Jon
Ponder is a singer and songwriter based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. With
songs grown from a rich storytelling tradition, Jon’s acoustic
guitar and clear voice leave an impression. His songs range in style
from old-time-tinged to country to contemporary folk and folk-rock.
There are travel songs, heartbreak songs,
and songs about family and origins, but the common thread throughout
his songwriting is stories and images that take the listener to
specific times, places, people, and experiences.
Jon
Ponder comes from a line of musicians. He learned harmony singing,
some guitar, and a little stagecraft from his dad, who
has led a musical life as a tenor in a southern gospel group,
a solo singer, a guitar player, and a Stan Freberg pantomimist. Jon
is also influenced by his grandpa’s pickin’ and grinnin’ and
stories of playing country music with his brothers while growing up
in East Texas.
Jon
began singing early on in church and school choirs, then playing
guitar at age 16, and had his first performance experiences leading
church song services. He grew up in southern California, went to
college in Washington state, and has lived and traveled in the
Marshall Islands, Greece, Jordan, and Yosemite, among other places.
Jon moved from California to Michigan in 2006 to attend the
University of Michigan. It was in Michigan, exposed to the vibrant
folk music scene there, that his songwriting developed.
Many
a Good Long Year, the first full-length album from Jon Ponder, was released in January 2016. The album showcases the poetry,
melody, and storytelling that define Jon Ponder as a musician.
Initially writing heartbreak songs, Jon began to find a new
songwriting voice by returning to his grandpa's stories and to his
own memories of his grandma and grandpa. The new album intertwines
these stories and memories of grandparents and family with his own
stories of finding his way in the world.
Jon
recorded the album primarily with two of his music pals and
collaborators, Eric Anderson and Danielle Gartner, who play and sing
on 10 out of the 12 tracks. The talents of these additional fine
Michigan musicians also bring the songs to life: Allison Stanley,
Robbie Linkner, Bruce Gartner, Jason Dennie, Mark Lavengood, and Drew
Howard. Instrumentally, the album employs varied lineups and
arrangements: vocal harmonies, guitar, banjo, cello, mandolin, dobro,
fiddle, pedal steel, bass, and drums.
