Meet Jon Ham

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Ham.

Jon, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been playing music since I was a kid, but it was always a side project that fit in around my full time professions (a decade as a preschool teacher, and then a few more years in the craft beer industry as a brewer, packaging technician, and head of packaging).

In August 2018, the brewery I had been with for two and a half years had some investor mandated downsizing, and a few full time employee positions were eliminated, including mine.

I decided to try to turn this unexpected layoff into a blessing in disguise, and dove headfirst into playing music full time. While there is a lot of uncertainty involved in this and I need to continually hustle to book enough gigs to pay the bills, it’s been really great to be working for myself and having more time to spend with my wonderfully supportive wife. Also, being able to spread some happiness and positivity through my music really means a lot to me.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Certainly not smooth, but it could be way worse. Performing opportunities die down a little bit during the winter here in Colorado, so I’ve had to make some cutbacks to be able to keep following this crazy dream. But now that we’re back into the brewery patio weather season (although it is snowing as I write this in May!), gigs are picking back up. There’s always little things that go wrong that I keep learning from–electrical issues, cables malfunctioning, etc. Having a lot of friends in the brewing industry has helped with booking gigs, and my friends are extremely helpful with spreading the word about The One And Only Jon Ham and recommending new venues to me.

The One And Only Jon Ham – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a high-energy live-looping one-man-band. I perform a variety of musical genres and styles (both originals and covers) by stacking up layers of multiple instruments live in front of the audience (guitars, bass, drums, vocal harmonies, and sometimes Dobro or the West African xylophone, the gyil).

Although looping is becoming a trendy performance style, I’ve been doing it for 17 years, so I really am finally at the point where it really sounds like an entire band performing, and I’ve learned how to adapt a wide variety of songs and styles to fit into this format.

And with my newest project, Gyilicious, I’ve been combining West African xylophone with live electronic drums & bass to create a unique blend of world beats that transform familiar songs into an exotic new style. Being able to spread the love and positivity I’ve learned from Bernard Woman (master drummer of Ghana, R.I.P.), Griffin Brady (head of Slyboots School Of Music, Buffalo, NY), and the Saakumu Dance Troupe really makes me excited to be contributing to Bernard’s legacy through my own non-traditional style.

I am also proud that in running my own musical act, I am able to support other friends’ small businesses by collaborating with them for events, and can also support local charities and fundraisers by donating my talents and promotional and marketing skills.

I guess another thing that sets me apart from others is the fact that I am the only Jon Ham. There are no others.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I recently played my 100th show as The One And Only Jon Ham (I’m not sure how many I played before I officially established this act and started keeping track). It was a big success, and I was happy to be able to invite many of my friends’ small businesses to come to my favorite local brewery, Chain Reaction, to showcase their talents to a packed crowd on a Sunday afternoon. Not too shabby.

Also, I’m very proud of volunteering to perform at a variety of charity fundraiser events has allowed me to contribute to building schoolhouses in El Salvador, supporting a friend’s rehabilitation following a tragic spinal injury, helping defray hospital bills for a fellow brewer who suffered severe burns, aiding the victims of forest fires and floods, and helping raise funds to open a local brewery that employs and serves differently abled people.

Contact Info:

• Email: MusicWithMrJon@Gmail.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/TheOneAndOnlyJonHam
• Facebook: Facebook.com/TheOneAndOnlyJonHam

Image Credit:
Logos by AJ McGuire, Dead Drift Tattoo

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.