Just after crossing the finish line reading bassist Joe Fonda’s newly self-published autobiography, the chance to see him in person presented itself: a trek to Bar LunÀtico, deep into Brooklyn, to hear one of the more recent bands discussed in the book, the cross-cultural Eastern Boundary Quartet with Fonda, regular pianist and foil Michael Jefry Stevens and two Hungarians: reeds player Mihaly Borbely and drummer Balazas Bagyi.
Fonda is short in stature, but nowhere could you escape his massive sound, generated by thick, veiny hands that have supported so many different groups.
A cursory examination shows that Fonda has never placed in polls, even as an active recording artist since 1980 working alongside those who have. Sure, he has many accomplished peers, but this is frankly unconscionable after a perusal of his collaborations across the book’s 155 pages, not counting a complete discography.
The title reflects the tone of the book. Despite his talent and hard work, Fonda comes across as remarkably humble and sincerely grateful for his many opportunities. Remembrances are mostly chronological, but that approach shifts in the second half of the book, which is more conversational, making this an easy and interesting read.
Not surprisingly, the most charming section comes at the outset, where a young Fonda is discovering music, both as an absorber and as a player. His father was a professional trumpeter whose guidance was crucial to his development, even as worlds were crossing with the elder’s traditional jazz and his electric bass-playing son’s interest in rock-n-roll of the era.
Thirty pages are given over to Fonda’s early experience as a budding professional, covering his entry into Berklee College of Music and moving through the history and significance of his first band Samadhi with drummer Steve McCraven and guitarist Michael Gregory Jackson. Young musicians should pore over this section carefully; it is easy to forget that musicians rarely come fully formed and that varied playing and listening have major impact on one’s development.
Things pick up in 1981 when Fonda was introduced to the Creative Musicians Improvisers Forum and its member musicians, including Wadada Leo Smith, Bobby Naughton and Gerry Hemingway. This coincides with Fonda the recording artist, both his leader debut and participation in the Creative Musicians Improvising Orchestra’s sole release. He worked in the then-fertile avant-garde scene of Connecticut, then came the inevitable move to New York, where Fonda encountered players who would become lifelong partners, starting with his bandmates in the Mosaic Sextet, including the aforementioned Stevens.
This part of the book also includes accounts of Fonda’s first times touring Europe. One the one hand, the analog era seems hard to imagine against today’s instant connectivity but, logistical issues, good and bad gigs and money concerns are unfortunately timeless. Also incisive is an analysis of how band personnel can change over time for myriad reasons and the need to be adaptive.
Two themes emerge in this section: One is Fonda as the eternal student, using various musical scenarios to expand his palette and improve his skills, whether it be in interactions with Anthony Braxton or working with tap dancer Brenda Bufalino. The other is Fonda the human being, as he spends time talking about the influence of his three children on his outlook, something not often discussed in musician biographies (and, if so, usually in the negative).
However, to the latter point, later in the book he introduces his new partner, the vocalist Ilse Pfeifer, through whom Fonda became involved in a project mixing his bass and Shakespeare recitations by Belgian actor Peter Rouffaer. Yet Fonda never writes about his former wife and why their relationship dissolved. Without sounding overly voyeuristic, it could have been instructive to hear about the personal difficulties musicians go through due to the stressors of their career so others could try their best to avoid similar pitfalls.
The remainder of the book brings us to the present day via the many bands of which Fonda was part, some defunct, others still ongoing, and includes the inevitable passings, like old friends Roy Campbell, Billy Bang and Mark Whitecage, another inevitability for musicians as they age. This is tempered by new friends, sometimes recommended by others, as with one of Fonda’s strongest linkages over the past decade, Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii, brought together by a mutual admirer. Again, young musicians can benefit from the lesson that compelling music can come from outside one’s close circle or comfort zone.
You can read this book in the time it would take you to listen to the smallest fraction of Fonda’s discography. Without providing a precise formula for longevity in music, My Life in the World of Music shows that the path from mid-state New York to a steady international career is achieved as much through perseverance and openness as innate talent. JT