Jon Ponder

BOOKING, PRESS, OR OTHER INQUIRIES: www.jonpondermusic.com

[email protected]

“Jon Ponder's music speaks across generations and carries with it the power and beauty of genuine acoustic roots music...songs that truly sound timeless…” --Ian Gorman, Musician, Recording Engineer, Producer

My Music Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I am a singer/songwriter and a librarian with a passion for preserving and telling good stories. Using acoustic roots instrumentation and styles that range from old-time string band music to country to Americana folk and folk-rock, I write songs that take listeners to specific times, places, and experiences. More than once, after hearing my song “Turn That Plow” about my Grandpa running away from the farm to join the Army, audience members have said things like, “That song could be about my Dad.” My performances have also been known to inspire young, old, and in-between to dance, clap, and stomp their feet.

“Jon Ponder's lyrics are filled with rich details [and] balanced with hummable melodies and danceable rhythms.” --Jeremy Baldwin, host of “The Roots Music Project” on NPR affiliate 89.1 WEMU-FM, Ypsilanti, MI

New Album: Many a Good Long Year My new album, Many a Good Long Year, contains 12 songs interspersed with family recordings of storytelling and music playing by my Grandpa and his brother. My Grandpa was a born storyteller who grew up on a farm in East Texas playing music with his brothers. A few years ago, I started writing songs in the style of old-time string band music with lyrics based on my Grandpa's stories. For this album, I intertwined these family story songs with songs that tell some of my own stories.

“A family affair of American song….Deeply sincere slices of the modern ‘American Family’ experience…satisfying as a hot, home-cooked meal on a cold Michigan winter night. I invite you to join the family.” --Marc Taras, host of “Cuban Fantasy” on 89.1 WEMU-FM; co-owner of PJ’s Used Records

Jon Ponder (vocals, guitar), Danielle Gartner (harmony vocals, cello), Eric Anderson (banjo, mandolin), Allison Stanley (drums), Robbie Linkner (bass), Bruce Gartner (fiddle), Jason Dennie (mandolin), Mark Lavengood (dobro), Drew Howard (pedal steel). Recorded by Jim Roll, mixed by Ian Gorman, mastered by Glenn Brown.

Performance Booking I perform live with different line-ups: solo with me and my guitar, duo or trio, and full band with bass, drums, and instrumentalists. For booking or other inquiries, please email me at [email protected].

Past performances include • • • • • • • •

The Yellow Barn, Ann Arbor, Michigan FARM (Folk Alliance Region Midwest) 2015 private showcases Nor’Eastr Music and Art Festival, Mio, Michigan Holler Fest, Irish Hills, Michigan Grand River Brewery, Jackson, Michigan AnnArbor.com Summer Concert Series Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tearoom, Ann Arbor, Michigan The Free Times Café, Toronto, ON Canada