Toronto-based guitarist/composer Jamie Bonk's fourth and latest album is 5 .
Recorded over a three year period, this five song EP features, in
addition to Jamie's own guitar playing, performances by two outstanding
instrumentalists, flugelhornist Jeff Oster and pianist Loren
Gold. 5
is Jamie's most diverse record to date and draws on a multitude of
styles including New Wave, Classical, Rock and Ambient.
Jamie's third album, My World
(released August 2004), won two NAR LifeStyle Music Awards for: Album of the Year
and Best Instrumental
Album - Acoustic . My World
blended Jamie's fluid acoustic guitar playing with performances from
keyboardist Sonya Mitlewski, guitarist Peter Janson and vocalists Ron
Scott and Shelley Hamilton. The album featured a cover of the Bee Gees'
"Nights On Broadway" as well as the Ron Scott penned "If This Is Love"
and the Janson/Bonk composition "Waiting For Winter". My World
spent two months (September and October 2004) at number one on the NAR
Top 100 Radio Chart.
Jamie's second album, A Perfect Tomorrow, debuted at number one on the New Age Voice (NAV) Magazine's Airwaves Top 100 in 2000 and remained in the top 20 for six consecutive months. Jamie Bonk, Jamie's self-titled debut CD, which was released in 1997 in Canada and in early 1998 in the U.S., also received considerable airplay. In addition to being NAV's Radio Album of the Year for 1999, Jamie Bonk was NAV's Airwaves Top 100 longest charting CD, staying on the charts for 18 consecutive months. Jamie Bonk was also the longest charting CD in the top ten (8 months) and the longest charting CD in the top twenty (14 months). To date, Jamie's music has been played on over 600 radio stations worldwide.
Both Jamie Bonk and A Perfect Tomorrow have been played on many in-flight audio programs. Airlines that have programmed Jamie's music include: Asiana, TWA, US Airways, American, America West and Canadian. Air Canada used Jamie Bonk in its entirety as boarding music during 1998. Additionally, Jamie's music has been programmed by Sirius Satellite Radio, XM Radio, AEI Music, DMX USA, DMX Canada, Music Choice, Music Choice Europe, DX Radio Network, Galaxie/ExpressVu and Echo Star.
Jamie's educational background includes a B.Mus in composition from Queen's University (1987) and Classical guitar studies with Eli Kassner (teacher of Liona Boyd). At Queen's, Jamie's composition studies with renowned Canadian Contemporary Classical composer Istvan Anhalt and Professor Bruce Pennycook were instrumental in helping him win a silver medal in the electro-acoustic category of the C.A.P.A.C. competition (1986).
For six and a half years (1990-97), Jamie was an Associate
Guitar Instructor at the Toronto Guitar Institute, teaching hundreds of
students and in every style. In 2003, Jamie became a contributing
editor for NewAgeReporter.com. His artist-to-artist conversation series
has featured many top name artists in the contemporary instrumental
genre. A nominee for Guitarist of the Year at the
2005 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, Jamie is currently performing in the
Toronto/Southern Ontario region, composing for his next release, and
conducting an ongoing series of seminars for Apple focusing on digital
recording. Jamie uses and is endorsed by Godin Guitars.