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| BONERAMA |
| 2007 MainStage KEW Gardens |
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New Orleans Trombone Magic - You ain't heard nothin' like it!
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The Band: (L-R) Craig Klein - Mark Mullins - Matt Perrine - Brian O'Neil - Steve Suter
(not pictured: Bert Cotton - guitar, Eric Bolivar - drums)
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The sheer force of four trombones playing simultaneously was to be their calling card. New Orleans is well known for its excess and it should be no surprise that their musicians are prone to overindulge a bit. Still, when Mark Mullins and Craig Klein formed the trombone blitzkreig of Bonerama, skeptics and traditionalists raised their voices in puritanical protest. A funk-rock troupe of trombone players had never been done, even in the ‘anything goes’ environs of New Orleans. Who did these guys think they were? Isn't one trombone loud enough? Mark Mullins and Craig Klein didn't think so.
The initial stirrings of the trombone cavalcade known as Bonerama began in 1998, when Mullins and Klein found themselves with some rare time off from their steady gig in Harry Connick Jr's big band. Though both have exposed their fine jazz abilities, Mullins and Klein didn't envision a jazz trombone assemblage. Instead, the Bonerama sound was to deliver pure horn muscle - Rock ‘n’ roll along with the second-line funk of their New Orleans roots.
Gathering up a dizzying display of trombone talent, Mullins and Klein quickly brought fellow honking peers Steve Suter, Brian O’Neill and Rick Trolsen into the fold. Augmenting their horn attack came the imaginative and dynamic sousaphone player, Matt Perrine, the edgy experimental guitar of Bert Cotton, and the entrenched rhythmic pocket of drummer Chad Gilmore (though New Orleans drumming heroes Russell Batiste, Doug Belote and Kevin O’Day have been known to step behind the kit on occasion). After several well-received local gigs, a noticeable buzz began to form around the Bonerama sound as one that defied typical labels. A thunderous funk attack might suddenly turn into an acid rock meltdown. Their unpredictability was infectious…
In 2001, Bonerama released their debut album, Live at the Old Point. Rave reviews from OffBeat magazine, Gambit Weekly, and The Times Picayune cemented a belief that many music lovers in the area had already known. Bonerama became one of the hottest, most creative bands in New Orleans. Soon the ensemble hit the road, selling out venues like Manhattan’s Tobacco Road. San Francisco’s Boom Boom Room has welcomed Bonerama with open arms and packed houses each time they’ve come around.
As much as these successful tours have helped spread the trombone gospel to music fans around the country, it has been the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival that truly launched the band. Their performances at Jazz Fest have caused quite a stir, even garnering the attention of David Fricke, Rolling Stone editor, and quite possibly the most influential rock critic in the country. In his widely admired "On the Edge" column, Fricke lauded the band's powerful musical presence calling them "the ultimate in brass balls...five trombones blowing power chords and punchy riffs like true air guitars." Not surprisingly, their Live at the Old Point CD has been a top-seller at the festival for three straight years.
In March of 2004, Bonerama returned to New York for back-to-back nights at Tribeca Rock. Musical guests included Galactic's Stanton Moore on drums, and the legendary trombonist Fred Wesley of the JB Horns. Fortunately for all, the gigs were recorded, and the fruits of these musical labors were released on “Live From New York.” The band has gained a remarkable reputation for incendiary live performances, as well as a devout and ever-expanding fan base.
In September 2006, the band recorded several live shows at New Orleans's beloved Tipitina's. The plan is to release these recordings in the spring of '07.
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