Jon Hamar is a versatile artist whose ability to find a tasteful, unique voice in any musical situation has made him a staple in the music scene. Hamar’s friendly nature, sense of humor, and work ethic have kept him busy as a freelance bassist in multiple performance genres.
Jon was born in Kennewick, Washington. He began playing the string bass at age 11 and a year later began playing the electric bass. Jon’s parents are musical, and Jon grew up listening to his father play gospel, boogie-woogie, and classical music at the piano, and his mother played the oboe and sang at church. His parents were a significant musical influence on him at an early age.
Jon earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Double Bass Performance from Eastern Washington University under the tutelage of Roma Vayspapir and Kelly Ferris. Jon graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a Master’s degree in Jazz and Contemporary Media, studying with Jeffrey Campbell, James Vandermark, Harold Danko, Clay Jenkins, Raymond Ricker, and Fred Sturm.
In 2001 Hamar relocated to Seattle, Washington, and was in high demand as a freelance bassist. Hamar performed for four years with jazz and blues great Ernestine Anderson and Northwest notables Greta Matassa, Jim Knapp, Randy Halberstadt, Dawn Clement, Kelley Johnson, and John Hansen. Jon also performed regularly in an orchestral setting, recording on movie soundtracks, and playing recitals and concerts around the Northwest.
In 2012 Jon joined the faculty at the Centrum Jazz Workshop under the Artistic Direction of John Clayton. While living in Seattle, Jon taught at Central Washington University, Northwest University, and Edmonds Community College and maintained a private studio. In the Fall of 2015, Hamar joined the faculty of Natalie Haslam School of Music at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN.
Jon began performing with the Jeff Hamilton Trio in July of 2018. The same year, he toured Europe with the Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton, featuring renowned vocalist Cecil McLaren Salvant. You can hear Jon with the Jeff Hamilton Trio on the 2020 release Catch Me if You Can and on the most recent Jeff Hamilton Trio holiday album release entitled Merry and Bright, released in November 2021.