sax and flute), John Menegon (bass), David Leonhardt (piano)

Howard Johnson (baritone sax), Yoron Israel (drums)

I REMEMBER BROTHER RAY (David Fathead Newman’s release, HighNote Records) 2005 David Fathead Newman (sax and flute), John Hicks (piano), John Menegon (bass)

Steve Nelson (vibes), Winard Harper (drums)

STILL LIFE (Teri Roiger’s release on Maki Records) 2005

Teri Roiger (voice), Frank Kimbrough (piano), John Menegon (bass), Gil Goldstein (accordion) Matt Wilson (drums)

DEWEY REDMAN’S GUGGENHEIM GRANT PROJECT, released August 2004 A recording at Ornette Coleman’s studio featuring Dewey Redman, JOHN MENEGON (bass), Joe Lovano, Michael Bocian, Leroy Jenkins, Pharoan Aklaff Matt Wilson, Amina Claudine Meyers, Teri Roiger, Judi Silvano, Lydija Redman and others

SONG FOR THE NEW MAN (David Fathead Newman’s release, HighNote Records) 2004 David Fathead Newman (sax and flute), John Hicks (piano), John Menegon (bass)

Curtis Fuller (trombone), Jimmy Cobb (drums)

ANTHONY BRAXTON’S TRILLIUM R, composition no. 162, (Opera In Four Acts) 1991

FIFTH HOUSE (collaborative project released on Imaginary Records) 2000 John Menegon (bass), Adam Rafferty (guitar), Jeff Siegel (drums)

MISTERIOSO (Teri Roiger/John Menegon release on King Records in Japan and Maki Records in the U.S.) 1998

Teri Roiger (voice), Kenny Burrell (guitar), John Menegon (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums)

THROW OUT THE LIFE LINE (Linda Gibbs/Pat McKearn release) 2000

IF I SHOULD LOSE YOU (Sarah James release) 1995

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