The purpose of this monthly series is to highlight an outstanding contributor to the site as chosen by the editorial staff. This designation is meant to recognize and celebrate those writers who not only shine by virtue of their talent, but whose ongoing participation gives all of us a reason to tune in each and every day. As new readers are continually discovering BC Magazine, we also hope to introduce these fine writers to a new audience.

Fans of the independent music scene who visit BC regularly already know that Jon Sobel is the go-to guy for up-to-date news on indie releases. Publisher Eric Olsen opines that Jon “…combines a musician's knowledge of the subtleties and intricacies of music and the music industry with a lifelong fan's passion and a gift for very fine writing. Jon has long been the indie artist's best friend on Blogcritics and his more recent forays into theater have been exceptional as well!”

A BC contributor since January of 2004, New York-based Jon is equally at home writing theater reviews and the occasional piece of political or social commentary, and indeed the quality of his writing has made him a favorite with readers and editors alike. Assistant music editor DJRadiohead offers this: “Jon Sobel is a fabulous writer and a key contributor to our music section. His writing has a literary quality to it and his work is imbued with a rare dignity and intelligence. Jon is better able to translate sound to word in his description than just about anyone I know. He's just a damn pleasure to read and edit.” Music editor Connie Phillips agrees that “Jon brings so much to the Music section with his reviews and round-ups of what's going on in the world of independent artists and recordings. He writes with a lot of knowledge, a little humor, and consistently in top-notch form.”

Jon doesn't just talk the talk when it comes to writing about music. In addition to holding down a day job as an IT professional and writing for BC, Jon is a working musician who fronts a band called Whisperado. You can hear some of their music on their Myspace page.

Before we get to the heart of the matter, a little background on Jon:

I have three lives. As an IT professional, I mind machines during the day. As a musician and songwriter, I lead the roots-rock/alt-country band Whisperado, run blues shows in New York City, and, when time allows, play bass as a sideman with other bands. As a writer, I review music, theater, and the occasional book or movie; once in a while I write something political, funny, or extra-stupid.

I’m fortunate to have been raised in a humanist family, immersed in music, literature and science. The family has included both writers and musicians. Grandpa Martin never finished high school but published a raft of self-help books, a few novels, and regular book reviews in The Jewish Post. He was also a published songwriter back in the days of sheet music. Grandma Pauline was a novelist and poet and also wrote for confessional magazines. My parents have both authored textbooks, and my mother is the only person I know to have earned a weekly paycheck for writing verse (funny story, that…).

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