KENNEDY SNOW is Melbourne drummer and composer Sonja Horbelt.
The album “Follow” features some of her favourite musicians: London based, acclaimed vocalist Nina Ferro, Australian jazz icon and pianist Bob Sedergreen, Hey Hey It’s Saturday and Melbourne session scene co-horts saxophonist Kellie Santin and bassist Kim May, in demand Keyboard/producer Grant Windsor, jazz trumpeter Gianni Marinucci and emerging young singer Lauren Sibree.
The songs reflect a long journey of song writing, from the days of innovative Melbourne quintet "Morgana" to the present day.
Sonja is an experienced arranger and conductor for big band and orchestra. Her influences range from Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Jill Scott, Nile Rogers, and Michael Jackson to Keith Jarrett, Miles Davis, John Scofield, Dianne Reeves, Andrea Keller, Kristin Berardi, Luke Howard, Michelle Nicolle, Rebecca Barnard, Sam Keevers and Chris Hale.
A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, she has worked extensively as a freelance musician with noted Australian jazz artists such as Don Burrows, Sandy Evans, Joe Chindamo, Kate Ceberano, Wilbur Wilde and Motown legend Gil Askey, and has supported internationals such as Ray Charles, B.B King, McCoy Tyner, Ernie Watts, Eric Marienthal and Dave Valentin.
Sonja works regularly with comedians Casey Bennetto (Keating) and Spicks and Specks writer Geraldine Quinn, and has also backed a broad range of other comedians such as Eddie Perfect, Virginia Gay, Wes Snelling, Mike McLeish, Adam Hills, Gillian Cosgriff, Adam Richards and Felicity Ward.
