“I’m privileged to have worked with Jon on tour in 2016. His skill on the bass and his vocal talent are exemplary and his work ethic is incredible. He’s earned my respect both as a musician and a person.”
Eddie Allen, Guitarist – Marty Wilde and The Wildcats. Ex Editor Guitarist Magazine.
“I have known Jon for a good many years and have played in many bands with him. Apart from being a genuine lovely guy he is also a top bass man. He plays solid bass lines and always plays the right thing to any tune he’s playing on. Check out the JENNER, MELLOR rhythm section on the last OUCH album MEDWAY DOG.”
Clive Jenner, Drummer – Groove Armada, Lenny Kravitz, The Proclaimers & The Freestylers
“I worked with Jon for over twenty years, first of all in our band Ouch, then in an acoustic trio and finally in a duo and I can honestly say that I have never met anyone so dedicated and passionate about music. His bass playing and harmonies are second to none in all the different styles of music that we covered including pop,reggae,ska and rock and he is also the most honest and hardworking bloke I have ever worked with. My only regret is that he moved to Australia, otherwise we would still be playing together.”
Kevin Taylor, Lead singer and writer with Ouch!
As a London guitar playing and producer I have had the pleasure of working with Jon Mellor on and off for more than a decade in various constellations and projects. First and foremost Jon is an excellent bass player with a superb knack for writing lyrical, melodic bass lines for original material. Think of him as a slightly over-exited funky McCartney without a plektrum who doesn’t fear venturing above the 7th fret. If you’re playing covers, Jon is not only a quick learner – but more importantly when the parts have entered his mind they stay there and will be delivered consistently at any time under any circumstance.
Jon is also an accomplished backing vocalists with a very good ear for hearing (and hitting!) even the most spurious notes in complex arrangements – live as well as in the studio (I should know – I’ve come up with quite a few deliberately weird ones – just to see if I could throw him off the scent. No such luck. But it did make for a couple of interesting outtakes on a few occasions). At a push he’ll even have a stab at the odd lead vocal – often delivered with charm and vigour as much as raw power.
On a personal level Jon is just about the most trustworthy and overall nice guy you could ever wish to meet. He’s a hard worker who doesn’t mind putting in a tough shift for the team. Think of him as a holding midfielder with a strong engine who will pass the ball at the right time – and will run up and down the pitch all day long (and he’s a Gooner to boot).
A few drawbacks:
– He’s a vegetarian (or maybe possibly even a vegan – it’s hard for outsiders to tell) with a fully funtional moral compass.
– His dress sense is extravagant and without compromise (I actually like it, but if you knew what I look like, you’d know that that not necessarily a compliment which translates into reality for the rest of the world).
– He’s annoyingly good looking – imagine a well-preserved limey Dustin Hoffman.
It’s a yes from me – I’d like to put him through to the next round.”
Preben Raunsbjerg, Producer and guitarist – James Burton’s band
“I have worked with Jon for 5 years as a highly driven & motivated bass player and band leader. He is a top-notch session musician, always musically prepared and very technically apt. He slots well socially into all groups I have worked with. He has a great feel for many genres of music – together we have recorded and performed pop, jazz, ska, rock and R&B. I would highly recommend Jon as a session musician.”
Mandy Meadows, Lead singer and writer with The Madness Method
“It was my pleasure to have Jon play bass with me for 5 years in an originals band called Freefall. Jon was a dependable member of the band, a quick learner of new songs and had a great feel for the music (jazz/funk/soul so quite often very bass driven). He also contributed many creative ideas and is a good song writer. Finally (and possibly as important as being able to play well), he’s very easy to get along with and has a great sense of humour.”
Saeed Shah, Keyboardist and writer with Freefall
