Jon Fadem

Jon Fadem, a guitarist hailing from New Jersey, has had an impressive musical journey. From studying at Oberlin College and Conservatory to forming an original funk band who were featured in Dean Budnick’s book ‘Jam Bands: North America’s Hottest Live Bands’, Jon has continually created new music while paying homage to the pioneering sounds of artists that have inspired him. Along the way, Jon has played guitar with George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic, Bernie Worrell from Parliament/Funkadelic and Talking Heads, Buddy Miles from Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys, Larry Graham from Sly & the Family Stone, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Ike Willis, and Ray White from Frank Zappa’s band, George Porter, Jr. of The Meters, and many more of his musical heroes. Jon’s extensive experience over the past fifteen years as the lead guitarist and musical director for the acclaimed, nationally-touring Talking Heads tribute band Start Making Sense underscores his versatility and dedication to his craft. For eleven years, he has been proud to be endorsed by PRS Guitars, Mesa/Boogie amplifiers, and Dean Markley strings.

‘Thankful’ represents Jon's first foray into solo artistry, offering a dynamic blend of guitar-oriented instrumental music that seamlessly transcends genres such as rock, jazz, pop, funk, and soul. Drawing inspiration from iconic albums of the 1970s and his musical influences like Jeff Beck, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Jerry Garcia, Steely Dan, Wayne Shorter, and Frank Zappa, Jon has crafted a captivating and melodic album of thirteen songs that will appeal to a wide audience of music enthusiasts.

Notably, Jon showcases his multi-instrumental talents on ‘Thankful,’ playing guitar, bass, keyboards, mandolin, and dulcimer, joined only by the exceptional John Kimock (Mike Gordon of Phish, Oteil Burbridge of Dead and Company) on drums. The album's production, co-mixed with renowned mix engineer Phil Joly (Common, Daft Punk, Lana Del Rey, The Strokes) and mastered by the esteemed Heba Kadry (Bjork, Sade, Bon Iver, Ryuichi Sakamoto), ensures an inspiring and evocative listening experience that captures the essence of Jon's unique musical vision. It is an album of melodies and grooves that will find a welcome place in the lives of its listeners.