Mike Bono

Red, white, and blue lights streaked across the stage ceiling as I entered the

Regatta Bar in Harvard Square. The room was arranged in a typical jazz style: small

four person tables stacked closely together and dim mood lighting. The show

started at 7:48pm. The stage was lined with people of all ages, mostly musicians,

with several college students. These kids were bright eyed and bushy tailed, eagerly

waiting for the show to start.

The Mike Bono Group just released their first album, entitled From Where

You Are, last month. Mike, a recent graduate from the Berklee College of Music,

brought together five other dazzlingly talented musicians to help him spread his

music to the world. Together, Mike (guitar), Matthew (tenor saxophone), Christian

(piano), Jared (bass), Naseem (cello) and Roberto (drums) brought to the stage a

calming swagger that can only be described as the aura that jazz musicians naturally

exude when in the spotlight.

Throughout the entire show, they played with precision and confidence.

The bond between these six men could be not only heard, but seen as well. The

sextet played seven songs off of their new album, like “The Sound of Falling”, “Statue

Chess”, “The First Dance”, and “Anthem”, to name a few. Mike also dedicated “I’ll Be

Seeing You”, a popular jazz standard, to his mother and best friend. They closed with

the first song that they ever played together as a group: “Closure”, another original.

I honestly cannot get over Mike’s playing. It was the first time I have heard

his original compositions before, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Moreover, he

looked like he enjoyed playing for us. His articulation and phrasing have always

been impressive, but this concert took my view of him to another level. I also want

to note that Jared played a damn good bass, but that’s because I’m partial to bassists.

From one tenor saxophone player to another, Matthew’s licks kept me on my toes.

They were tasteful and rhythmically unique, and I would love to emulate his sound

someday.

After the show, Mike stood outside the venue to sell CDs and talk to whoever

came out to the show. He talked to all the Berklee students that showed up and

gave them a handshake or a hug. He gave advice and talked about his life at Berklee,

and it looked like he had an impact on the students he talked to. I know he inspired

me. It was a small showing—only 30-40 people—but I think that the smallness of it

made the show feel so personal.

These cats are the real deal. I highly recommend checking out their album, or

dropping in to see a show, even if you don’t listen to jazz.

-Kyra Louie