Bonzai Beat with Mitchell Froom
Arranger, composer, musician, and record producer Mitchell Froom sits down with Mr. Bonzai from his studio to talk about his catalog of work and the upcoming tour with Crowded House.
Mitchell Froom is a musician and record producer perhaps best known for work with Gamma and Latin Playboys and as the keyboardist for Crowded House. As a producer, he has worked with prolific acts such as Los Lobos, Paul McCartney, Vonda Shepard, Richard Thompson, Suzanne Vega, and for the first three albums from Crowded House. Between 1992 and 2002, Froom partnered with engineer Tchad Blake and worked on albums with icons like The Bangles, The Corrs, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Indigo Girls, Randy Newman, Pearl Jam, and many more. With over 60 album credits to his name, Froom has earned nominations for several GRAMMY® Awards, including a nomination for “Record of the Year” for his work on La Bamba (1988) with Los Lobos and a 1993 “Producer of the Year” nomination for his work on Kiko (Los Lobos) and 99.9F° (Suzanne Vega). Other nods include a 1998 Golden Globe Award nomination, a 1999 GRAMMY nomination for “Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media,” and an Emmy win for “Noddletown,” a song from his solo album Dopamine (1998) that became the theme for PBS’ Sessions at West 54th.
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.co