John Thornberry

Ben Andrews | Jane Halliday | John Thornberry

A specialist in a variety of musical styles, John Thornberry gained his unique musical insights through study at the School of Hard Knocks taught by counter culture musicians playing in 1960s Louisville Kentucky. He started out, like many a budding rock musician, on guitar, but at age 13 switched to bass and has never looked back. John has worked with a number of hard rock bands and psychedelic rock ensembles in the Louisville area since 1967. Eventually he become interested in fusion and other types of jazz which led him (as well as the enthusiastic encouragement from his friend, guitarist, Ben Andrews) to purchase an up right bass and explore acoustic styles of music. In 1993, he and Ben Andrews formally joined forces to establish the Louisville version of Swing '39 performing the music of D'jango Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli.

Besides his long-time commitment to performing "hot club" jazz, Mr. Thornberry is also bassist for the mixed-genre ensemble Jazz Crafters, which performs a style of music which blends bluegrass and jazz idioms. He is also involved in a various ad hoc musical projects playing original music, straight-ahead jazz, bosa nova, and studio work, and performs as a soloist for the city of Louisville's street performances program.