Kombo

Famed poet, novelist and founding father of the Beatnik movement, Jack Kerouac, once stated, “The only truth is music.” There is no doubt that music has helped many find themselves. Pioneering Contemporary Jazz duo Kombo; Hammond B3 guru Ron Pedley and guitar whiz John Pondel can attest to this.

“At 14, I heard Jimmy Smith’s The Sermon,” reminisces Pedley. “It was the first time I ever heard Jazz. It opened my ears to improvisation and the simple fact that you don’t have to play what’s on the written page.” Pondel muses, “My world expanded one day when my older brother bought an FM radio! We listened to Jazz and found R&B and Rock music that we had never heard on AM radio. That day, I was convinced that I would be unhappy doing anything else with my life!” The spark that was ignited all those years ago, still burns bright for Pedley and Pondel. Their passionate and rock-solid musicianship have been summoned by such iconic artists as Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, Air Supply, Gerald Wilson, Maynard Ferguson, Paul Anka and Al Jarreau, among numerous others. Shanachie Entertainment proudly brings Kombo’s first new recording as a unit in two decades.

The anticipated, This Is The Good One, is a scintillating ten-track excursion of originals and one Curtis Mayfield classic, that brims with joy, virtuosic playing, gorgeous orchestrations in the mode of Bacharach/David and sumptuous jamming grooves inspired by the likes of Medeski, Martin, Wood, and Scofield. “We are so proud of our new record. This IS The Good One, we are on the right path!” exclaims Pedley.