NAME: Jeff Rona (award-winning film composer)

CITY: Santa Monica, CA

WEBSITE: www.jeffrona.com

FAVORITE MUSIC SOFTWARE: Logic

NAMBA GEAR: Shaka Laptop Messenger

Jeff Rona is a contemporary film composer and recording artist who has worked on numerous film and television scores, including Homicide: Life On The Street, The Lion King, Traffic, The Net, Toys, Mission: Impossible II and many, many others. Prior to becoming an established composer, Rona was active in the creative and technical aspects of electronic music, and was one of the architects of the MIDI standard. He is author of The Reel World, a guide to the art and business of film scoring, and which grew out of a column of the same name which he regularly writes for Keyboard Magazine.

His projects have received numerous awards including Oscar, Peabody & Emmy awards, and countless film festival awards around the world. He is a two time recipient of the ASCAP film and television music award. He was commissioned to compose a concert for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which toured throughout China.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST PROJECTS

I spent a lot of 2008 traveling thru China as part of my composing, recording and performing for the 2008 Olympic games. I’m back in the studio now scoring the horror/thriller ‘The Tortured’,  and the video game God Of War 3.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT YOUR NAMBA GEAR BAG?

My laptop is a portable studio as well as my lifeline away from the studio. I carry demos, record sessions all from my laptop and audio interface. I put my gear thru a lot, and safety counts! I’m a “bag guy” and I’ve gotta have a great bag. That’s why I chose the Shaka Laptop Messenger bag.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE REMOTE RECORDING LOCATION?
In the homes and personal studios of some of the best musical artists on the planet.

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In our third installment of All Good Things Namba, we will explore  one of Japan’s most famous shopping districts, the Namba District of Osaka, Japan. What really makes this shopping area so special is  Namba Parks which is integrated into the buildings.

Namba Parks is a really amazing piece of architecture, a place where you’ll spend half your time shopping and the other half admiring the design. It stands where Osaka’s baseball stadium used to be until 2003, and consists of a 30-floor skyscraper, Parks Tower, and 120-tenant shopping mall which includes many restaurants and a cinema. The eight floors of terraced gardens, boutique stores, big brands and trendy dining have been an instant hit in shopping-mad Osaka. In addition to providing a highly visible green component in a city where nature is sparse, the sloping park connects to the street, welcoming passers-by to enjoy its groves of trees, clusters of rocks, cliffs, lawn, streams, waterfalls, ponds and outdoor terraces.

Beneath the park, a canyon carves an experiential path through specialty retail, entertainment and dining venues. Namba Parks creates a new natural experience for Osaka that celebrates the interaction of people, culture and recreation. The project was so successful that Namba Parks was extended in 2007 - almost doubling the facility.

 Finally this project is so amazing, that personally I would include it as the 8th wonder of the world.

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Second in our Namba Gear series of other cool and interesting All Good Things Namba that we have discovered, is Austin Namba the skateboard wizard. This guy is so good he is just “sick”. The soundtrack is “Everyday People” by Sly and the Family Stone, which seems very appropriate as Austin makes it look so easy that everybody should be able to to it. Again, simply enjoy. Peace.

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We thought that we were so clever when we came up with the name of our company, Namba Gear, based on the travel essay about the two Namba tribes of the South Pacific island of Vanuatu. You can read the full story by going to one of our earlier blogs, The Danger of Reading Travel Essays When You Are Trying to Name Your Company.

Since then, we have become aware that Namba is not so unusual a name after all, and in fact there is a  plethora of Namba’s in this world. So, we thought we would bring you our little series of All Good Things Namba.

First up is a clip from the South African Gospel Music Complilation DVD. It’s by Mthunzi Namba, one of my favorite mzansi gospel artists, with Joyous Celebration.  If you are in need of a translation, “thina sithi amen…” means “we are saying Amen…” Enjoy!

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NAME: Ray Riendeau (bassist / recording & performance artist)

CITY: Phoenix, AZ

WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/rayriendeau

FAVORITE MUSIC SOFTWARE: Logic

NAMBA GEAR: Shaka Laptop Messenger

Ray is a highly sought after bassist whose versatile style and dedication to the instrument has earned him world tours and many major CD recording projects. His musical expertise and knowledge of the instrument keeps him busy as a composer, teacher, clinician and a touring / recording artist.

Ray is endorsed by ZON Basses, Accugroove Cabinets, Aguilar Amplification & Lightwave Systems. He has been featured in many publications such as Bass Player, Bass Frontiers & Bassics to name a few.

As a clinician, Riendeau has demonstrated his concepts to students throughout the United States & Europe at events such as Bass Day - L.A., the National Guitar Summer Workshop, The School of Bass - AZ and Bass Day - New York 2001 which also featured Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey, Matt Garrison, Mike Pope and Christian McBride.Ray was also part of the ZON Ultimate Bass Concert in Berkley CA with Michael Manring, Todd Johnson and Damian Erskine. Riendeau is also acknowledged for his contributions alongside highly-revered guitarists such as Gary Hoey, Greg Koch, John 5, Jeff Kollman, Scott Mishoe, Ron Jarzombek, Rob Popescu, Curtis Reid and Neil Zaza.

Ray is a bassist most known for his work with singer Rob Halford (Judas Priest). As a member of the band Halford, Ray recorded two studio cds, one double live CD, and toured around the world, most notably playing to a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden - NYC and Co-headlining Brazil’s Rock in Rio festival with Iron Maiden playing to a crowd of over 250,000 (to be released as a DVD Sept 23, 2008).

Ray was also a recording / touring artist for Machines of Loving Grace, a band who was featured on the movie soundtrack “The Crow” which sold over 1,000,000 copies. His credits with the band include “Gilt” and the soundtrack for the movie “Hackers.”

Riendeau assisted in the research and development of Sunn bass amps and the Fender Bassman series combo amps for Fender Musical Instruments. Ray has also been a Fender clinician and authored an instructional DVD for Fender as well that is included in all bass packs sold all over the world.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST PROJECT, RECORDING, OR PERFORMANCE:

Upcoming clinics/performances:

Arizona Bass Player Festival  March 5 - 8  Tempe, AZ (ASU)

Mile High Bass Camp May 2nd  Longmont, CO  @ Mojo’s music Academy

Rocky Mountain Bass Slam May 3rd Denver, CO @ Ziggies

check website for more details:  www.myspace.com/rayriendeau

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT YOUR NAMBA GEAR BAG?

The NAMBA Shaka bag allows for durability, protection, lots of room for musician type things and style.

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I recently received this email notice from Music Connection Magazine. Check it out.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the untimely death of pioneer rocker Buddy Holly, and to commemorate it Music Connection’s website is featuring a remarkable mp3 for your listening pleasure: it’s a fascinating long-distance phone conversation between a then little-known Buddy Holly and the president of the label that had just dropped him. Bottom line: the ever polite but persistent Holly is heard getting the old heave-ho from The Man. The conversation (recorded by Holly on his own reel-to-reel tape machine) is heartbreaking (considering Holly’s impending death in a plane crash), supremely ironic (in light of the legendary heights that this artist would soon attain), but ultimately inspirational today to any struggling artist who hears it.

Take this opportunity to eavesdrop on this incredible piece of music history by going to http://www.musicconnection.com/. In the upper left of our Home Page you’ll find the Holly clip on the “Music Connection Channel.”

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