Mark Bonifacio - Drums, Music Writer, Producer & Band Leader
Cay Fatima - Piano / Keys
Jim Donica / Dave Scheinder - Bass
Mark Macdonald - Alto Sax
Mark Bonifacio, the leader, drummer, composer, and co-producer for "Real Time" put it all together. Having awareness of his talent, Mark journeyed through schools, studying drums, piano, music theory, audio engineering, and the music business.
"Studying first with Charlie Persip at Queensborough College opened my eyes to jazz, as well as years of studying at The Long Island Drum Center and attending Drummers Collective in New York City. Studying there helped me gain a wider knowledge and hold on authentic ways of playing all styles of music from some of the best "doing it" in the industry: Frankie Malabe, Ricky Sebastion, and Duduka Fonseca to name a few." states Bonifacio.
Playing on numerous gigs and sessions, and working as an assistant engineer, Bonifacio honed his talents for creating a successful group like Real Time, and writing such beautiful compositions as "Before the Storm," "Another Day," and "Lost but not Forgotten."
Mark used dedication, determination, and "Invisible" help to persue his dreams. "Many coincidental experiences have happened to me, and I gained wisdom from them. Having the opportunity to personally meet George Benson and Stevie Wonder, for example, was especially inspiring." says Mark.
By trial and error, Mark came to realize steps needed to bring a successful group project like Real Time to reality. One of the steps finding a collaborator. Luckily for Mark, Cay Fatima was able to fill that position.
Cay Fatima is the pianist, composer, arranger, co-producer, and musical director for Real Time. As a keyboardist, Cay has worked for a diverse group of musicians, which included being musical director for the jazz group Febop for ten years. Also performing with Sengal's Roots Talibes, which opened for Kenny Loggins at the U.N. for the ABC's "In concert" television show, gave new dimension to playing "world" music for Cay.
"That experience helped for when I played with drummer Michael Cameron's "The African Ensemble and Fine Art Singers of New York." states Cay.
Together, Mark and Cay have made a great team and it shows in their compositions, such as the hard driving "Indigestion."
Mark used many talented musicians that contributed to Real Time. Saxophonist Mark Macdonald, Joe Mantini, and bass players Jim Donica, Dave Schneider, and Dave Innis are some of the gifted players that helped propell Real Time's melodic information while leaving a little flavor of their own talent along the way.
