Biography:

JON BEN BERGER

BIOGRAPHY

Jon Ben Berger grew up on the East coast, a teenager in love with Folk and Jazz music. He grew into a singer-songwriter who had the good fortune of crossing paths with Pete Seeger. Seeger recognized Jon's gift and brought him to the monthly 'Broadsides' magazine concerts at New York's Village Gate. At this time, Jon worked under the name Toby Ben and began getting stage time at clubs such as the 'Gaslight' and 'The Bitter End'. He also became a favourite on the Bitter End's college circuit tours. These dates proved a valuable training ground for an artiste that has always been singled out for his abilities with a live audience.
 
A foray to the west coast reaped a contract with L.A's Venture Records, for whom he recorded "Wake Up To The Sunshine", an album that is, even now, being discovered by a new generation of listeners. His next effort, "Don't Lie To Me, Baby", was a single for Columbia Records as the Toby Ben Blues Band. The lure of the San Francisco music scene saw Jon forming a fusion band there, the 'Burning Bush'. The band played regularly at the Half Moon Bay concerts and a tape of those performances caught the attention of senior A&R producer at Columbia Records, John Hammond. Hammond had discovered Billie Holiday and Bob Dylan and became a staunch supporter of Jon at the label.

The resultant buzz brings Berger back to New York and his status as a featured act at the city's venues. Nurtured by the avant-garde art scene around him, and his fellow denizens of the Chelsea Hotel, Jon enjoyed multi-media collaborations with members of the Phillip Glass Ensemble, director Shirley Clarke and dancers from Merce Cunningham's troupe. He also created music with the Tony Williams Lifetime, Jack Bruce, Jimi Hendrix and lands a role in 'Hair' at Broadway's Biltmore Theatre.

In recent years, Jon has enjoyed success as an artiste in Sweden, where he has raised his family. His voice has become familiar in commercials, and releases on 'Elektra Sweden' include “Masterpiece In Stone” and “Fort Green Park”. His career in production and arrangement has also found him in good company, producing albums for Victoria Tolstoy, Dilba, Ardis, Peach Of A Time, JJ Marsh.and Ladislaus Horatius. Jon also has played with some of best living in Sweden including - Brian Kramer, Jair Rohm Wells, James Bradley Junior, Derrick January, Marcelo Nunez, Mats Qwabfobdt, Christer Lyssabides, Chuck Anthony, Tore Berglund and many, many more.
 
2007: Jon's music is the lead motif in the film, “Saint Francis” by Ezra Allen Gould, released in Europe in the fall of 2008, staring Dita Von Teese.
2008: Album release "Thank You For Living You Life" with Martin Sörbom on Rhythmman Records - Jon's label.
2010: The release of "New Reality" with Amy Garcia, produced and co-written by Jon Ben Berger
2011: Jon meets Christopher Hills and joins a partnership working on, and writing songs, for IJ Chris an artiste at Koffe an Kreem - Christopher's company. The same year Jon produces a new version of "The World Gets Hurt" with Winsome Benjamin and IJ Chris singing.
Jon meets Que Pro, a fantastic artist, and does a new rap version of Amy Garcia and Jon Ben Berger's song "Deep In Suburbia” - to be released in 2012.
Jon meets Jordi Cohen and makes 3 new songs and videos inspired by Jordi's great photos.
Jon does the production of the red version of "Sticky Situation” for The H Project raising money for Haiti.

Jon works across most musical genre's including, but not limited to, Rock, Folk, Alternative, Reggae and Blues and 2012 finds Jon working on his new CD "EIQ".