Marc Bonilla
Encyclopedia
Marc Bonilla is a guitarist. He has worked with Keith Emerson
(including on 1995's Changing States and in Emerson's 2006 touring band), Glenn Hughes (on The Way It Is, 1999, also playing keyboards), David Coverdale
(late 2000 live band) and Kevin Gilbert
(Toy Matinee
live band). He also appears on the Emerson, Lake & Palmer
tribute album Encores, Legends & Paradox (Magna Carta Records
, 1999)and a spoken word album with comedian Bobby Gaylor for Atlantic entitled "Fuzzatonic Scream" including the controversial single, "Suicide" in 1998.
He has released a number of solo albums. Among them, EE Ticket
(Reprise, 1991), and American Matador
(Warner Brothers, 1993), which includes covers of "A Whiter Shade of Pale
" and "I Am The Walrus
" with guest Ronnie Montrose
.
Bonilla currently plays in California Transit Authority, a project led by former Chicago
drummer and founding member Danny Seraphine
, featuring some updates to early Chicago
songs as well as new material and is currently working on the follow-up album of all original material. He has also produced, co-written and performed with the Keith Emerson Band's new album. In addition, he is currently on tour with Eddie Jobson's UZ Project as singer and guitarist.
Marc is originally from the San Francisco Bay area
and, along with Joe Satriani
, was one of the preeminent rock guitar teachers in the Bay area during the 80s. Marc moved to LA in the early 90's to work on TV and movie scoring working with James Newton Howard, John Debney, and others, earning an emmy nomination in 2001. In addition, he had cameo roles in the 1997 television series Nightman
about a crime-fighting sax player, for which he was the musical director and acted as a performer (with his band) in several episodes under the alias Marc Bonilla and Dragonchoir.
He recently completed guitars for Iron Man 2 and is working with Steve Porcaro (of Toto) on the hit series, Justified on FX channel. He also lectured at LA's Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT). He currently resides in west Los Angeles
. He now lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife and son.
Although Marc appears in the video for Toy Matinee
's "Ballad of Jenny Ledge," he did not actually play lead guitar on the album. Lead guitar work for the Toy Matinee
LP was done by LA studio guitarist Tim Pierce, though Marc replaced him for the touring incarnation of the band along with Sheryl Crow.
Around the time that EE Ticket was released, Yamaha musical instruments produced a prototype left-handed
Marc Bonilla model guitar. This guitar was embellished with comic book superheroes, of which Marc was very fond. (www.marcbonilla.com)
Keith Emerson
Keith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
(including on 1995's Changing States and in Emerson's 2006 touring band), Glenn Hughes (on The Way It Is, 1999, also playing keyboards), David Coverdale
David Coverdale
David 'Jack' Coverdale is an English rock singer, most famous for his work with the his own hard rock band Whitesnake which achieved massive commercial success.-Early life:...
(late 2000 live band) and Kevin Gilbert
Kevin Gilbert
Kevin Matthew Gilbert was an American songwriter, musician, composer, producer and collaborator born in Sacramento, California, later living in San Mateo, California where he attended Junipero Serra High School...
(Toy Matinee
Toy Matinee
Toy Matinee was a short-lived American art-pop band, and also the title of their only album. Their sound was an array of mixed influences, including progressive rock, AOR and pop reminiscent of both the Beatles and the Beach Boys....
live band). He also appears on the Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
tribute album Encores, Legends & Paradox (Magna Carta Records
Magna Carta Records
Magna Carta Records is an independent record label located in Rochester, New York. Magna Carta was formed in 1989 and is owned by Peter Morticelli and his partner Mike Varney. The label has a diverse line-up consisting of musicians from many different genres, but is best known for many of its...
, 1999)and a spoken word album with comedian Bobby Gaylor for Atlantic entitled "Fuzzatonic Scream" including the controversial single, "Suicide" in 1998.
