Voted Drummer of the Year at the 2003 Maple Blues Awards.
This is the third year running that I have won this prestigious award.

I was featured (with photo) in Modern Drummer Magazine's "On The Move" column,  September-2002 issue (with Neil Peart on the cover).

Thank you to Maureen Brown for publishing a blurb on me in a recent issue of DRUM! Magazine May/June 2002 Issue (with photo).

Current Activities

2003, 2002 and 2001 Maple Blues Award winner for Drummer of the Year
(The Canadian equivalent of the W.C. Handy award.) www.torontobluessociety.com

• Sue Foley:

  I have been playing with WC Handy nominated, Juno Award winning, roots/blues, guitarist and singer/songwriter Sue Foley for over 3 years. www.suefoley.com
  Sue Foley was nominated for a WC Handy Award (www.handyawards.com) as best contemporary female blues artist. She is the first Canadian woman in history to be nominated in this category.

Sue Foley won the 2001 Roots/Blues Juno Award (Canadian equivalent of the Grammy) for her recording "Love Coming Down", produced by Colin Linden.

Sue has also won multiple Maple Blues Awards (the Canadian equivalent of the W.C. Handy Award) in the past few years, including Entertainer of th Year two years running

I recorded on Sue Foley's new recording "Where the Action Is", released June 2002, again produced by multi-award winning producer & performer Colin Linden.

We have toured Canada, USA and the Europe, including:

Europe: The Bishopstock Festival in Exeter, England, with Van Morrison and Booker T and the MG's, Blue Balls Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland, Blues Passion Festival in Cognac, France, with reviews in Mojo Magazine.

UK: A live in-studio session in Birmingham, England for the Paul Jones national BBC 2 radio show.

USA: West coast, opening for John Lee Hooker in San Francisco (just months before he passed away), BB King, The Neville Brothers, Johnny Lang, Dick Dale, and Jennifer Warnes, and National Public Radio's 'Mountain Stage' with Clarence (Gatemouth) Brown & Chris Smither.

Canada: The Winnipeg Folk Festival and Ottawa Blues Festival

We opened for BB King three times in 2001, in Los Angeles at the Wiltern Theatre, and in Toronto at Massey Hall and at the Molson Ampitheatre with Buddy Guy and John Hiatt, and played BB King's new club in New York City.

• Raoul and The Big Time:

  For the past 4 years, I have been playing with Raoul & the Big Time, a Toronto-based blues band in the 50's / Chicago / West Coast Swing style. www.raoulandthebigtime.com

  Raoul and The Big Time won the 1999 Maple Blues Award for Best New Artist, and Real Blues Magazine Awards in 2000 and 2001.

  We recorded our debut CD "Big Time Blues" (independent) in September 2000 at Liquid Sound in Toronto with Terry Wilkins and Alec Fraser co-producing.

  We have opened for Bobby Blue Bland, Mark Hummel, and Junior Watson.

• Other Recording Credits:

  Hennessey:

  Hennessey is a Canadian original pop/rock band. www.hennessey.ca

  I recorded "Life on AM Radio" (independent) with Hennessey in 2000, and played with them from 1999 to 2001.

  We have opened for Big Sugar, 54-40, Moxy Fruvous, and Echo and the Bunnymen. We are featured in the Sleeman's Brewery 'No Label' national radio campaign.

  
  Jeremy Robinson:

  I recorded on Toronto singer/songwriter Jeremy Robinson's 3rd independent release "Butterfly Pin" in 1997, and three tracks on his 4th recording "Good and Gone" in 1999. www.jeremyrobinson.net

  "Butterfly Pin" was reviewed in the February 1998 issue of Modern Drummer Magazine.
  

• Other Playing Credits:

Michelle Shocked Bourbon Tabernacle Choir Damhnait Doyle Tony D Philip Sayce David Gogo Gregory Hoskins Renann Jeremy Robinson Hennessey Martha and the Muffins Michael Jerome Brown Kenny 'Blue Boss' Wayne

Willie "Big Eyes" Smith Dylan Wickens Band Dawn Tyler Watson Paul Reddick + the Sidemen Ronnie Earl Jeff Healey Gordie Johnson Ashley MacIsaac Jack DeKeyzer Holly Cole Duke Robillard Jackie Richardson Jackie Washington

Tony Springer Wild T Arlene Bishop Blair Packham Aylie Sparks (Yukon) Jerome Godboo Big Daddy G The Bear Band Randy Dawson Greg Godovitz/Goddo Colin James Morgan Davis Jeff Martin (Tea Party) Mark Hummell Steve Lukather (Toto)

Blues Doctor Julie Hill Simon Tell Paranoia Robbie Rox Virgil Scott Steven C Barr Kim Doolittle Midnight Walk Swing Gang Chris Armstrong Glory Glory The Press Suspect Junior Watson

• Shared the stage with:

BB King John Lee Hooker Neville Brothers Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown Robert Cray Dick Dale Jennifer Warnes Johnny Lang Van Morrison Booker T and the MG's Buddy Guy John Hiatt

Barenaked Ladies Duke Robillard Double Trouble Nina Simone Gary Moore The Holmes Brothers Big Sugar Echo and the Bunnymen 54-40 Max Webster Dalbello John Entwhistle

Maceo Parker Bo Diddley Moxy Fruvous Country Joe MacDonald Dr. John Delbert McClinton Otis Rush Shemekia Copeland Sonny Landreth Rod Piazza and The Mighty Flyers Amos Garrett

Bruce Cockburn Colin Linden Coco Montoya Tom Cochrane Allanah Myles Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Blue Rodeo Danny Michel Great Big Sea James Harmon Joe Cocker

• Other Credits:

Appeared in an Atlantis/Alliance made for TV movie 'On Hostile Ground' (1999), starring John Corbett (Sex and the City).

Recorded on the soundtrack to CBC TV's 'Life and Times of Robert Bateman' (1998).

Numerous appearances on national Canadian television and radio shows, American (NPR) and UK (BBC) national radio shows.

I am a member of The American Federation of Musicians (Local 149, TMA) and an ACTRA Member.

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Tom Bona plays drums, cymbals and sticks.

all material © Tom Bona, 2002
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