Jonah has been a judge since 2020
Jonah Brooks
Bitter Jester Music Festival Judge
2012 Bitter Jester Grand Champion
Jonah Brooks is a musician, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Highland Park, IL. He studied jazz guitar with Henry Johnson of the Ramsey Lewis group and Music Business at Columbia College.
Jonah was a Semi-Finalist in the Wilson Center International Jazz Guitar Competition in 2017. He also started a music production collective called Byoko and he releases his own music online under the name "Mayer Brooks.”
Jonah can play the guitar, trumpet, bass, keys, as well as make beats, mix, and master. An graduate of Highland Park High School, his band Midnight in Montana won the Bitter Jester Music Festival back in 2012 and he is excited to return this year as a judge for the first time!
“This event is such an important staple in the community for local young musicians and creatives in their formative years.
Participation is time well spent whether you win or not. There are good times to be had and important lessons about your craft to be learned.”