BIOGRAPHY
John "Nonjohn" Tennison is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who writes music for the mind and the body. When playing Boogie Woogie, Tennison's left-handed ostinato juggernaut and right-handed pyroclastics create a contrapuntal, polyrhythmic, trance-inducing texture that takes Boogie Woogie piano places it has never been before. Because of his driving, high-energy Boogie Woogie grooves, Tennison has been called "The Texarkana Train." Harmonically and melodically, Tennison's music usually has a strong sense of tonality (musical key), and has been influenced by the melodies and phrasing of sources as diverse as Bluegrass and the classical music of India. However, Tennison also ventures into experimental and dissonant harmonies that might sound odd to some ears. Tennison's intense percussive style has been influenced by African, Arabic, Indian, and Samba drumming. "Fricking" (an acronym for FingeR pICKING) is the word used by Tennison to refer to his hammer-on style of solo guitar playing. Tennison's lyrics focus on social critique, timeless philosophical issues, and often have a satirical edge. Overall, the spirit of Tennison's music is conveyed by the freedom implied by the African Bantu word, "Mbuki Mvuki," which means to remove one's clothes in order to better dance or perform.
Read more...