Featured
Guided by the stars: Santa Fe-based musician Jono Manson talks life on the road, benefit concert in Placitas
Jono Manson is ready for the holidays.
Not only because he will have time to spend with his family, but he will be off the road where he鈥檚 been touring with Blues Traveler as part of the band鈥檚 fall tour.
鈥淚鈥檓 on my way to Montgomery, Alabama, and it鈥檚 the last night of the tour,鈥� Manson says. 鈥淚鈥檝e driven 7,600 miles so far and I have yet to return home to Santa Fe. I鈥檝e been opening up for Blues Traveler and it鈥檚 been really fun. This gives me an opportunity to perform with them without doing a separate tour.鈥�
Manson will perform a benefit concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, at La Estrella Event Center in Placitas.
Manson worked with Blues Traveler vocalist John Popper on his solo album and has remained friends with them.
鈥淏lues Traveler was playing nice 2,0000-seat venues,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been good for me because I鈥檓 getting myself out there. This is the first time I鈥檝e done anything like this.鈥�
Manson had a busy year both as a solo musician and as a producer with his The Kitchen Sink Recording Studio in Santa Fe.
He released his Blue Rose Records debut, 鈥淪tars Enough To Guide Me鈥� on March 31.
On the album, Manson is joined by Popper, 鈥淎merican Idol鈥� finalist Crystal Bowersox and folk/Americana stalwart Eliza Gilkyson.
Guided by the stars: Santa Fe-based musician Jono Manson talks life on the road, benefit concert in Placitas
Manson says the songs on 鈥淪tars Enough To Guide Me鈥� are diverse and genre-bending, drawing on roots, rock, soul and country traditions as they paint vivid portraits of resilient characters standing tall in the face of time鈥檚 relentless march.
In his solo shows, he鈥檚 playing a good amount of music from the new record.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a different set each night,鈥� he says. 鈥淲ith the solo gigs, I can play for hours and whatever songs I wish to. I keep changing it up. The new songs are the most exciting for me to play. I get a sense of what people are responding to and I continue to go in that direction. Being a solo artist, I can flip the script and I don鈥檛 have to notify anyone else on stage because it鈥檚 usually only me.鈥�
Manson has been working steadily in music for more than three decades.
Along the way, he鈥檚 learned some lessons.
鈥淚 know that residual fatigue does catch up with you,鈥� Manson says. 鈥淚 do my best to take care of myself on the road. I鈥檓 62 now and I鈥檓 not going out to the all-night rave. I鈥檓 more comfortable taking a back seat to all of that.鈥�
Looking back at his journey in music, he鈥檚 more grateful as he gets older.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 ever feel like I鈥檓 resting on my laurels,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he quality of my writing continues to evolve and improve. I鈥檓 going to new places with my music. I don鈥檛 feel at all stagnant and my love for writing and performance continues to grow. I鈥檓 continuing to learn each day, and that makes everything I do exciting.鈥�
