The bonaventure quartet
The Bonaventure Quartet is a band from Atlanta, Georgia playing mostly original music inspired by the acoustic gypsy jazz swing style of Django Reinhardt and lyric sensibilities of Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits.
The group formed in 2000 and has recorded three cds, Blue Rendezvous, 2002, Songs from Trattoria la Cellina, 2004, and their Opera Comique, The Secret Seduction of the Grand Pompadour, 2008. The Bonaventure Quartet performs regionally in the South East USA, is a regular winner of Best of Atlanta awards and receives airplay in Europe and the USA.
The band members are former Aquarium Rescue Unit guitarist, Charles Williams, singer Amy Pike, guitarist Dave Boling, reedman Don Erdman, violinist Marla Feeney, bassist Mark Bynum, Joel Morris on drums and Ken Gregory on brass.
Williams writes all the songs for the group and also contributed songs to the Aquarium Rescue Unit featuring Col. Bruce Hampton's CDs Mirror of Embarrassment and Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit.
Their 2008 release, The Secret Seduction of the Grand Pompadour, is an all original Comic Opera and receives airplay in Europe and the USA.
1) The March of the Grand Pompadour/c. williams (arranged by k. dale) 2) The World's Greatest Lover/c. williams 3) The Scene of You/c. williams 4) Postcards/c. williams/a. pike 5) Henry and June/c. williams 6) The Very Idea /c. williams 7) The Heat Below/c. williams 8) Little World/c. williams 9) Moonlight Falling/c. williams 10) Ou Est Pepe Lopez/k. dale 11) Lily's On the Prowl/c. williams 12) The Dinnercar/c. williams 13) Little White Lies/c. williams/a. pike 14) Busy Season/c. williams 15) So You/c. williams
In the October, 2008 issue of Vintage Guitar Magazine, Michael Dregni, the author of Django Reinhardt and the Illustrated History of Gypsy Jazz, 2008, writes, "Only the Atlanta-based Bonaventure Quartet could concoct such a fascinating "concept album". Their Gypsy jazz is infused with humor and a dose of the bizarre, but that only adds to the band's able musicianship, featuring the guitars of Charles Williams and Dave Boling. This is a unique album, alive with vision, fun, and hot music."