Bio

PDF press kit is also available for download.

While most people aspire to be the star on the stage, Jonathan Moody has made a name for himself under it. A veteran of the Southwest Michigan theatre circuit, Jon brings a musical voice that’s rooted in a wide variety of styles, helping him bring an authenticity to every note he plays. Combine that with his rock solid reliability (musically and professionally) and it’s easy to see why he’s the first person Music Directors contact when hiring a pit.

Never one to turn down a gig in his younger years, Jon found himself playing funk, rock, jazz, dixieland, and even backed a bell choir and polka band. Drawing from his experiences has given Jon a unique voice on the instrument, the ability to sit in the background and fully support the style he is performing, and yet keep a whimsical attitude present in every note he plays. One thing sits upfront however; Jon loves to play.

Jon has shared the stage with a potpourri of artists such as Terence Blanchard, Charles MacPherson, Bucky Pizzarelli and Yoboso’ in the jazz idiom, Dick Wagner (Frost, Alice Cooper) and Brian Vanderaark (Verve Pipe) in the rock world and James Gordan & Sons, Kitty Donohoe and Matt Watroba in the folk realm. Jon has also had the pleasure of backing up such notables as Dennis Edwards (the Temptations), Fee Waybill (the Tubes), Leif Garrett, Kim Zimmer and Robert Newman, to name a few.

Currently residing in Kalamazoo, Jon is an endorsing artist for Warwick and NS Design basses, GHS Strings, Phil Jones Bass amplifiers, Black Cat Pedals and Visual Sound Effects, Peterson Tuners, Gruv Gear, Levy’s Leathers Gigbags & Straps, Westone Earplugs, a staff writer for Bass Musician Magazine, and a freelance musician in the West Michigan area, still playing for whoever asks first. Jon can be heard at Unity Church of Kalamazoo every Sunday, supporting regional folk act Patricia Pettinga on ukulele and string bass, or at any of the theatres in town depending on their season. His spare time includes drinking coffee, staying in his wife’s good graces and playing the ukulele for his giggling baby girl.