Jon Torrence at Manchester Underground Music and Art

A night of vital music from the extraordinary musical craftsman Jon Torrence at Manchester Underground Music and Art

The Vital Music of Jon Torrence

Stumbling upon musical genius is exhilarating. You’ll always remember where you were and when it happened. My first encounter in person with the music of Jon Torrence was one of those stumbling upon genius moments. 

I will always be most thankful to my friend Jason Heinrich for introducing me to the music of Jon Torrence. Jason suggested we book Jon to play at GIG – The Art of Michigan Music. I went to listen to his music and was captivated. Jon’s voice, his musical arrangements, and how he seamlessly blends pop, jazz, rhythm & blues are masterful and invigorating. Listening to Jon’s music instilled a vital connection. Luckily, we could book Jon for GIG, and his performance was one of the weekend’s highlights. While his recorded music is superb, his live performance was sublime. 

Jon Torrence at Manchester Underground Music and Art

Composing portraits of sound, Jon Torrence used his guitar and voice to craft introspective stories and shared them with us this evening at Manchester Underground Music and Art. His melodious voice, combined with choice chords and melodic lines, instilled a joyous and reassuring quality to everyone gathered at the River Raisin Distillery for this show.

Here in Manchester, Jon could play an expanded set of his original music. All the songs were relatively short yet wonderfully written. Jon mentioned that some of his music is rather new. One song called “Alright” was born only a few months ago. This was the first time he’d performed it live.

Using percussive strumming, the emotional quality of the song is amplified along with the power of Jon’s voice. The ending was resplendent with a soft Radiohead vibe. 

I loved how Jon implied that his music has a life of its own. It may start a particular way, but as time passes, that song may change. That change could be in the form of its composition or in what the song means to Jon. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to see how this new song grows over time.

One Man Band

Using what Jon calls the spaceship at his feet, he can create loops, transforming a solo artist into a one-man band. Recording a chord progression loop, Jon added jazzy riffs and solos to a song. He also used the loops to keep the song going while switching to electric guitar or his trumpet. The most expressive and fantastic use of the loop was to create a backing vocal chorus. 

Jon Torrence closed out his set with the song “Only Human.” This song was my introduction to Jon when searching for his music online. Within its yin and yang lyrics striving for balance, Jon delivers a song that showcases the power of his music. The power to be both entertaining and evocative. Jon Torrence’s performance at Manchester Underground Music and Art was sensational. Don’t miss a chance to catch this outstanding musician when he comes to your town.

Pictures

You’ll find more photos of Jon Torrence at Manchester Underground Music and Art in our gallery.