Bonzai Beat with Kat Edmonson
Mr. Bonzai sits down with Kat Edmonson, an award-winning songwriter, and singer with an equal foothold in cabaret, jazz, and vintage cosmopolitanism pop. The New York Times describes her music as “fresh as a spring bouquet” while NPR says, “Hearing Edmonson makes it virtually impossible to do anything but stop and listen.”
Kat Edmonson was born and raised in Houston, Texas, as the only child of a single mother who enjoyed songs from the Great American Songbook and traditional pop from the 1940s and ‘50s. Edmonson penned her first song while riding the school bus at age nine. In 2002, after a year attending the College of Charleston in South Carolina, she moved to Austin to pursue a career in music. Growing up with music and film of the early-to-mid twentieth century, Edmonson is a rare artist who embodies the spirit of the past while remaining current. She performs original songs and familiar classics to audiences at her live shows and includes humorous anecdotes and philosophical musings, while simultaneously sharing her love of film.
Mr. Bonzai is an award-winning photographer, author, and interviewer. He has written more than 1,000 articles for outlets in the United States, Europe, and Asia. He has published numerous books, including Studio Life (Mix, 1984), Hal Blaine and The Wrecking Crew (Mix, 1992), The Sound of Money (Focal, 2000), Faces of Music (Cengage, 2006), Music Smarts (Berklee Press, 2009), and John Lennon’s Tooth (BookBaby, 2012). His photos and articles have appeared in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Billboard, Mix, EQ, Keyboard, Daily Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Magazine, Disney Channel Magazine, Sound & Recording, and Relix, among others. http://www.mrbonzai.com