Home » Jazz Articles » Live Review » Bona Makes You Sweat: Ricard Bona at Le Bataclan, Paris

Bona Makes You Sweat: Ricard Bona at Le Bataclan, Paris

By David Miller
December 8, 2009
View read count

Richard Bona
Bataclan
Paris, France
November 21, 2009

"On va bien s'amuser ce soir." Those were Richard Bona's opening words at the Bataclan, and he and his band did not disappoint. Lots of fun was had by all in attendance. From a critical standpoint, however, one had to wonder if the music was really the focus of the evening.

Bona is an absolute monster on the bass. Many in the jazz world are aware of his status as the inheritor of

Jaco Pastorius

bass, electric
1951 - 1987

" data-original-title="" title="">Jaco Pastorius' throne. Yet, as written in this review of his latest CD, Ten Shades of Blues (2009, Wrasse Records), his excellent solo work has gone underappreciated. But the meticulous work that this multi-talented artist does in the studio does not translate nearly as well to the stage. Especially the material from Ten Shades of Blues.

Paris is like a second home for Bona, and he is always well-received here. Throughout the evening, he was as animated as ever, urging the crowd to sing along and dance. The crowd as well was in good spirits, bantering back and forth with the bassist and obeying his every command. The crowd even acquitted itself well when asked to provide vocal backing, such as on songs like "M'Bemba Mama," "O Sen Sen Sen" and others.

What was the show missing, then? Quite simply, musicianship. Surprising, given the above praise for Bona's bass playing (without even mentioning his immensely creative vocal stylings), but certainly that was the case on this night. Some of the fault was in the song selection. Tunes like "M'Bemba Mama," a beautifully understated ballad in the studio with superb guitar playing from

Sylvain Luc

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Sylvain Luc, and "Shiva Mantra," dominated in the studio by Indian musicians, did not adapt well to a live environment. At other times, the arrangements did not allow for much improvisation and thus sounded somewhat stale.

When the musicians were able to stretch out, however, some significant highs were reached. Bona's talents are best shown when he is improvising, when his facility with both his voice and the bass are on full display alongside his playfulness and effervescence of personality. In succession, a fully improvised duet with his guitarist and a layered vocal morsel in the tradition of his native Cameroon kept the crowd in rapt attention. In addition, a cover of a Jaco Pastorius composition was lively and upbeat, with references thrown in to

Weather Report

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Weather Report's "Birdland,"

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis' "Jean Pierre," and Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water." Fans looking for an extension of Bona's work in the jazz realm of the music of

Pat Metheny

guitar
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Pat Metheny,

Joe Zawinul

keyboards
1932 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Zawinul and

Mike Stern

guitar
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Mike Stern would do best to stay away from his live shows. Those who know what to expect will be treated to an enjoyable evening punctuated by moments of greatness.

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Steven Schoenberg Live: An Improvisa...
< Previous

Creative Addition
Next >

Richard Bona Concerts

Sep 16 Tue

Richard Bona Presents: Asante Trio

Teatro Coliseo
Centro, Argentina

Sep 18 Thu

Richard Bona Presents: Asante Trio

Estação Motiva Cultural
S?o Paulo, Brazil

Oct 29 Wed

Richard Bona Group Feat. Kornel Mogyoro

Eiffel M?helyház
Budapest, Hungary

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.