Jon is a native of Falls Church, Virginia. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from George Mason University in Virginia and a Master of Music degree from Howard University in Washington DC. He taught himself how to play drums listening to his mother's collection of vinyl and watching metal and rap videos on MTV while emulating the drummers he saw. Jon was heavily influenced in marching band and drum corps style drumming in high school, but also performed as a pit percussionist in plays and musicals. His classical percussion lessons began at the beginning of his senior year.
Some of his first major musical experiences were in the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Youth Ensemble, the Disneyland Collegiate All Star band, and the Aspen Concert Jazz Ensemble.
Jon is currently touring with emcee/producer Oddisee in the band Good Compny. Together, they have performed sold out shows all over Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and North America. Some of their festival appearances include the Sonar festival in Barcelona; North Sea jazz festival in Rotterdam; Cully Jazz festival in Cully, Switzerland; Glastonbury festival in the UK; the Royal Arena festival in Biel, Switzerland; and the Dour festival in Belgium.
Additionally, Laine has performed with artists including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, David Foster, Kenny G, Dionne Warwick, El DeBarge, Erykah Badu, Angie Stone, Common, Robert Glasper, Talib Kweli, Steve Coleman, Meshell Ndegeocello, Louie Bellson, Charlie Byrd, Fred Wesley, Cyrus Chestnut, Jimmy Heath, Yusef Lateef, and Omar for his Sing (if you want it) national tour.
Laine was the winner of Downbeat Magazine's Student Music award for Best Instrumental Soloist in 2004 for his performance of Max Roach's The Drum Also Waltzes.
Jon has been teaching private drum lessons since the mid 1990's. Some of his former students have moved on to have successful drumming careers. Laine’s additional teaching experience includes grade school instrumental music, director of music for community jazz big band and combo groups, master classes, and clinics. Traveling is a large part of his music career as he has performed in dozens of countries in Africa, North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
Over the years Jon Laine has expanded his work to include music production. His discography includes 10 instrumental “beat tapes” and has produced and performed music for local DC area artists.
In 2006, Jon started the DC LOVES DILLA tribute concert for the late James “J Dilla” Yancey. As founder and music director, Jon managed a supreme group of musicians to create the band "the Players", named after a famous Slum Village selection. As the house band, they perform as many as 30-40 songs from Dilla's collection. The annual event which ended in 2015, featured artists including Common, De La Soul, and the late Phife from A Tribe Called Quest. Maureen Yancey, J Dilla's mother, is a frequent attendant of the concert.
