“My Life in the World of Music” by Joe Fonda

AUTHOR

Joe Fonda

BOOK TITLE

«My Life in The World of Music»

PUBLISHER

Independently published

In My Life in the World of Music, Joe Fonda offers more than a straightforward account of his long and distinguished career. What emerges from these pages is a vivid, heartfelt, and deeply personal narrative that traces the artistic and human journey of one of the most original and influential double bassists in contemporary creative music. Born in 1954 in Amsterdam, New York, Fonda has traversed more than fifty years of musical history, moving from early passions for rock and blues to a full immersion in avant-garde jazz, becoming both an interpreter and a protagonist of major artistic transformations.

From the opening chapters, a defining trait of his personality comes into focus – an irrepressible passion for music. As a teenager, Fonda immersed himself in rock, R&B, and blues well before taking up the double bass. A decisive turning point arrived with his encounter with radical jazz. Initially resistant to its language, his first exposure to Ascension by John Coltrane proved transformative, marking a point of no return and pushing him toward sound exploration and free improvisation.

The book unfolds through a succession of anecdotes and pivotal encounters. Fonda recounts his early studies at Berklee, his entry into the New Haven scene, and formative meetings with figures such as Wadada Leo Smith and Bobby Naughton. The narrative then expands to include his collaborations with Anthony Braxton, a central presence in his artistic development and a key musical partner during the 1990s, as well as work with other leading voices of the avant-garde, including Barry Altschul, Billy Bang, and Satoko Fujii.

More than a biography, My Life in the World of Music reads as a diary of life and sound. Fonda reflects on post-Vietnam America – a country marked by cultural and social upheaval – and intertwines his personal story with collective events such as September 11 and the Covid-19 pandemic, observed with the same introspective, questioning gaze that informs his music.

Some of the most affecting passages are those devoted to family. The chapters addressing relationships with parents and children reveal a complex and deeply human portrait, in which devotion to music coexists with the care, responsibilities, and tensions of emotional bonds. These sections make the book accessible and touching even to readers outside the jazz specialist community, offering a clear view of the man behind the musician.

Ultimately, the book invites readers to grasp Fonda in all his complexity – as an eclectic double bassist and composer capable of ranging from the blues-rock of the J.&F. Band with Jaimoe Johanson of the Allman Brothers to the freest forms of improvisation, but also as an educator and as a thoughtful narrator of shared artistic experiences.

For those familiar with his work through recordings or live performances, My Life in the World of Music provides valuable insight into the artistic language and ethical choices that have shaped his role within creative music.

Recommended not only to jazz enthusiasts and fellow musicians, the book speaks to anyone interested in understanding what it means to devote a life to music. Fonda’s prose is direct, sincere, and never self-referential, making the narrative approachable even for readers less accustomed to the technical vocabulary of jazz, while offering sustained reflections on discipline, creativity, and artistic resilience.