He has released a number of solo albums. Among them, EE Ticket
EE Ticket
EE Ticket is the first studio album by guitarist Marc Bonilla, released in 1991 through Reprise Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Marc Bonilla – electric guitar, guitar synthesizer, synthesizer...
(Reprise, 1991), and American Matador
American Matador
American Matador is the second studio album by guitarist Marc Bonilla, released in 1993 through Reprise Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Marc Bonilla – electric guitar, vocals , keyboard, programming, bass guitar, production...
(Warner Brothers, 1993), which includes covers of "A Whiter Shade of Pale
A Whiter Shade of Pale
"A Whiter Shade of Pale" is the debut song by the British band Procol Harum, released 12 May 1967. The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 8 June 1967, and stayed there for six weeks. Without much promotion, it reached #5 on the US charts, as well...
" and "I Am The Walrus
I Am the Walrus
"I Am the Walrus" is a 1967 song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Lennon claimed he wrote the first two lines on separate acid trips. The song was in the Beatles' 1967 television film and album Magical Mystery Tour, and was the B-side to the #1 hit "Hello,...
" with guest Ronnie Montrose
Ronnie Montrose
Ronnie Montrose, is an Amercian rock guitarist who has headed his own bands as well as performing with a variety of musicians, including Sammy Hagar, Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison, The Beau Brummels, Boz Scaggs, Beaver & Krause, Gary Wright, Tony Williams, The Neville Brothers, Dan Hartman, Edgar...
.
Bonilla currently plays in California Transit Authority, a project led by former Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
drummer and founding member Danny Seraphine
Danny Seraphine
Daniel Peter "Danny" Seraphine is an American drummer, record producer, theatrical producer and film producer, best known for being the original drummer and founding member of the rock group Chicago, a tenure which lasted from February 1967 to May 1990.-Early life:Danny Seraphine was born in...
, featuring some updates to early Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
songs as well as new material and is currently working on the follow-up album of all original material. He has also produced, co-written and performed with the Keith Emerson Band's new album. In addition, he is currently on tour with Eddie Jobson's UZ Project as singer and guitarist.
Marc is originally from the San Francisco Bay area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
and, along with Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
, was one of the preeminent rock guitar teachers in the Bay area during the 80s. Marc moved to LA in the early 90's to work on TV and movie scoring working with James Newton Howard, John Debney, and others, earning an emmy nomination in 2001. In addition, he had cameo roles in the 1997 television series Nightman
Night Man
Night Man is an American action/adventure/sci-fi series that aired in syndication from September 15, 1997 to May 17, 1999. The series is loosely based on a comic book published by Malibu Comics and was created by Steve Englehart and developed for television by Glen A...
about a crime-fighting sax player, for which he was the musical director and acted as a performer (with his band) in several episodes under the alias Marc Bonilla and Dragonchoir.
He recently completed guitars for Iron Man 2 and is working with Steve Porcaro (of Toto) on the hit series, Justified on FX channel. He also lectured at LA's Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT). He currently resides in west Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He now lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife and son.
Although Marc appears in the video for Toy Matinee
Toy Matinee
Toy Matinee was a short-lived American art-pop band, and also the title of their only album. Their sound was an array of mixed influences, including progressive rock, AOR and pop reminiscent of both the Beatles and the Beach Boys....
's "Ballad of Jenny Ledge," he did not actually play lead guitar on the album. Lead guitar work for the Toy Matinee
Toy Matinee
Toy Matinee was a short-lived American art-pop band, and also the title of their only album. Their sound was an array of mixed influences, including progressive rock, AOR and pop reminiscent of both the Beatles and the Beach Boys....
LP was done by LA studio guitarist Tim Pierce, though Marc replaced him for the touring incarnation of the band along with Sheryl Crow.
Around the time that EE Ticket was released, Yamaha musical instruments produced a prototype left-handed
Marc Bonilla model guitar. This guitar was embellished with comic book superheroes, of which Marc was very fond. (www.marcbonilla.com)