Bonzai Beat with Larry Klein

During his career, Klein has produced more than 100 albums. Currently, Klein is producing albums for multiple artists, including southern gospel/soul singer Lizz Wright, jazz/blues singer Madeleine Peyroux, and more.

Klein grew up in Southern California, where he experienced an after-school musical program at The Community Schools at USC while still in high school. The program gave him the tools to hone his playing and compositional skills with university professors. While in college at California State University Los Angeles, he worked with various jazz and latin groups. His formative experiences provided the foundation that led to Klein’s touring with high-caliber groundbreakers, including percussionist Willie Bobo, saxophonists Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter, and trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, among others. These early experiences led to Klein gaining a reputation as a musical prodigy, leading to his collaboration with icons like Stanley Clarke.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Klein worked on many projects, collaborating with diverse acts like Neil Diamond, Bobby McFerrin, Dianne Reeves, and Robbie Robertson. It was during this time that Klein began his work on film soundtracks, to which his credits include Raging Bull (1980), The King of Comedy (1982), and Toy Story (1995), among others.

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