Kombo is a contemporary jazz organ/guitar duo founded and led by keyboardist/composer Ron Pedley and guitarist/composer John Pondel, former members of fusion outfit Uncle Festive. Following a split, the duo formed Kombo and signed to GRP. They released The Big Blast! in 1999 with the sibling rhythm section of Matt and Gregg Bisonette on bass and drums. It went Top Ten. After nearly two years opening and headlining tours, Kombo returned with Cookin' Out in 2001. The group split amicably as Pedley and Pondel remained intensely active outside the band. In 2022 they reunited with the Bisonette brothers, played some dates, and entered the studio. They emerged with This Is the Good One in 2023. During the '80s, Pedley and Pondel were members of Barry Manilow's touring and studio bands, and possessed sterling résumés. Pondel played with Gerald Wilson, Harold Land, Art Pepper, Tom Scott, and a host of West Coast jazz luminaries. He met the Bisonette brothers during these years. Pedley has worked with Manilow since 1985, but before that he worked in Maynard Ferguson's bands with the Bisonettes. The duo were approached by drummer, producer, and music biz jack-of-all trades Bud Harner (then Manilow's music director) about forming a fusion band with fellow Manilow bandmember bassist Marc Levine. Between 1986 and 1992, Uncle Festive issued six acclaimed albums and toured almost incessantly. Following a support tour, they went on hiatus. Pondel formed Jazzhole, a long-lived, influential acid jazz band who issued their eponymous debut in 1994. Pedley played on Jazzhole's 1995 offering …And the Feeling Goes Round, then returned to work with Manilow (as his bandleader) and did session work. In the aftermath of Uncle Festive, Pedley and Pondel remained friends as well as colleagues. The pair sought to form their own electric jazz band and enlisted the sibling rhythm section of bassist Matt Bisonette and drummer Gregg Bisonette, colleagues of the guitarist's in various groups. Bud Harner and Tommy Lipuma signed them to the Verve Music Group and in 1999, the quartet issued the Harner -produced The Big Blast! The set received airplay in the U.S. and in Europe, but really clicked in Japan where it became a best-seller, landing inside the Top Ten on the jazz albums chart. They undertook a world tour where they played everywhere from small clubs to jazz festivals. Pondel and Pedley re-entered the studio with an expanded lineup. Though Steve Ferrone took over the drum chair from Gregg Bisonette, Matt remained, Further, Kombo enlisted a three-piece horn section, vibes, vocalist Sharon Hendrix for a couple of tunes, and additional percussion. Cookin' Out was released in 2001. It didn't chart in the U.S. but became a smash in Japan. The group undertook opening tours across the U.S., played festivals in Europe, and headlined in Japan. In 2002, Kombo went on hiatus. Pondel returned to work with Jazzhole, but also played sessions for Rick Braun and Bob James. In 2009 he issued an eponymous solo album for RGM. Pedley returned to direct Manilow's bands and also worked with Byron Motley and Al Jardine. During the pandemic, Pedley and Pondel began speaking about reuniting Kombo. In 2022, they re-assembled the original quartet with the Bisonettes, played a few dates, and entered the recording studio with Harner producing. Buoyed by a three-piece horn section, This Is the Good One was released by Shanachie. The ten-track set included nine originals and a resonant cover of Curtis Mayfield's "It's All Right." Released in late April, the album landed on the contemporary jazz albums chart in early May. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi